Grade's World

[OscarsCards]

I have thought about hockey card grading and graded hockey cards for a long time and I have come to the conclusion that this feels like a natural progress or next step. Next step at least for me because I have gone through a few phases in hockey trading card collecting hobby. When I started to explore this hobby I didn’t know a thing so I started to gather things I think I like but a few years later I understood that I don’t really like those things - The Cup Rookie Patch Autographs later Sticker Autographs and after that Event Worn Memorabilia for example. We all learn as we go, that's the beauty of it.

My thoughts about grading in a dozen years went from it’s not in my price range, that’s really unnecessary, “efff that” when the doctored card scandal kicked off until now which I would call - man, why didn’t I get some graded cards ten years back.

• So I would like to know your thoughts about graded cards - yea / nay?
• If you’re nay then why - too pricey, it’s too hard to display them as I would like to - for example?
• How big % of your personal collection are graded?
• Do you grade/own a cards for PC or to flip it later?
• Are you a maximalist Gem Mint+ or a Mint guy? Does the grade really matter if it’s on your PC?
• If you get a Mcdavid, Crosby, Bedard rookie cards would you grade them all or it's not that simple and is totally unnecessary?
• If that's totally unnecessary is that because the cards wont be grade 10?

I will definitely show my 2nd favorite card of all time but while those cards are incoming in a few months

I’d like to know all of your thoughts, refined tactics and stories from all of you about the matter so thanks for sharing.

Thanks everybody for participating!

[RGM81]

I've never been a huge advocate of grading myself. Don't get me wrong I totally understand & appreciate it from an investment standpoint; if you're sitting on a stockpile of Ovechkin/Crosby/McDavid/Gretzky/etc. rookies and high-end pieces that have stellar grades, then all the power in the world to you. For me this is still a hobby, look at my most complete PC--I could have 100% BGS 9.5/PSA 10 cards in my Gorges collection but who cares? Like, who is that helping out there beyond me for my own personal satisfaction? Because unless Josh himself or a member of his family decides they need a graded Josh Gorges PC to decorate the walls, the audience ain't gonna grow a whole lot. I suppose it would have perhaps been a wiser move years back to get in on some more graded Carey Price rookies LOL, but again, I have the raw cards themselves, and to me that's enough.

With this current wave of newcomers brought on by Bedard, the amount of posts I see on the likes of reddit and some of the Facebook groups with the first question after posting a card is "Should I get such and such card graded?" is wildly disproportionate to the number of actual cards that would have a significant benefit from being graded. Everyone saw what happened during the pandemic with some of the basketball rookies, and now they think their Luke Hughes Artifacts parallel has massive investment potential if it comes back from PSA. People are wild. I get it. It costs a lot to crack a box these days, and some of the good hits are fewer & farther between than they seemingly used to be. But unless you're 100% certain that so-and-so is going to be a Hall of Famer and have an amazing career, just enjoy your card for five minutes before you (and this isn't directed at anyone in particular) get the intrusive though that this little piece of cardboard is your ticket to fortune.

Vintage stuff that's graded, that's a different story. These are legit pieces of history from an era where very few people took the care & attention that we do today to the most mundane of cards. How many Gretzky rookies ended up in someone's bicycle spokes? Many Beliveau or Richard cards from the 60's got tossed in a shoebox without a second thought. The average card today gets much, much better treatment than anything prior to the 1980's when at least we had our little 9-pocket pages to put stuff in.

I don't envision many scenarios where 30-40 years down the road, when the world will be engaged in the middle of the climate wars anyways, that a fraction of the graded cards from our current era that out there on the market will be as desirable or cherished as the cards from that golden era. Very few have the scarcity of those classic cards. There are, right now, more than 10,000 Connor McDavid YG's that are graded BGS 8.5 or higher and more than 5,000 graded PSA 8 or higher. Yes, only 35 of those are Black Label BGS10's but there's 2,775 PSA10's. For those willing to pay the price, anyone who wants a high-grade McDavid YG can get one.

