Should You Get Baseball Cards Graded? The Case For and Against Grading Your Cards
For decades, baseball card collectors have debated the pros and cons of getting their prized cards professionally graded. On one hand, grading provides authentication and encapsulation to preserve condition while higher grades can significantly boost a card’s value. The grading process also presents costs and risks that must be weighed against potential benefits. This article will examine both sides of the grading debate so you can decide if submitting your cards is the right choice for your collection.
The Case For Grading Cards
Perhaps the biggest potential advantage of grading is establishing a card’s authenticity and condition grade, two critical factors that determine value. While most collectors can generally assess condition, professional grading removes ambiguity and dispute over a card’s exact grade. The encapsulation provided by top slabbing companies like PSA, BGS, and SGC also protects cards from further handling wear that could reduce grades and value over time.
Receiving an official high grade, especially a pristine mint 9 or flawless mint 10, takes a common card and transforms it into a true gem that commands a sizable premium. The wider the gap between raw and graded value, the more financial sense grading makes since submission fees are recoupable. Iconic vintage rookies and rare modern parallels routinely fetch thousands or even tens of thousands more with strong grades versus raw.
Grading is essential for high-end cards destined for long-term holding or eventual resale where maximizing gains is the goal. Certified cards occupy the top rungs of the hobby in terms of desirability and prices realized at auction. They are considered the gold standard for registry sets as well as prestigious collection goals like obtaining every graded rookie card of a marquee player.
Grading also provides peace of mind. Encapsulation gives collectors confidence cards will stay as fresh as the day they were slabbed, future-proofing long-term preservation and display. Authentication reassures buyers the graded card they just bought sight-unseen is exactly as described. This increases demand and helps maintain resale values over the decades. Some collectors simply enjoy proudly showing off shiny, certified cardboard bearing prestigious company logos and promise of quality control.
The Case Against Grading Cards
On the other hand, grading is not perfect or risk-free. Some potential cons to consider include costs, submission risks, and reduced liquidity versus raw cards.
Submitting cards involves fees paid to the grading company as well as shipping expenses. Budget $10-30+ per card depending on service selected which eats into profits on all but the rarest cards expected to grade highly. Multiple cards must be precisely packaged and carefully sent off too, adding complexity over simply buying and selling raw.
Once in a grading company’s hands, there is always a small but inherent risk of damage, loss, or an unexpected conservative grade that limits financial upside compared to staying raw. Reconsideration requests against perceived grading inaccuracies generally do not correct initial grades either. These outcomes mean submitters sometimes fail to recoup costs or even lose money on cards they thought sure-fire candidates.
The graded market is generally less liquid than raw due to fewer potential buyers/sellers. Most collectors are not targeting slabbed mid-range cards but instead seek raw copies for personal collections at lower price points. Slabbed cards also remove opportunity for condition/authenticity upgrades found in raw cards also, limiting appeal to ambitious upgraders.
Lastly, some collectors simply dislike the notion of permanently encasing treasured pieces of cardboard. They prefer displaying raw cards as a purist appreciation of the printed paper medium itself. While slabbing protects long-term, it eliminates flexibility of periodically appreciating condition details with naked eyes. This intangible sentimental attachment to raw cards as designed artwork is worth considering too for certain collectors.
Making The Right Choice
Ultimately, whether grading is worthwhile depends on an individual card, collection goals, and risk tolerance. Sensible submission guidelines include:
Iconic vintage stars and key modern parallels likely to grade high and boost value significantly.
Cards intended for long-term investment holding where authenticity and preservation matter most.
Cards headed to auction markets where certified cards typically outperform.
Pieces bound for registry sets where graded status is standard or preferred.
For most modern base cards in average condition, grading often does not pencil out financially and removes liquidity. Similarly, sentimental favorites best stay raw. Test the market first by checking recent eBay sales data on similar certified vs raw copies to gauge potential upside and chances of hitting a home run grade. Carefully weigh costs versus outcomes to make informed decisions benefiting your collection long-term. Done right, grading maximizes certain cards’ full potential – but it’s not right for every collector or situation either.
The decision whether to grade ultimately involves balancing authentication, preservation, and financial factors against costs, risks, preferences around viewing raw cards, and liquidity needs. Coming down on one side or the other depends on each collector’s particular situation and goals for their unique baseball card collection. With an understanding of the full picture, you can make the choice best serving your interests long into the future.
