While BGS is respected I would only use them to grade cards that were already in prime condition.
when it comes to high end collectibles, grading is not just about a grade. It adds legitimacy to a collectible. It's been authenticated and there is no dispute on the grade. So if you're spending $3000 on an obviously non-mint alpha black lotus, you know exactly what to expect. You know its going to be real and you know the condition you're going to get. No hidden stuff. If you're just collecting I wouldn't hesitate to get all the high end stuff graded. Alpha / Beta power 9 etc. That stuff will always be beneficial to have graded when it comes time to sell down the road no matter the condition. Just like with baseball cards, you don't just grade mint cards. How many mint Mickey Mantle rookie cards are you going to find? Most are beat up. Just like most vintage power and other high end magic cards that are 20 years old, mint is very very rare yet still extremely collectible and valuable.
These aren't baseball cards. The cost of getting your Moderately Played Black Lotus Graded is not worth it, as the low BGS grade will command no premium on sale over an ungraded card of similar condition. The value of BGS, at least for Magic, is that it takes the Near Mint category and splits it into a range of 6.5 - 10, based on largely imperceptible differences that matter only to those who want to best possible grades.
These aren't baseball cards. The cost of getting your Moderately Played Black Lotus Graded is not worth it, as the low BGS grade will command no premium on sale over an ungraded card of similar condition. The value of BGS, at least for Magic, is that it takes the Near Mint category and splits it into a range of 6.5 - 10, based on largely imperceptible differences that matter only to those who want to best possible grades.
when you try and sell online an SP-MP alpha lotus good luck unless you're a major player like Kid Icarus, SSG, T&D, Dan Bock etc. If it's BGS graded 6 or 7. you know exactly what you're getting and you know its not a fake. That's why it commands a premium. Not because grading it magically ads to the condition of the card. It gives confidence to a buyer that's looking to drop thousands on a piece of cardboard and opens your card up to more buyers.
And give it up with "these are not baseball cards". Zero difference between a baseball card and an alpha lotus that's graded and sitting in someone's safe. They're both collectibles that sit around and do nothing. People seem to forget this is a CCG not just a CG
And give it up with "these are not baseball cards". Zero difference between a baseball card and an alpha lotus that's graded and sitting in someone's safe. They're both collectibles that sit around and do nothing. People seem to forget this is a CCG not just a CG
Incorrect. There is 100% difference between those two cards.
The day I can turn one Mickey Mantle in Dark Ritual into combostuff will be a fun day.
Personally, I'd grade every Alpha and Beta lotus. I'd only grade NM unlimited ones though, since if someone wants to play with a real lotus, chances are they'd rather play with their beat up $1000 white border copy than their $5000 pristine beta copy - putting every random lotus in a slab would be pointless.
Anyways, BGS is the more prestigious of the major card grading services, since they grade based on 4 categories rather than just 3, which makes getting the super high grades harder to reach.
These aren't baseball cards. The cost of getting your Moderately Played Black Lotus Graded is not worth it, as the low BGS grade will command no premium on sale over an ungraded card of similar condition. The value of BGS, at least for Magic, is that it takes the Near Mint category and splits it into a range of 6.5 - 10, based on largely imperceptible differences that matter only to those who want to best possible grades.
when you try and sell online an SP-MP alpha lotus good luck unless you're a major player like Kid Icarus, SSG, T&D, Dan Bock etc. If it's BGS graded 6 or 7. you know exactly what you're getting and you know its not a fake. That's why it commands a premium. Not because grading it magically ads to the condition of the card. It gives confidence to a buyer that's looking to drop thousands on a piece of cardboard and opens your card up to more buyers.
And give it up with "these are not baseball cards". Zero difference between a baseball card and an alpha lotus that's graded and sitting in someone's safe. They're both collectibles that sit around and do nothing. People seem to forget this is a CCG not just a CG
Your wrong. Wizards own website classes magic as a TCG "trading card game" last I checked.
No matter what Wizards classify the game as the fact is there will always be people who just collect, people who just want to play, and those who want to do both.
These aren't baseball cards. The cost of getting your Moderately Played Black Lotus Graded is not worth it, as the low BGS grade will command no premium on sale over an ungraded card of similar condition. The value of BGS, at least for Magic, is that it takes the Near Mint category and splits it into a range of 6.5 - 10, based on largely imperceptible differences that matter only to those who want to best possible grades.
when you try and sell online an SP-MP alpha lotus good luck unless you're a major player like Kid Icarus, SSG, T&D, Dan Bock etc. If it's BGS graded 6 or 7. you know exactly what you're getting and you know its not a fake. That's why it commands a premium. Not because grading it magically ads to the condition of the card. It gives confidence to a buyer that's looking to drop thousands on a piece of cardboard and opens your card up to more buyers.
And give it up with "these are not baseball cards". Zero difference between a baseball card and an alpha lotus that's graded and sitting in someone's safe. They're both collectibles that sit around and do nothing. People seem to forget this is a CCG not just a CG
Your wrong. Wizards own website classes magic as a TCG "trading card game" last I checked.
Wizards?> you mean Hasbro. In 1993 it sure as heck wasn't a TCG. Some modern marketing term created because CCG was no as public friendly or some crap like that. Bottom line, it's a CCG. Hasbro can call it a Peanut Butter sandwich for all I care.
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Does anyone have any personal experience with them?
I'm a bit wary of sending in NM power cards in the mail to a service I've never tried.
Cheers
when it comes to high end collectibles, grading is not just about a grade. It adds legitimacy to a collectible. It's been authenticated and there is no dispute on the grade. So if you're spending $3000 on an obviously non-mint alpha black lotus, you know exactly what to expect. You know its going to be real and you know the condition you're going to get. No hidden stuff. If you're just collecting I wouldn't hesitate to get all the high end stuff graded. Alpha / Beta power 9 etc. That stuff will always be beneficial to have graded when it comes time to sell down the road no matter the condition. Just like with baseball cards, you don't just grade mint cards. How many mint Mickey Mantle rookie cards are you going to find? Most are beat up. Just like most vintage power and other high end magic cards that are 20 years old, mint is very very rare yet still extremely collectible and valuable.
when you try and sell online an SP-MP alpha lotus good luck unless you're a major player like Kid Icarus, SSG, T&D, Dan Bock etc. If it's BGS graded 6 or 7. you know exactly what you're getting and you know its not a fake. That's why it commands a premium. Not because grading it magically ads to the condition of the card. It gives confidence to a buyer that's looking to drop thousands on a piece of cardboard and opens your card up to more buyers.
And give it up with "these are not baseball cards". Zero difference between a baseball card and an alpha lotus that's graded and sitting in someone's safe. They're both collectibles that sit around and do nothing. People seem to forget this is a CCG not just a CG
Thanks, we do. You might try it sometime.
But the cost of grading is greater than the value gained by doing so.
Incorrect. There is 100% difference between those two cards.
Personally, I'd grade every Alpha and Beta lotus. I'd only grade NM unlimited ones though, since if someone wants to play with a real lotus, chances are they'd rather play with their beat up $1000 white border copy than their $5000 pristine beta copy - putting every random lotus in a slab would be pointless.
Anyways, BGS is the more prestigious of the major card grading services, since they grade based on 4 categories rather than just 3, which makes getting the super high grades harder to reach.
Your wrong. Wizards own website classes magic as a TCG "trading card game" last I checked.
Wizards?> you mean Hasbro. In 1993 it sure as heck wasn't a TCG. Some modern marketing term created because CCG was no as public friendly or some crap like that. Bottom line, it's a CCG. Hasbro can call it a Peanut Butter sandwich for all I care.