Well several posts after mine I can see that grading cards isn't that desirable and I'll agree half way.
this is my following list of agreements, disagreements and experiences of submitting cards to get graded.
1. I'm reading it is expensive and not 'worth' the price, I will 100% agree with cards that have an unknown distribution that come in packs you can buy ATM at your local card store or big-box stores. However IMO when it comes to cards not found in packs and have a very small distribution it may be 'worth' it, to simply add protection and prestige, the concept of adding price value increase shouldn't really factor in or it shouldn't factor in as a primary motive for getting Pokemon cards graded if you are planning on selling them quickly.
2. I also am seeing that grading card companies are 'subjective' and opinionated when it comes to what can be graded and what grade cards get and that as waynegg says in post#6 there are at times no distinction between upper mid-level grades and pristine/gem/perfect grades. (Now from personal experience I know of the problems and frustration of having cards refused to be graded for the simple fact that there isn't a picture in some pojo or beckett price guide, grading companies only authenticate that which they have an 'authority' to authenticate or see that what they have license to authenticate/grade if they see the card as I said in some sort of publication; I would like for that to change amongst grading companies, the only cards they shouldn't grade are counterfeits/forgeries they *grading companies* have the whereabouts to know the difference between an authenticate card and a non-authenticate card.) Now back to what waynegg stated about grades being subjected to the whim and not to the wisdom of the graders, this is in my experience a partially true statement. I have seen cards that got got mid-level grades but should have gotten graded slightly higher and some gems that I would say bordered on mint to gem for PSA, though all in all the grades are in usually a fair grade range I have yet to see something such as waynegg has stated about a 7.5 grade being no different than a 10 and am very curious on what grading company has done that, I know its not PSA since they don't have a '7.5' type of a grade, perhaps beckett? though that is doubtful also.
It would be nice to see a non opinionated device/machine that would allow fair and accurate grades since such a device/machine would border on AI, and for that is not plausible IMO to have something be perfect, and if one's card gets an 'unfair' grade you can send it back and yes that does cost money and time but for those who are obsessed with getting a fair grade that may be worth it.
As I stated above in this post the only cards worth getting graded are the really rare cards and that one shouldn't grade to try to flip for an immediate profit but to add 'prestige' and 'protection' and a graded pokemon card is a far better investment plan than a non graded pokemon card, perhaps not 'now' but later like much later my SSB No.1 trainer might fetch something like what the Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle gem mint card fetched which was $600,000, but yeah that would be after 5 generations at least are born, die and pass away, LOL. For me grading pokemon cards isn't about increasing value but appreciation and the nice feeling that years after I pass away the cards I have graded if taken care of will still be preserved and perhaps fetch a nice price for some lucky individual.
