So, I write about board games a lot. Mainly because that is my biggest collection that is my biggest hobby. I do other hobbies, though, and I have other things that I like. One thing that I really enjoy is watching sports and following sports. Not all of them and not all the time, but I have my favorites. I love watching football, either my local team, NFL, or college. I enjoy baseball but more generally my local team. And I can go into more. But it leads it another another hobby, sports card collections.

But what I am collecting for this article goes beyond sports cards. Yes, it is sports cards, but it’s also comic books. I want to talk about if collections are worth grabbing or grading? Because some collections and collectibles can be graded and they might be worth grading. Is it something for you or me to do though?

What Are Graded Collections

First off, let’s just say that the whole collection isn’t graded. But part of what you can collect might be graded cards are comics. So let’s talk about what grading is.

Grading is when a card, comic, or other collectible that can be graded is sent in to a grading company. This company, CGC, Beckett, and PSA being three of the biggest, then look at that time and generally scan that item looking for defects. Once they look at it, they assign a grade to the card (let’s say) and then send it back to you in a case with that grade.

Basically, you are paying someone some money to tell you how nice your card is. If the return grade is a 9 or a 10, the card or collectible likely is worth more than if it is just the item ungraded. Why, because people now know what condition it is in.

Why Grade

So why might you grade a card, comic, or other collectible that a company might accept? I see it as being two main reasons. The first reason is that it might increase the resale value of that item. If you, and I plan on doing this soon, send in a sports card or I will be sending in a Magic the Gathering card, and it comes back as a PSA 10, I know that condition and that the card is going to be worth more. If I sell the card, people see the grade and know the condition. None of me saying, this is a mint card or a near mint and hope that I’m telling the truth.

The other thing is that it maintains the grade of the item. Once something is graded you can assume that the grade is going to remain steady. This again comes down to value in some ways, but also as I store a card or comic, if I am taking good card of it, it might still get bumped being moved around. So I now know what grade it is supposed to be and will maintain to be.

Why Collect for Graded Collections?

But why might you want to collect like that? Firstly, and I think most simply, it makes it easier to collect them. Let’s use my sports card collection out of all my collections. Actually, let’s use comics from my collections. I buy the first issue of X-Men Days of Future Past. This is an iconic comic and an iconic cover. When I buy it, I see pictures on eBay or elsewhere of what I am buying. But they might be stock photos. I know what the person tells me, but I really don’t know the condition.

So when I buy graded cards or comics for their collections, I know what condition I am getting. And I know in ten years if I want to sell it what condition it is going to be in. I appreciate that knowledge because it means I won’t ever be surprised. And in five years, that is not going to change, my value and my grade is going to be the same. If X-Men are more popular in two years or in five years, I now sell for more than I bought guaranteed.

Should You Grade Your Collections?

Let’s wrap it up here. Should you grade what you already have? Honestly, the answer is probably no. Why, because a lot of what you own and what I own is going to be in a PSA 8 or 7. That is near mint condition and is good for a collection, but not going to be worth grading. Is it worth it to grade a $10 card to get a PSA 8 and have it still be a $10 card, not really. Is it even worth it to grade a $10 card in general? Not really.

What it does make sense to grade are rare things. If you break open a pack of cards or a box of cards and stumble across, like I did, a x of x cards, so a 1 of 100 or 1 of 500 that is more worth it. Why, because that is going to be rare. And people might not grade them all. Or if they do grade them, they might grade as an 7 or an 8. And if you get a 9, now that value is going up, and the cards value is going to be set in stone.

Or I might grade some older comics. I got them relatively cheap and the comic pool is going to be shrinking in terms of newly graded of those comics. So it might be a worthwhile investment to see what grade I get on those. But know that anything you grade is going to cost money.

Final Thoughts

For me I like the idea of collecting some things that are graded. Why, because I know what I’m going to get. And it is holding a piece of history in my hands. I mentioned baseball at the start. I love baseball and baseball history. Willie Mays just passed away, and it made me realize that I want to own a Willie Mays card. Do I go buy a random ungraded card, no. I buy a graded card, even a PSA 4 because a lot of old cards won’t be high grades. Now I own a piece history for a sport I love.

What I never plan on doing, which a lot of people do, is this idea of a box break. Or open up boxes and packs on stream looking for those graded cards. That is expensive and a bit of a roulette. I love opening packs, but it isn’t worth it. So know what you want, if you get into it. Maybe some day I will open packs, but right now it isn’t for me to search for a ton of cards to get graded. But I love my collection and that history that I own.

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