Why PSA?

[marinolr]

Is it really worth it to wait 4 months to get back 31 graded cards for over $600 from PSA? There are some of you that have been sending off cards to be graded for a long time. I sent off 5 Topps Traded Emmitt Smith RCs to be graded to PSA that came straight out of the boxes. All of them were well centered and I got back 1-8, 2-7, 1-6, and 1-5. How is that even possible? Is there something that y’all do to the cards prior to get a 10 or a 9. Come on, they came straight out of the boxes? Thanks ahead for sharing your info.

[Jaypers]

Use a loupe before sending in any cards. It should be at least 10X magnification, if not more. All grading companies use them.

[SCTV]

Originally Posted by Jaypers

Use a loupe before sending in any cards. It should be at least 10X magnification, if not more. All grading companies use them.

PSA does not use magnification.

[hermanotarjeta]

Pay the card doctor a preemptive visit!

[ThoseBackPages]

#ThanksTopps

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Doesn’t sound like grading is for you, man. No big deal. Nothing wrong with enjoying your cards raw.

[asujbl]

No scans and no poll? Huge fail

Emmitt Smith was also a horrible baseball player so maybe PSA got confused

[Rage]

Yikes not even a 9.

At least use a loupe to check for flaws and a microfiber cloth to wipe off fingerprints/smudges before submitting.

As for why PSA?, the answer is $$$. Best resale value for graded for the most part

[towerymt]

Quality was low on mass produced sportscards in the 90s. Your cards have flaws you don't notice.

Why your mint card got a '6'
https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1530792

[hermanotarjeta]

Should have sent in Marinos instead.

[boxbuster7]

no it isn't worth it anymore once they made their grading standards way harder to get a 10

the only cards I will be grading from now on are PC cards that I want to have extra protection

[RaceDog]

Originally Posted by boxbuster7

no it isn't worth it anymore once they made their grading standards way harder to get a 10

the only cards I will be grading from now on are PC cards that I want to have extra protection

This is where I am at....but only use CGC as the slabs are nicer.

I have a few that I may send to PSA at some point if the price of the cards get high enough as these are not PC cards.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by boxbuster7

no it isn't worth it anymore once they made their grading standards way harder to get a 10

the only cards I will be grading from now on are PC cards that I want to have extra protection

Isn’t that a good thing? Shouldn’t 10’s mean something?

[boxbuster7]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Isn’t that a good thing? Shouldn’t 10’s mean something?

I don't even know anymore

I was always a buy psa 9 for less than grading cost guy myself

[asujbl]

I can’t believe this topic hasn’t been discussed before. The information is so helpful

[TimBuckTwo]

Next time slip Uncle Benjamin in the card saver with the card to improve your results.

[Skipscards]

PSA has changed their grading standards and have become a lot tougher. Which would have been fine if they did that 30 years ago.

[mfw13]

A lot of people believe that:

- You can quantify something subjective (i.e. card condition)
- The opinions of random dudes being paid minimum wage are definitive
- graded cards will always sell for more than raw cards

That's why they send their cards to third-party graders....

The rest of us save our $$$ to actually spend on more cards

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by boxbuster7

I don't even know anymore

I was always a buy psa 9 for less than grading cost guy myself

All good. Collect what you like the way you like it.

Originally Posted by Skipscards

PSA has changed their grading standards and have become a lot tougher. Which would have been fine if they did that 30 years ago.

So they can’t make any changes ever even if it’s for the best?

Originally Posted by mfw13

A lot of people believe that:

- You can quantify something subjective (i.e. card condition)
- The opinions of random dudes being paid minimum wage are definitive
- graded cards will always sell for more than raw cards

That's why they send their cards to third-party graders....

The rest of us save our $$$ to actually spend on more cards

I hear this minimum wage line a lot, is that just an exaggeration or do we know for a fact the graders are paid min wage?

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

So they can’t make any changes ever even if it’s for the best?

Not when there are literally millions of cards already on the market with a completely different standard. Minor changes, sure. Tweaks, ok. Improvements to prevent fraud, you betcha. But major changes to grading standards, absolutely not. It undermines the integrity of the registry.

They could have created a new label, a new company, etc to differentiate, but I think they took an already suspect process and made it more suspect.

[hche]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

So they can’t make any changes ever even if it’s for the best?

Unless people can somehow differentiate cards graded with the less strict standard than the current standard, the change is not good.

Basically, a PSA 10 in 2010 should be the same PSA 10 in 2025 but it could be a PSA 8 or 9 now if it is regraded. So if PSA didnt put out an announcement and use different labels, we are all in the dark.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

Not when there are literally millions of cards already on the market with a completely different standard. Minor changes, sure. Tweaks, ok. Improvements to prevent fraud, you betcha. But major changes to grading standards, absolutely not. It undermines the integrity of the registry.

They could have created a new label, a new company, etc to differentiate, but I think they took an already suspect process and made it more suspect.

Originally Posted by hche

Unless people can somehow differentiate cards graded with the less strict standard than the current standard, the change is not good.

Basically, a PSA 10 in 2010 should be the same PSA 10 in 2025 but it could be a PSA 8 or 9 now if it is regraded. So if PSA didnt put out an announcement and use different labels, we are all in the dark.

Neither of you guys like grading anyways though, right?

CGC has tweaked their grading over the years for comics. We all got through it.

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Neither of you guys like grading anyways though, right?

CGC has tweaked their grading over the years for comics. We all got through it.

I’m not against grading, I’m just not obsessed with it. I’ve even submitted a little here and there over the years. But the few submissions I do in the future will start going elsewhere; especially after the Backyard Breaks partnership.

[Allen Ginter 99]

Originally Posted by mfw13

A lot of people believe that:

- You can quantify something subjective (i.e. card condition)
- The opinions of random dudes being paid minimum wage are definitive
- graded cards will always sell for more than raw cards

That's why they send their cards to third-party graders....

The rest of us save our $$$ to actually spend on more cards

lol they pay 19-20 an hour to the graders a little better than min wage hahah but you have a valid point
A little more if you want to live in California haha



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Allen Ginter 99

lol they pay 19-20 an hour to the graders a little better than min wage hahah but you have a valid point
A little more if you want to live in California haha



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My point was more that irrespective of what exactly any given grader is paid, we have no idea of what their qualifications are, what experience they have, and/or what training they receive.

And PSA has always been very secretive about this.....I got kicked off of PSA's message boards way back in 2007 (yes, 18 years ago) for raising those questions.

They want you to believe that your cards are being graded by experts....in reality, most people on these boards probably have more expertise than PSA's graders (or any other TPG company).

Put it this way....would you trust someone to appraise an antique or vintage car, or work of art when you had no information about their qualifications, experience, or training?

Didn't think so.....