As the trading card industry blossomed, so too did the demand for card grading services. Before, owners had to ship their cards to graders who will give a rating based on the item’s condition for a fee. The card’s score is directly proportional to wear and tear. Keep it as pristine a possible and a card may even get a perfect 10 rating.
However, grading takes time, not to mention the delay in sending the card back to the owner. Beckett tried to solve this concern by offering a Raw Card Review service. Cardporn stated that collectors can get quick grades on their cards at events and trade shows. After which, the owner can send the card to Beckett for slabbing at $10 per piece.
The service fizzled as the market also slowed down. But now that the sports trading card market is growing and evolving, Mike Baker Authenticated is bringing back Raw Card Review.
The fine print on MBA’s raw card review
On their Instagram account, MBA stated that the increased activity in the hobby creates a void for people who yearn for an accurate and expert card certification process. Add to that the lack of grading facilities for low-value cards (between $10 and $500), and MBA felt the need to offer RCR.
They will accept raw trading card submissions during industry events. But there’s a catch: they will only grade cards released from 2000 or later. The cards must be 3.5 by 2.5 inches in size, and they will undergo a 10-step inspection. After the assessment, MBA can give a grade of 10 (Gem Mint) or 9 (Mint). MBA will release the report card for any rate below those but will not bestow a specific grade.
Interested parties must shell out $20 for a single card, $100 for a bundle of eight cards, and $500 for 50 raw card reviews. Collectors get a better value for submitting more cards. But is Raw Card Review worth the price?
Issues with MBA Raw Card Service
First, grading accuracy will be the foremost concern for Raw Card Grading. Will Mike Baker Authenticated (MBA) bring out the same in-house apparatus they use in grading cards to industry events? If not, then there can be a discrepancy between the grading during the event and the actual rating. That problem persisted during Beckett’s service, and it won’t likely change soon.
Some members of the Freedom Card Board forums pointed out the discrepancies that occur. One of them commented that his card with a 9.5 rating came back in a slab with only an 8.5 grade which significantly reduces the card’s value by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
Second, time is also a significant factor during raw card reviews. As per the example above, there was no time pressure to inspect the card and ultimately award it an 8.5. That’s not the case during card shows.
Hundreds of collectors will want to have their cards assessed, and reviewers must complete it within event hours because they will be in another place in a few days. They don’t have much time to look closely at every detail, which leads to hastily given grades, not to mention distractions from a crowd and just the noise that reverberates throughout the event.
For sure, assessors check hundreds of cards daily. But they can perform their job better in a controlled setting in the calm nature of their office. While there’s still a time frame in completing the grading, there’s less pressure, unlike coming up with a rating in a few minutes.
Finally, not giving accurate grades below nine or mint is a concern for collectors who traveled from afar. Imagine getting a report card for their cards but not an exact rating. They must find another authenticator, which translates to additional expenses.
Instead of getting a fair rating for the card, they would have to send it for better assessment and slabbing, which adds days or weeks before it can have its proper value.
Indeed, Mike Baker Authenticated has good intentions in reviving Raw Card Review. But the process still shows several glaring loopholes that need patching. Therefore, it’s still best to send in trading cards to CSG, Beckett or PSA for fair and honest grading, even if it will take a while to complete.
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