So, I’ve signed up with CGC and I think I have cards worth grading but I’m scared to send them away. I’ve sorted out a bunch of cards that may be worth it and consulted online price guides but am having trouble deciding which and how many to send in!
I collected from Base set through Gym Heroes/Challenge but the cards I’m considering are a mix of 1st Edition base Commons, Base Set Shadowless commons and uncommons, and some Base Set Unlimited Holos, plus a Shadowless Poliwrath, Chansey and Hitmonchan. Oh and a Base Set 2 Blastoise and Venusaur that are in pretty nice shape.
My most valuable cards are probably a couple 1st edition red cheek pikachus, and a Shadowless Blastoise.
My brain has them broken into 3 tiers but I don’t know what to send in first if any.
Do I send in my most valuable cards and if the grades are low, stop there?
Do I send in lower value cards in case I screw up the submission and to learn it or is that throwing money away?
I don’t intend to sell any of the cards right away. My goal is to protect the cards and verify what I have. Grading make sense for that or do I just leave them sleeved and boxed?
Help! I may be overthinking this. Any advice appreciated though.
If it’s your first time grading and you aren’t looking to sell, I’d advise sending in a small submission (maybe 10-15 cards) so you can get a feel for the grading criteria and process. Based on what you described I’d think all of your cards would fit in the bulk tier, so I’d definitely grade the most valuable ones. If you don’t like the grades you can always crack them out of the cases. However, after putting in the most valuable cards, I’d also recommend putting in cards in varying conditions if the submission doesn’t have it already. You can look at grade examples online, but it’s always better to see for yourself what condition comes back with what grade.
A small grading submission absolutely makes sense for long-term protection and learning, so don’t worry about that. Test it out, see if you like it, and then go from there.
Thank you! My cards are mostly small potatoes and my goal is to protect them and leave them to my daughter, so a test batch of some of the best sounds like a good way to start. I do have a 1st Edition Fossil Lapras that while intact seems rougher than some of my earlier holos. That may be a good one to send in for contrast. I’ll keep everyone posted!