A comment on professional grading

Mario over Wax Heaven had a nice post this morning about graded Michael Jordan rookie cards and how crazy some people get when a perfect copy hits the secondary market. And that reminded me about stupid I really think getting cards graded is.

Sure it's nice to get a card in a nice holder that will hold its condition forever, but if you take good care of your cards, you can do that without paying whatever fees the grading company may incur to you. Truth be told, a grade is just a number. Is there really that much difference between a 8.5 and a 10? Doubt it.

If you are a true collector, condition shouldn't really matter that much. Do you want the prize of your collection to have creases and rounded corners? Well, of course not. But I'm not paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more for a card just because it's graded gem mint or pristine. Give me the one with the same chips in the edge, please.

However, grading isn't all bad. The graders are able to spot counterfeits and cards that are tampered with which is a positive. This is why I support buying a graded version of any card that is known to be a popular counterfeiting item. But is it worth getting this card graded?

The funny part is that I am actually bidding on a graded card on eBay right now. But if I win it, I'm going to crack that case off and out the card in a plastic sleeve like all the rest of my Omar Jacobs cards.