Got my first Pokemon order back... 3 3

[the menace]

Just got my first order back in the mail. Was an economy order that was received by CGC on 8/3, and returned to me on 8/21. 18 day turn around for 7 cards,and with the weekends factored in I think this turned around time is extremely impressive. 

Here is my short review so far: 
+ Really like the cases. Clarity is on point, feel sturdy and are sized nicely. As others have said, the size is very comparable to PSA slabs. 
+ Option for sub grade is a nice addition. Worked out well as not all the cards I had submitted needed them, and was nice to be able to save money where I could. 
+ Return packaging is phenomenal. They pack the cards in a nice foam holder that separates each one and keeps them secure in transit. 
+ Labels look nice and carry plenty of information. 
+ Grades and photos were available online by the time the order shipped. 

- The grade numbers aren't all center. I noticed on the half point grades were slightly skewed in the box. 
- Noticed a small speck of dirt under the case as well. When I reached out to CGC about this they said they could take care of it since the issue was on their end. 
- The pricing is a bit deceptive. While it is advertised as "as low as $8 a card", when factoring in shipping cost and any sub grades, the price quickly adds up. 

Overall, I was satisfied with their service. I have already gone ahead and sent in even more cards in a bulk order. 
When factoring in turnaround time, quality and price, I am happy to keep working with them. 

Made a return video as well in case anyone is interested. Let me know if you have any questions. 
 

 

[theCapraAegagrus]

Thanks for the 411.

What is a "sub grade", though?

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

22 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Thanks for the 411.

What is a "sub grade", though?

On this card here notice at the bottom of the label they have different grades for centering 9, surface 9, corners 9, edges 8.5. Those are the sub grades that help determine the cumulative grade of 9. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

1 minute ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

On this card here notice at the bottom of the label they have different grades for centering 9, surface 9, corners 9, edges 8.5. Those are the sub grades that help determine the cumulative grade of 9. 

That's what I thought it was, but it didn't make sense to me for CGC to charge extra for it.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

Similar to how on comics we know books can be strong 9.8 that presents well and others are not as they have miswraps or other issues but still are 9.8. This are identifiers added to card grading to help better understand what that grade indicates.  Also as if the add graders note to the label. 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

1 minute ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

That's what I thought it was, but it didn't make sense to me for CGC to charge extra for it.

I was just adding a better explanation.  It's like graders note on the label. This way any two 9's could have extremely different prices due to sub grades. Same as comics with better "eye appeal" sell for more. This was just so CGC could take a bigger piece of that pie and due to competition already doing the same. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

5 minutes ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

I was just adding a better explanation.  It's like graders note on the label. This way any two 9's could have extremely different prices due to sub grades. Same as comics with better "eye appeal" sell for more. This was just so CGC could take a bigger piece of that pie and due to competition already doing the same. 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

 

1 minute ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

I know. They could have come strong and tried to undercut price in a few ways as well as allowed non sports. Instead they figured why not charge the same as the competition and not have to fully staff for the non sports .

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

and so we do not completely hijack the OP thread.   Congratulations on getting your first submission back! I too like the cases and the labels and agree there is some room for improvement.  The cards look great!

[theCapraAegagrus]

3 minutes ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

I know. They could have come strong and tried to undercut price in a few ways as well as allowed non sports. Instead they figured why not charge the same as the competition and not have to fully staff for the non sports .

Do competitors charge for sub grades, too? Didn't know that.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

So far only BSG. Although theirs isn't really an add on you have to submit for a different service to get sub grades. PSA has qualifiers on theirs and doesn't charge but they are not quite the same. They just have codes on the label.  Example being OC for Off Center. 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

 

11 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Do competitors charge for sub grades, too? Didn't know that.

Meant to quote you above.  Also one of the biggest draws currently besides the cases is the TAT. PSA and BSG both have fallen behind and TAT for basic services have been 60-90 days +

Edited August 27, 2020 by onlyweaknesskryptonite

[theCapraAegagrus]

3 minutes ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Meant to quote you above.  Also one of the biggest draws currently besides the cases is the TAT. PSA and BSG both have fallen behind and TAT for basic services have been 60-90 days +

Yeah, the TAT reported in this thread sounds fantastic.

Starting to wonder if I have anything in the 9 range, that I don't play with, that might be cool to submit.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

1 minute ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Yeah, the TAT reported in this thread sounds fantastic.

Starting to wonder if I have anything in the 9 range, that I don't play with, that might be cool to submit.

Completely understand that. I still have several that I am considering,  but realistically I am waiting to see what the market decides how these compare in value as they are very similar to BSG in strict grading. That and I really want them to get into the non sports so I can get some of the comic cards to match the comics those two cases would look great displayed together.  Trying not to split between BSG, PSA, and CGC.

[the menace]

33 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Yeah, the TAT reported in this thread sounds fantastic.

Starting to wonder if I have anything in the 9 range, that I don't play with, that might be cool to submit.

100% that this is a big draw at the moment. Atm waiting 3 months minimum  for my order to be returned seems extremely rough.  
 

That TAT is fantastic, and if you are looking to get anything slabbed I think it’s worth just sending it in and seeing how you like the cases. 

[the menace]

31 minutes ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Completely understand that. I still have several that I am considering,  but realistically I am waiting to see what the market decides how these compare in value as they are very similar to BSG in strict grading. That and I really want them to get into the non sports so I can get some of the comic cards to match the comics those two cases would look great displayed together.  Trying not to split between BSG, PSA, and CGC.

The card value is also something I’m closely monitoring. There is definitely a market inefficiency in regards to short term pricing as CGC is new with trading cards. My hope is that more people learn about the quality of their grades and how strong a 9+ from them is.

 

As for Marvel cards, while I do like that they are currently focusing on two large markets to try and stabilize their footing, I think they will eventually offer some service for said cards. Seems like a missed opportunity for them to not let people grade their comic cards with their comics.

Edited August 27, 2020 by EdisonS

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

9 minutes ago, EdisonS said:

The card value is also something I’m closely monitoring. There is definitely a market inefficiency in regards to short term pricing as CGC is new with trading cards. My hope is that more people learn about the quality of their grades and how strong a 9+ from them is.

 

As for Marvel cards, while I do like that they are currently focusing on two large markets to try and stabilize their footing, I think they will eventually offer some service for said cards. Seems like a missed opportunity for them to not let people grade their comic cards with their comics.

I agree.  Although hopefully they add all non sports and the prices do settle at or near the top. I also hope they actually grade them unlike what they have decided with their sports being an affiliate with SCG. The CGC cases would look great as well as eventually adding Signature Series to the list for the ability to have the matching set comics, cards, signatures all in CGC Yellow Label.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

Also welcome to the Boards! This is one of the best features here at CGC. There is so much amazing information and compounded knowledge here on the boards. Hopefully more will come from the card end of things and it will grow.

[the menace]

1 hour ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Also welcome to the Boards! This is one of the best features here at CGC. There is so much amazing information and compounded knowledge here on the boards. Hopefully more will come from the card end of things and it will grow.

Thanks!

That's why I'm posting this review/video. Hoping to encourage people to use this platform to discuss cards and communicate with one another. We are only two months in, so can't expect too crazy of a forum just yet. 

[stynxno]

I really appreciate your video. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. I don't collect cards anymore - but I learned something. And congrats on the grades!