In light of the Charizard 1st Edition BGS 10 card ending above a PSA 10 price, what are your opinions in regards to BGS grading?
Rather than focusing on one high end item(s) that have yet to be graded, perhaps a better way to understand everyone’s opinion is if they can share their thoughts on cards they would purchase or actually own.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
I own a bgs 9 shining kabutops and have no interest (at the moment) in crossing over. I get that PSA is generally more accepted for pokemon but at the end of the day they are both quality grading services. It is interesting how Beckett have subgrades and average but i’m not sure how they average. I think my subgrades were 10,9,9,9.5. I assume for a 9.5 beckett you need atleast 3x9.5 or higher?
In terms of purchases I the different case makes no difference to me, but i tend to purchase raw cards anyway.
This is not exactly my question.
I’ll try a new thread;)
PSA All The Way
BGS… Is less.
I tried.
I actually never thought of how they average the sub-grades. I guess it is the majority average of all 4 sub grades that defines the final grade?
I’m pretty sure the card can only receive a “.5” higher than its lowest grade.
So if a card has a 10, 10, 10, 9
The best it could get is a 9.5
*edit*
So that’s basically the average. Dammit. I dont no mat goot.
Hmm that is interesting. In that situation one of the 10’s would average out with the 9 as two 9.5 subgrades, making all four: 10, 10, 9.5, 9.5.
I did a quick search and found that exact example as a 9.5 overall grade.
That’s why I like PSA.
Simple. One number. Done. Lol
It looks like the 10’s have three 10 subgrades and one 9.5. I searched “Pokemon BGS 10” and the only 10 examples I saw had the three 10 subs and one 9.5.
Right…a pristeen 10 has either one 9.5 and three 10s or it’ll have four 10s and then it’ll get a BLACK LABEL which is a feature they started last October.
BTW…I have the only Black Label Pokemon card;)
Makes sense. In my example the 10 would bring one of the 9’s up to a 9.5 giving me : 9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9
Maybe you can’t get a gem 9.5 without at least 3x 9.5 subgrades before any rounding.
I like PSA’s presentation as their cases are simpler and look better in my opinion. I think BGS does a good job with the subgrades though, there is more information in the grading. I personally prefer PSA cards overall. I would love BGS 10 cards, but I would crossover all BGS 9.5s that I believe would get PSA 10s.
I agree with @pottsinator. Simple. One number. Done.
BGS is a respected grading service, and I would pay a premium to get a BGS-graded card with a high grade. This is in contrast to other, less-reputable services like GMA.
However, the 4-subgrade system that BGS has highlights the card’s flaws, which I don’t like. With PSA, once the card is graded a 10, all the flaws are kind of irrelevant anymore. I don’t lose sleep knowing that a PSA 10 in my collection doesn’t have perfect edges. PSA’s system allows you to be done with a card as well. As a PSA 10 is the highest grade attainable, you don’t have to forever search for a copy that may be just the slightest bit mintier.
The 4-subgrade system also is kinda annoying when it comes to crossgrading. With PSA, it seems they would take the lowest of the subgrades and grade it around that point. Thus making it difficult to buy BGS cards with subgrades below 9.5. I recently sent in a BGS 9.5 card to PSA (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9) with minimum grade 10, and it did not make the 10 mark. I also had a BGS 9 card (9.5, 9, 8.5, 9.5) Which I did not crossgrade to PSA because I didn’t think it would meet the PSA 9 mark.
In short, I believe PSA grades tougher most of the time. BGS’ subgrade system is nice, but sometimes leads to a higher grade than PSA would give (up to 9.5).
I do see the demand and higher pricing of BGS 10s. Those cards are very hard to obtain and as such should be priced higher.
Right you need at least three 9.5s, and no less than a 9 as the 4th subgrade, to qualify for a Gem Mint 9.5.
The fear of the idea of meticulously grading cards and submitting multiples just to be told they were not perfect when they seemed perfect to me is like some kind of insecurity that I still have with collecting something.
However, the idea of having breakdown categories like BGS seems to be a better idea and would at least provide reassurance as opposed to considering how an arbitrary number could be slapped on like PSA with no reason. I’m not saying PSA always does this but do they provide reasons as to why the cards is defect? I have heard people say their cards were perfect and didn’t know why PSA thought otherwise. This would bug me.
PSA do have criteria for their grading on their website
I’m with @snap on this one. I have a BGS 9 fan club karp and have no intentions of cross grading it. I also like the four sub grades aswell because I’m anal and I like seeing a grade for every aspect of the card haha.
Anyway, I spose it’s each to there own, there’s always gonna be pros and cons for every grading service.
Also do beckett put cards in some sort of sleeve then in the slab? Personally I feel a little better with that as I have seen ssome psa cards which actually move a little in their cases.
Wouldn’t BGS be the same as PSA for some cards, in the sense that not all cards would go up in value when BGS graded? I was surprised to see the BGS 10 Japanese Blaine’s Charizard end at $18 last night.
The Japanese cards grade so easily high grades are no surprise.
18.00 though for a BGS Jpn Blaine’s Charizard is crazy good…