General Forum

Ok, so let me just start off by apologizing. Im sure these questions have all been answered before, but ive never sent anything off (let alone what I'm about to send off), so I never really dug too deep. 

I came into possession of a card this week. Im wanting to send it off to get slabbed, but comps on ebay put the value of this card between 10k and 18k currently. Raw....not graded. 

I would like to know what peoples opinions, experiences, thoughts are about the main 2 companies. PSA or Beckett? If im looking at everything correctly, it looks like it is going to cost me quite a bit more to use PSA on this....but I also know that if it gets a gem mint, PSA seems to hold more value in the market. 

So I truly want to know any and all information you have to share with me so I can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Thank you all!

I'm by no means an expert in this field, but I have used both of those services. My initial thoughts: I like Beckett for giving numbers on 4 areas of the card (centering, corners, edges and surface). That way you have concrete reasons as to why your card received its final grade. With PSA you just get the end grade. And while I have no way of proving this... I get the impression that PSA gives more favorable grades to services and dealers than to the average joe. I've seen multiple cards, including fresh out of pack, that should unquestionably have been 10s, only get 9s with PSA.

Also, be prepared for a long wait right now, especially if you are mailing. I havent used Beckett in 2020, but PSA has taken much longer than normal this year. Understandably given the shape of things, but just good to know to expect a wait.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Hope it helps. Good luck with the card.

Is it a modern Chrome/Prizm technology card? Then Beckett. Literally anything else is PSA. Don't ask me why this is the case, but seems to be what collectors prefer and would want. 

Recently saw someone pay big but got a rare modern card turned around quickly at BGS and cashed in on the hype.

He would normally prefer PSA, but had to have the guaranteed service or else he'd miss his window. 

Not knowing what the card is makes this hard, but for truly vintage stuff -- like pre-WWII -- I'd go with SGC, actually. 
v3

I would go with PSA for pretty much anything, but Beckett is a close second

Surprised no one has corrected you thus far. There are actually three main Grading Companies  PSA , SGC , and  LASTLY Beckett ,                        The 1st thing is what card you are considering for grading  but also the reason why I.E. for resell , for authenticity , etc   The 2nd. thing is what you look for in grading companies. I.E. integrity  , Quality / Closeness of the Grade , Value holds up , I don't mean you get the most at the moment , but overtime the vaules haves stayed the same or gone up for the most part.

      Lastly I will say I have used   SGC   b/c   I like the look of there slabs especially when using them on my 71's , Values have been consitent , but most importantly of the three companies they have to me shown above and beyound the most integrity , and also The most Strict Grading.

     PSA has had some problems :  I..E. the Wagner , insider PWCC and a few other issues not withstanding. That said I still will buy a PSA graded card but as always I would look at the card anyways b/c as has been said before a 100 times your buying the card not the grade.. 

     Beckett : why I can't stand  them they tried to act like big money players from the begining , by bad mouthing PSA and SGC , wherever they could non chalantly . Also by trying to act like they have been grading cards forever. Sorry but anyone with any years of age to them in this hobby knows PSA was the first big grading company to finally stick. A few more years down the road then followed by SGC.                                                                                                                                                                                    Another  thing beckett does to actually lower standards of grading is they have multiple grading services                                 I.E.  Beckett BGS , Beckeet Vintage BVG , Becket idk but will call it vague grading  BCCG , then lastly the biggest joke of all the raw card review..

 Again I would use SGC , I would buy or trade SGC , PSA ,  BGS or BVG but only if it's an absolute steal of price or wouldn't want.

Hope it's not one of those "Rare 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe Error" cards!

I really wish there was a like button for Kaline6's comment!

I was trying to figure out how to put a pic in a comment, but what it is, is one of the 2019-20 Select Kobe Autos /35 (In Flight Neon Orange Pulsar) that they sent for my Kobe redemption. Redeemed about a month before he died and wasn't sure i would even get anything. But then this card came the other day. Im pretty excited about it, just thought id go ahead and slab it and then decide what to do with it. But ive never had anything graded before. Also have some other cards I would like to send in as well. So I was just wondering what everyone's opinions were of the grading companies and I appreciate all the comments and insight so far.