Help needed

[Beckham007]

Hello all,

Came across this forum on the weekend as I was "covid cleaning" the garage and went through some old boxes.

I came across a card I have saved since I was a teenager that I completed forgot about. It has been stored in a top loader and looks in very good condition (ie. great edges).

It is a DAVID BECKHAM MERLIN PREMIER GOLD card from 96/97. A quick search online has seen people refer it to as a "rookie card". Some of the values that have been quoted are crazy so I wanted some advice on what next?

1. Where is the best place to go for a proper grading and for it to be put in a proper case?
2. Where is the best way to get the actual card valued?
3. Is there anything else I should do?

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[zephyr_213]

1. The grading companies are closed right now. I believe Cherry Collectables has a premium service for grading with Beckett , which will cost you a kidney.
2. Ebay sold listings.
3. No.

 

[Beckham007]

Which graders should I be looking at when they re-open?

What about card grading australia?

 

[zephyr_213]

There are 3 main grading companies. They are PSA, Beckett and SGC. PSA commands the premium (I prefer Beckett), so it is your choice which slabs you prefer. Check them out online.

Card Grading Australia I have never used but maybe someone else here can give some input on CGA. Never heard anything negative about them...

 

[Beckham007]

When you say 3 "main", does that mean their grading holds more credence when selling?

 

[zephyr_213]

Yes, they are the 3 'reputable' companies that have been around for years in the hobby.

 

[Beckham007]

Have they given any indication when they will re-open?
What kind of costs are involved?

 

[zephyr_213]

https://www.psacard.com/

 

[Beckham007]

https://www.psacard.com/

Im confused now, so are PSA doing gradings or are they shut also?

 

[shawnkemp40]

Beautiful card mate.
Most recent raw (ungraded) sale below:

 

[shawnkemp40]

What you need to consider is what you're looking to do with it and how much you're hoping to get for it.
High grade PSA cards are more "hobby" popular and as a result achieve a higher price.
Like Zephyr, I like Beckett cases better but it depends if you're grading for you or grading to sell.
The front of the card looks pretty decent from your pic. But if there's whitened corners are all on the back or slightly chipped edges etc it changes the grades dramatically and also the value.
If you can sell the card raw for $200 or spend money in time and grading it may pay off, it may not. That's the risk.
I believe there are people in Oz that can appraise cards prior to sending for grading, but unless you're doing that in person I wouldn't take that risk myself.
If you check 130point. com you can see the difference in raw vs low grade vs high grade. It's quite a dramatic difference in price.

 

[Beckham007]

to be honest, this is all very new to me. But when I saw some of the $$$ bandied about I thought I should take it seriously.

If it really is worth good money and my PSA is relatively good, Im thinking to save it for a few years until price increases.

My ultimate aim is to sell, im not a collector by any means.