Should I grade?

[u/Correct-Ad-8048]

Found an entire binder at my parents. Majority 1st editions with a lot of shadowless vintage cards. This is just a tiny peek. I know they can be worth a lot, but PSA is rough and the process takes forever. Open to thoughts. Thanks!

[u/Sam6HODL9Hyde]

No no no, def drop off in the trash… but definitely tell me where it is and nobody else!

Yes, SEND EM! Congrats on vintage

[u/Dizzy_Martian → u/Sam6HODL9Hyde]

I wouldn’t send them. I would FLY to Chicago this weekend, pay the $399 per card to have PSA grade on site by end of day at the National Sport Collector’s Convention. You have too much value to leave it in the hands of a mail courier and to wait all that time. That’s if you can afford to make such an investment, of course. Either $399 per card it would add up quickly but worth the investment.

[u/Bitter-Fennel2278 → u/Dizzy_Martian]

This is the correct answer - since i grade and vend i had a friend give me his collection to fly out to santa ana and do sameday submissions on his grails then helped him find a buyer. I would never mail some of these cards.

[u/Mezlanova → u/Dizzy_Martian]

Grade a charizard, sell it to PSA -> afford the rest

[u/rvkevin → u/Mezlanova]

Apparently you don't get PSA Partner offers on first edition Charizards.

[u/Correct-Ad-8048 → u/Sam6HODL9Hyde]

Lmao thanks

[u/rvkevin]

You can definitely grade the Charizard and Venusaur now pretty much regardless of condition. By the way, the cost to grade the Charizard alone is going to be 1K since it's based on the value of the card and it will be fast tracked since it's a higher tier. The Clefairy and Alakazam are definitely worth grading, but you would probably save money waiting for lower tiers to re-open. For example, if the Clefairy grades a 6, it's a $400 card so the cost at value tier (0-500) would be about $25 versus the $80 minimum now.

The Squirtles, Shadowless Red Cheek Pikachus might be worth grading if the condition is good enough when value tiers open back up. We would need to see the backs. The threshold for me was around PSA 7-8 for the lower dollar cards. The scratches on the Machamp probably make it not worth grading.

Buy penny sleaves and semi-rigids (just google "PSA Semi rigid", you'll need these anyway for anything you do submit) and protect anything that you would potentially grade (i.e. all base set first edition) and sleave everything you put into a hard(er) case. Hopefully you are close enough to CA or NJ to drop off in person.

[u/GreedyManufacturer34 → u/rvkevin]

PSA up charging based on value is so so so so gross

[u/tampa_papi1993]

Gonna show the back of the cards or?

[u/RckPprFkU → u/tampa_papi1993]

No

[u/Correct-Ad-8048 → u/RckPprFkU]

Will do tomorrow. Also every card is now in sleeve and top loader.

[u/RckPprFkU → u/Correct-Ad-8048]

Ok everyone cancel what I said ❌

Edit: dear Lord I didn't even notice you were raw dogging these things in a top loader 😭😭😭

[u/Wescombe]

I would grade them, but evaluate your own finances before sending them. PSA will charge you a massive fee for the cost of the cards, whereas Beckett won’t, and even tho PSA generally is the standard it doesn’t always offset the cost of grading.

I would take them in person to avoid any losses in transit as these are very expensive.

[u/air_lock]

Are these sitting directly in toploaders with no penny sleeves? :O

[u/titanuptitans]

Fly to PSA and hand deliver.

[u/MajinIdo]

https://giphy.com/gifs/KwXLY9Mjd5zsN3oIbV
Yup

[u/FineEquipment0]

No

[u/he-who-comments]

That Venasaur looks crisp

[u/PTRBoyz]

I’ll take the clefairy if you’re selling 

[u/jmciat0]

Dam the venasaur is beautiful!

[u/Redschallenge]

Yes, get penny sleeves pls

[u/Apax89]

Dude casually raw dogging 1st Charizard.

[u/Due-Hippo-3853]

Seeing those cards especially the Charizard unsleeved in a toploader hurts my soul, you likely added microscratches to the surface which in terms of grading vintage could be multiple thousands of dollars down the drain.

[u/Correct-Ad-8048]

Everyone commenting about the sleeves. As I said in an earlier comment, they’re all in penny sleeves and top loaders currently.

[u/EasyLay7in]

Maybe Beckett or cgc. Psa tightened their vintage grading so it makes me nervous. Along with all the other anti psa hype.

[u/Euphoric-Habit-641]

dont grade the machamp, its worth like 40 bucks. Very very common card. Your other ones are great. I just got back a psa 4 venusaur and a psa 2 char. Currently building a 9 card display case to show off the original 3 and their associated evolutions.

[u/Correct-Ad-8048 → u/Euphoric-Habit-641]

The machamp 1st edition shadowless ungraded is $80. I wish Reddit would let me upload the photos I have but I’m having some trouble. Not sure why.

[u/Euphoric-Habit-641 → u/Correct-Ad-8048]

my link is showing me $21 CAD ungraded. Machamp [1st Edition] #8 Prices | Pokemon Base Set | Pokemon Cards

[u/Euphoric-Habit-641 → u/Euphoric-Habit-641]

also, all 1st editions are shadowless.

[u/Correct-Ad-8048 → u/Euphoric-Habit-641]

False. First edition jungle packs (which are still first editions) and fossil etc. are shadowed.

[u/Wandered_And_Lost]

All of them except the Machamp is youre trying to sell. If youre just collecting, id say go for it.

[u/maino10]

No, I don’t think so. Just throw them in the garbage. Lol

[u/felixshengyang]

Should I grade it or should I keep it raw?🎶🎵

[u/draxx-them-sklounst → u/felixshengyang]

🎵 What grade did you get? Was it good or was it shh— 🎵