I don't begrudge anyone for collecting what they like or pursuing their passion. If you want it, go do it, have fun, enjoy yourself doing it. It ain't for me, but not everything needs to be LOL

[Goose97]

For me, I'm not a huge fan of grading cards, however I did send a submission away last year for a few that I had to PSA. Really only some specific Young Guns, and a few others that I figured I could get a high grade for, and a couple Jagr rookies I was wanting just to get encased. I really only believe that the more sought after cards such as rookies are worth really ever getting graded, because most people are wanting confirmation that such cards are in the best condition. Whether it has that BGS9.5 or PSA10 designation, then it does help to have that standard on the card so that whoever you're dealing with will be able to know that someone else has verified for you what condition it is in. So I did get a few 10's out of the deal which was nice, but the one I sent as a lark just figuring it was in spectacular shape, and came back a 10 was the highlight of my sub. I think you may like this one Rich @RGM81:

[dudical]

I would grade when/if it comes time to sell. Until then, just enjoy cards and keep the money in your pocket. Getting them graded for protection is a waste since a one touch or decent top loader and a sleeve protect just as well. The reason it is a waste to grade now if you are 'not' looking to sell if you don't know who the grading company of choice is going to be in future. The market can change pretty quickly and the current leader has not always been for each type of card or genre. So again, save your money until a time later on if you really need to grade to sell them go for it THEN.

[dudical]

Another note is that if you grade your cards and they are high worth, PSA and some SGC cards (vintage) and some CGC cards cost you WAY more to slab if they are $$$$. But, who is to say the value of that card is down a ton from now until the time you want to sell. That's another reason to wait until it's time to sell to get them graded in my opinion.

[odjickfan]

I wasn't a fan of grading and wasn't crazy about the condition of cards when I started collecting. But, in the past few years, with so many quality control issues with UD cards, I started to give more and more attention to card condition. I have a small collection of raw 80s rookies, but I want to add some big names (Gretzky, Lemieux and Roy) to my collection, and those will be graded. I'm only looking at PSA, BGS/BGV and SGC slabs.

[RGM81]

@Goose97 I'll give you that one, it is a sharp-looking card of The Captain!

[Goose97]

@Goose97 I'll give you that one, it is a sharp-looking card of The Captain!

Thanks Rich! I figured you'd like that one.

You know... if you ever do come by a banging Jagr, or a batch of really nice Jagrs...

It ain't leaving my possession until such a thing!

[doniceage]

So I would like to know your thoughts about graded cards - yea / nay?
It a personal choice so if it is for you do it if not no biggie. Do what is right for you in the hobby.

If you’re nay then why - too pricey, it’s too hard to display them as I would like to - for example?
As others have mentioned it can be pricey if you just grade stuff and do not get top grades. Also, if your doing high end cards they charge you to grade more expensive cards (like it cost more to grade those LOL). If you do get top grades you will definitely get a nice return if you go to sell them down the road. Of course if you send it stuff that does not get top grades you might end up hurting your investment (return).


How big % of your personal collection are graded?
I only have one card grade and it a vintage wings card that is in my pc.

Do you grade/own a cards for PC or to flip it later?
Neither I enjoy the hobby for the collecting aspect and do not worry about getting stuff graded to flip for bucks. So, see not need to do it but if your into the hobby as a job why not capitalize on the dollars that can be made.

Are you a maximalist Gem Mint+ or a Mint guy? Does the grade really matter if it’s on your PC?
If it for the pc it really does not matter imo. I mean I think we all like a great grade on the cards but how many of us can afford a Gretzky Gem Mint etc? I mean you have to live within your budget and many top end cards that grade well will not be sold cheaply.

If you get a Mcdavid, Crosby, Bedard rookie cards would you grade them all or it's not that simple and is totally unnecessary?
Probably want to only grade the rookies. I mean some folks grade real rare cards but what the point. Especially, if it is a 1 of 1 what is the point to grade it. I mean when you do the pop report it going to be the only one if it is a 9,10 etc.

If that's totally unnecessary is that because the cards wont be grade 10?
I think it unnecessary as many times there only two things worth grading.
1) Cards that are rookies and 2) possibly cards that are truly hard to grade due to quality issues or bad quality control with known issues. Those will be hard to find in top conditions Gem Mints 10's etc. so would be worth grading if you can land some top dollars.

[OscarsCards]

This is great so far but does anyone care to join this discussion with his/hers opinions.