Is it worth getting cards graded?

[BIGRED666]

Hey,

I'm sure theres been several threads with this question but I couldn't find it to see the opinions on the subject, anyway...

I was curious is it worth getting cards graded?

I was thinking of getting some graded by Beckett.

I figured it would raise the value a little bit if they came back 9.5, 10 etc and also preserve the card as well.

I just was looking for opinions on this matter to get a overall idea if its really worth it in the long run.

Any opinion would be appreciated.

THANKS!!!!

[kylem1987]

Personal Preference I think. Personally I only look for cards graded 9.5+ and I will pay a bit more if its #'d /10 or less or a RC/RC Auto.

[superpieman]

it all depends on what the card is. what cards were you thinking of having graded?

[SteakNchop]

I'd say the same as the guy above me, it's all about what card it is.

[Rookiecard78]

It depends on the card. Vintage or hard to get cards yes but not autos and gu

[BIGRED666]

it all depends on what the card is. what cards were you thinking of having graded?

Not sure, was thinking of getting my 2 Starlin Castro auto's graded.

[todayssportscards]

I get cards graded on a regular basis but they are PC. I do it mainly to protect the cards. I say grade them if they are PC. If not don't waste your money.

[BIGRED666]

I get cards graded on a regular basis but they are PC. I do it mainly to protect the cards. I say grade them if they are PC. If not don't waste your money.

Exactly what I was thinking of doing.

[JDOE]

I wondered the same thing as far as if it was worth it to grade my cards I find worthy. I mean it's not exactly cheap to get them graded, so I'm very cautious about doing it; and I haven't had any graded yet.

Another thing I've noticed is that there are several "generic" card grading services out there that I don't trust. Some of them don't even get the card in the protective holder straight or get bubbles, etc. I can't trust their opinion especially when they say it's gem mint 10 like it's handing out candy.

So far the only one I trust completely is Beckett because they seem to be very tough on grading and break down all aspects of the card: corners, edges, surface, centering, auto DNA, etc. And they give each card a barcode and tell you how many of the same card have received the same grade previously.

PSA seems to be acceptable, but I have to wonder sometimes.

After all that, I will say I would feel more confident buying and selling a gem mint 10 BGA card, but I'm too cheap to do it most of the time and prefer the thrill of the hunt finding ungraded cards I think might be gem mints.

I have a jeweler's eyepiece I use to get a 16x magnification of the card (which will typically reveal any flaws not caught by eyesight) and micrometer I use to check the centering. I've found very few cards in my collection that I consider gem mint, but that is probably because I'm picky, not because my cards are in bad shape (I hope!).

[Donball23]

There are a few cards I've been thinking of getting graded to potentially increase resale value (a few sweet Matt Kemp Bowman RC autos and a few nice Ray Rice auto RC's) but I'm a little hesitant. I think they're good-grade-worthy, but have never done it, so I'm not confident the cards are as "mint" as I think. I am worried they'll come back with an 8.5 or something. At that point, I feel like it's better selling them ungraded.

Is there was a website with a series of guidelines/examples of how Beckett grades their cards? The only comparison I have are graded cards I've already purchased.