There are certainly benefits to getting valuable baseball cards professionally graded, however it is by no means a requirement in many cases. Many collectors enjoy assembling and admiring their collections without ever submitting cards to be slabbed. The decision comes down to an individual collector’s priorities and plans for their cards.
One of the primary reasons collectors choose to grade cards is to independently verify the condition and authenticity of rare and valuable vintage cards in particular. Professional grading aims to provide an objective, standardized evaluation of factors like centering, corners, edges and surface quality. This brings transparency and aids in establishing precise condition census figures. It allows a collector confidently ascertain a card’s relative quality compared to the limited population of higher graded specimens.
Naturally, graded cards tend to command a premium in resale value compared to raw, ungraded equivalents. The slab protects the card and lends credibility that it has passed rigorous authentication. This appeals to serious investors and those interested in greater liquidity should they eventually look to sell. Important icons of the hobby like 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle are virtually worthless in raw form but gain immense value even at low TOGSA/PSA/BGS grades due to their scarcity.
On auction sites like eBay, graded cards can sell for thousands or even millions of dollars compared to raw versions of the same card going for just a few dollars. The grade helps establish a baseline market value. It provides a standardized benchmark that serious buyers and sellers rely on. For high-end vintage pieces $100+ in value, the added cost of having it professionally evaluated is often worthwhile.
Grades are not the be-all and end-all for all collectors. Many enjoy assembling complete vintage or modern sets without concern over numerical condition assessments. They prioritize finding cards to fill holes instead of chasing gem mint specimens. For more common issues not overly valuable even in top-grades, the expense of grading may not be recouped if the card was later sold.
Instead of spending money to grade, those funds could go toward procuring harder to find cards to complete the set. Some prefer storing their collections at home for personal enjoyment rather than potentially reselling. They don’t need the extra assurance of a professional grade, especially if keeping cards long-term.
Modern issues from the last 20 years also tend not to gain as dramatic increases in value from grading like their 100+ year old counterparts. Centering, surfaces and production quality on modern sports cards is higher on average. There’s less differentiation between raw and graded examples in terms of price premium percentage-wise. The cost of sending dozens of modern base cards to be graded starts to outweigh any likely benefits.
Another factor is the time, effort and cost involved with the grading process itself. It can take months to receive cards back from the major services due to high volume demand in today’s active collectibles marketplace. Shipping cards exposes them to risk of damage in transit as well. For casual collectors, this process may seem like unnecessary hassle when just keeping raw cards at home allows easier access for appreciation.
While grading provides many advantages especially for valuable vintage rarities, it is not always necessary and adds certain drawbacks as well in terms of time, cost and accessibility concerns. Each collector must weigh these pros and cons decide what is suitable based on their individual collection goals, budget and priorities. Whether choosing to grade depends greatly on the specific cards and situation at hand. Both options of raw versus graded cards can be perfectly valid approaches for assembling and enjoying collections.
