[mfw13]

Originally Posted by jewcer2k5

So I have been seeing many questions about grading and they seem to be coming more often than ever before. I like to help when I can but also hate answering the same questions over and over again. This may be an oversimplified explanation but this is what I have noticed from my experience.

We all know that BGS has 4 subgrades (Centering, Surface, Edges Corners) so this is my method of deciding what types of cards to grade.

Assuming the card is an auto, if not an auto skip step 1.

Step 1 - Make sure there are no streaks in the auto, if there is a bad streak remove from grading pile.

Step 2 - Examine centering. If you don't trust your eye then do yourself a favor and purchase an omni-grid. You simply place the card under the omni grid and look to see that borders or opposite sides main features line up. For example if you look at sterling they have diagonal lines on the bottom corners from the bottom edges to the sides, those should be the same length and have the same space. If not it's off center. Cards with obvious borders you can measure the distance, make sure its close enough. 4" x 4" Omnigrid Square Quilt Ruler Accurate 1 8" Grid for Miniatures Quilting | eBay
If it doesn't pass this test it can stay in the pile but one more strike and its out.

Step 3 - Examine the surface. Simply tilt the card under direct light and look for imperfections. Surface lines, dimples, and fingernail imprints come to mind. Most "stuff" can be wiped off but these won't be able to. Buy/use an eye glasses cloth (microfiber cloth) to wipe the basic stuff away including dust, fingerprints, and other crud. DO NOT use your hands, a cotton shirt, a papertowel, a penny sleeve or anything like that. What horrific advice. Depending on depth and location of the issues the card can still grade. If you look at it and say "meh its ok" then give it a chance. If you look at it and say "oof thats awful" then its most likely a major issue. If the dimple has lines coming out of it then remove it, thats bad. This is where I recommend that if you think its close send it in. Write down what you think is wrong with the card and learn from each card you submit. Asking for advice ALL the time won't help you learn. It goes back to the saying "Give a man a fish he can eat for a day, teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime". Teach yourself to fish. FWIW I use a light that has a magnifyer on top of it. I like being able to have my hands free and if I see something I can just look through the magnifying glass of the light and use both the light and magnifying glass.
Hawk Reading Lamp, Illumination Magnifier Glass with 5x and 10x Zoom - Desk Lamps - Amazon.com

3/4 - Edges/Corners - These are the ones where you need to use your eyes the most. Look at the corners and edges. If you see white when it's not supposed to be white that's an issue. If there is white on more than one corner the card most likely won't grade. Edges just look closely. Again use the light and magnifying glass only if you see something but aren't sure what it is. The eye test (not magnifying/loupe test) is key to seeing issues. Many people over think these 2 subgrades and hold cards out that will grade. Again it comes down to testing and writing down what you think you see. Send in a few cards so you know all the details of the card and then you will get better and better.

Typically if a card passes 3 of the 4 grading tests that I give it it goes in. If it is 50/50 I will wait until I can do a bulk sub or need some cards to get to a break point on my submission. Again this is just meant to tell people what I do and give some links to some tools that helped me when I was starting. Also, remember grading is adding value to your PC or your business so you will have to invest to get it right. Investing means sending stuff in just to learn from your mistakes. Sure you can be super duper picky and you will get amazing results, but you are also leaving money or cards on the table that could end up being worth more in the long run (whether they are worth more to you or the next buyer)

Thanks for reading and good luck with your grading. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

So basically, you should only submit cards to be graded if you think they can get a BGS 9.5 or PSA 10, thereby boosting the resale value of the card.

Now I probably will get hammered for saying this, but doesn't that kind of mercantile attitude (i.e. only grade to increase value) epitomize a lot of what is wrong with the hobby today, in that it is all about increasing profit, rather than collecting?

Third-party grading, while a great idea in its initial conception (i.e. providing buyers/sellers with a neutral opinion about a card's condition), has, in my opinion long since jumped the shark. Now its all about creating artificial scarcity where none actually exists, especially among modern cards, which for the most part come straight out of the pack in Near Mint/Mint condition (generally grades of 8 or above). Because when you start talking about using jeweler's loupes, magnifying glasses, and microfiber cloths, it's not about eye appeal anymore. It's about microscopic differences in condition with have nothing to do with actual collecting. In essence, it's all about the money...