What’s The Right Choice When It Comes To Grading A Card?

When it comes to grading a card, you really must know the end goal. Are you in it for the profit or for the pleasure? The rules are different and completely subject to what you are trying to do. Let’s review.

Sending a card in to get graded for resale can be a great way to build up your sports card funds, but you must know what you are doing. First, decide on which company is going to grade. That choice is usually the PSA route when it comes to profit, because they just pull higher prices. You must know your true values and what it’s going to be worth at all grades, because 10 is rare and a bonus in my mind. If you can profit even with a grade 8 then it’s worth the submission. This is only if you know what you are looking at, and have high confidence in your card reviewing skills.

You can still make some profits grading to sell using SGC, but you just need to be over cautious and know your numbers. Review as many comparable sales as you can at each grade level.

Now on the other hand, if you want to submit to keep the card or to just have it in a slab, everything changes. It’s up to you to choose, which is your favorite look, feel, etc… I personally like SGC graded cards. They are slightly bigger and thicker, but they just look so nice. This is even more true for me now with my focus being on vintage cards.

Here’s a look at a recent favorite card of mine in both options. I think the colors just POP more with the black “tuxedo” slab. Just my thoughts.

Sports Cards Market

I am still seeing very good deals on cards that have been graded. Possibly even better deals on slabs than on raw cards, not all but some. The speculation of a card grading higher than likely still keeps those hopes, dreams, and prices higher than others is why.

Either way, it is a great time to buy cards. I highly recommend posting on Facebook market place, Craigslist, or any other free places in your area to get some leads. This is just another easy way for collections to come to you. It won’t happen all the time, but it will some and you just never know when that great collection pops up.

Your best bet is to follow the Card Hunter Weekly emails very closely because as I get better at this and improve my methods, the leads will flow in faster and more of them.

More 1950s Cards From WI & IL

I always keep a good relationship going with anyone who I buy cards from. I offer very fair prices and even more if they meet me to save time. This is why my Wisconsin seller called me back, to say his cousin who inherit the other half of the cards wants to sell too.

The best part was another seller of a large 50s-60s lot was willing to meet me in the same area, so it was a double. This collection had a 1968 Mickey Mantle too, which is why I paid a premium. What can I say, I’m a sucker for vintage and big names.

All these great cards and collections I have been getting lately are 100% from my advertising that I run to find sellers. The same type of leads that I share with all of you, and I am still working on a better process to share the volume of leads daily.

Sports Card Resources & Supplies

Everyone has a preferred place to watch shows, or listen to info about the hobby. Maybe you like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok or something else. Either way, you can find great info online and by following Card Hunter Weekly emails.

I also like to share what I have used and still use today, everything from channels to products.

Some of the links below are Amazon links where I might receive a small commission “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Here Are Some Of My Top Suggestions For Products & Info

Card Hunter Weekly (Paid Exclusive Local Leads/Own Your Market)

Standard Top Loaders click to shop Amazon

Standard Card Sleeves click to shop Amazon

Vintage Card Sleeves 1952-1956 click to shop Amazon

Vintage Top Loaders & Sleeves Bundle (The best deal I have found for any volume of Vintage Top Loaders so far) click to shop eBay

Team Bags click to shop Amazon

PSA Graded Slab Sleeves click to shop Amazon

SGC Graded Slab Sleeves click to shop Amazon

Beckett Graded Slab Sleeves click to shop Amazon

Card Saver 1 Rigid Sleeves click to shop Amazon

Top Load Binder (This is by far my new favorite thing in the hobby. I love these binders, they make my set building so pretty) click to shop Amazon

Premium Case For Slabs (These are pretty sweet if you have a slab collection) click to shop Amazon

YouTube - Sports Card Investor this channel is great, more focused on the current hype in the game but still a great channel with top quality hobby info to stay current.

YouTube - Junk Wax Investor here you can learn about the valuable cards that lay in those junk wax stacks or boxes. This channel talks all about the good stuff from the junk wax times. Yes, junk wax still have some value….

YouTube - Chasing Cardboard if like the chase/hunt for sports cards then you will enjoy this show. Its one of my favorite shows, not only because I was going to create the same thing almost, but because its just fun. I was so close to doing this, but couldn’t miss my family. It’s like American Pickers but for sports cards.

eBay - CountryCards here is my eBay store, nothing to exciting but you will see either way, just in case you want to know what I have for sale or connect.

Auction Company - Gem-Mint Auctions Great cards, Great prices. Don’t want to miss out on this site/app. It’s always good to have options with collecting.

SGC Grading - This is my preferred company to Grade Cards as you will come to see in my images that I share. They might not pull the same premium as some others, but I sure do like them.

PSA Grading - As you know, this is another highly recommended way to Grade Cards. The PSA slab is slightly smaller and thinner than SGC, and with different colors.

This is only the beginning, much more to come every week. I may get a small commission from some of these links but you will pay the same.

Collections & Leads For You To Explore

Here’s how this works. I run special advertising all over the USA, specifically looking for card collections. I get some basic collection info from sellers and a email in order to connect you. I try to filter the junk out as much as possible and to be completely transparent it’s possible I have interest in some of the stuff that comes up. Realistically though, I can’t buy them all and I usually like to buy stuff that is local anyways. I try to stay within a 6-8 hour radius of my location at most in Eastern Iowa. I get good leads everywhere!! NY-CA

These FREE Leads below have not been seen by anyone else, they are FRESH and ready for you to explore. Most have came in within the last week.

Stored In A Old Tin & Packed In The Closet

Such and amazing story about this collection of early 1900’s baseball cards. They sat tucked away in a small tin for many many years, just hiding in a random closet. This could be one of us some day

Make sure to Look for my email every Thursday morning!

Until then, I hope you find some great cards. Keep Hunting!

Sincerely,

Country @ Card Hunter Weekly