Collecting baseball cards is not just a fun hobby, it can also be a lucrative business venture. One of the most important rules of collecting is to educate yourself and know what to look for to ensure you are getting the maximum output from your collection. Browsing auction sites to buy and sell cards is one way to complete your collection, especially when it comes to finding an elusive card. But it’s not just about buying; selling or trading cards, it’s the condition of the card that will determine the value of it and how much you should expect to pay to buy or sell. Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services are the experts when it comes to determining the condition and value of your baseball cards and other collector items.
Baseball & Sports Cards Grading Services; SGC & PSA
Serious collectors rely on professional appraisers to judge and value the condition of cards they are interested in buying or selling. Grading baseball cards can be a subjective business but the sports card industry has a set of standards that are widely accepted for appraisers and other interested parties within the industry to follow. If you are interested in collecting modern or vintage baseball cards, the evaluation process is centered on the same rigorous standards and criteria regardless if the card is over 75 years old or a brand new edition. The two most renowned grading companies are Sportscard Guaranty Company (SGC) and Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and are the most widely used formulas for grading cards.
Baseball Card Grading Centering, Scale & Standards
The experienced professionals at Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services have listed the following descriptions and examples of the necessary characteristics that must be achieved for a selection of grades from mint, moderate and poor condition.
PSA 9 OR SGC 96 – Mint Condition Baseball Card – For a card to be considered in mint condition it must be as perfect as the day it first came into print. There can be no flaws to the surface of the card and it cannot be bent, creased or marked on either the front or the back. The picture must be centered within the border and both the corners and the edges of the card must be sharp and crisp without indentations or nicks.
PSA 6 OR SGC 70 – Excellent to Mint Condition Baseball Card – This grade is used for vintage cards and cards may have corners that are slightly fuzzy in appearance, slightly out of focus images or color imperfections. The centering must be at least a ratio of 70/30 or better around the card. Cards can be off center left to right or top to bottom or both and degree of centering is used to determine the final ratio.
PSA 5 or SGC 60 – Excellent Baseball Cards – This grade is most often used to for vintage cards that have corners that are showing light wear and tear. The surface gloss of the card may also begin to show slight wear. Cards must still contain centering that is at least a 75/25 ratio.
PSA 4 or SGC 50 – Very Good to Excellent Baseball Cards – Cards that fall into this grade will often show wear such as light creasing near the edge of the card. A minor crease or wrinkle may also be present on the reverse of the card. Cards with substantial print issues or wax staining may also fall into this category. Centering must be at least 80/20 or better.
PSA 3 OR SGC 40 – Very Good Baseball Cards – Cards in this grade have moderate wear with corners that are rounded instead of square. Cards with substantial wrinkles, creases or staining typically fall into this category regardless of any of their other characteristics.
PSA 2 OR SGC 30 – Good Baseball Cards – A card that has been graded in good condition will have significant wear around the edges, rounded corners with multiple creases, possible tearing around the edges or it may also contain tape residue on the reverse of the card. As a general rule, if the card has a crease that has caused the card to crack either on the front or back surface it will receive a grade no higher than good.
PSA 1 or SGC 10 – Poor Baseball Cards – A card that is listed in poor condition will have multiple problems associated with the card including ink or pencil markings, loss of paper, heavy wear and tear including creases, staining, pin holes, tape or even minor tearing.
Half grades – Cards that meet a certain criteria and have some of the necessary requirements for the next grade above but not all may receive a half grade. Half grades range between 1.5 and 9.5.
Personal Property Appraisals in Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Palm Springs, Indio & Southern California
If you are interested in finding out the value of your baseball card collection, contact Brigitte Kruse Appraisal Services today.
