I know what you mean about value for later, have been thinking on this since I started buying Wacky art. If I get run over by a bus next week, I'd hate to think my family might sell a valuable painting for a song.
get that art graded, pronto! slab it and tag it.
We've seen that original art always sells for a premium when straight from the Topps Vault or with the Topps Vault provenance. While I agree that's meaningless to knowledgeable collectors, apparently it's worth the premium to novice buyers for added peace of mind.
Everyone's entitled to their opinion on PSA and grading. The bottom line to me is that PSA provides third party, unbiased validation as to the quality of the card. There are various reasons that may be desirable to the owner of a high grade card:
1. Obviously if selling the card, it will bring an astronomically higher price
2. It enhances the value (important for other reasons I've detailed above)
3. Money/value aside, it gives validation to the owner that their card is as nice as they think it is. It may sound silly, but "pride of ownership" is a big part of collecting. I might think my 1st series set is very nice, but I obviously have a vested interest in thinking that. The 3rd party validation means my card is nice in a way that an entire group of collectors will "believe." Whether for purposes 1 and 2, friendly competition (registry sets), or just pride of ownership, it lends a "group credibility" that is otherwise unachievable.