Is PSA better since Nat took over?

yoyosh · 02-25-2023, 04:00 PM

I’m curious what you guys think, I see no major differences yet

For example, we all know there’s still no FIFO policy, but this just killed me…
I sent an email to PSA general info email, asking if they would authenticate (or grade) backstage passes.

A few days later I got a reply that YES they would, and I could email the research team for more info on pop zero items.

I sent a detailed info w pics etc to research team and sent in my items.
Today I received a reply from Beth in the research dept…any guesses?
Well if you guessed she’d say “sorry we don’t authenticate those” then you win! Wtf??

Get yourself together PSA!!

Woodsy074 · 02-25-2023, 04:36 PM

TATs and getting scans with every order are the only improvements IMO.

Everything else is either the same or worse. The biggest decline I see since Nat took over is in shipping logistics. The time from popping to actual shipping is now taking a week (or more) when it used to be within 24 hours and the increased usage of FedEx is a huge negative for me.

gododgersfan · 02-25-2023, 06:13 PM

No improvements. Grading is all over the map and quality control (damaged cards) is too high. Yes, I know they hired a lot of new staff during COVID, but that excuse can't go on forever.

junkwaxgems · 02-25-2023, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyosh

I’m curious what you guys think, I see no major differences yet

For example, we all know there’s still no FIFO policy, but this just killed me…
I sent an email to PSA general info email, asking if they would authenticate (or grade) backstage passes.

A few days later I got a reply that YES they would, and I could email the research team for more info on pop zero items.

I sent a detailed info w pics etc to research team and sent in my items.
Today I received a reply from Beth in the research dept…any guesses?
Well if you guessed she’d say “sorry we don’t authenticate those” then you win! Wtf??

Get yourself together PSA!!

Absolutely not. And customer service and accountability was pretty horrendous before.

OPChockey · 02-25-2023, 09:09 PM

From what I see, it seems like vintage sports cards took a back seat to Pokemon and the modern card market. Call me an old geezer or whatever, but all I collect and submit are vintage hockey and the odd small batch of baseball or football cards. Feels like I'm at the back of the bus.
I want to be sure that only the most professional and senior graders even get to touch vintage, where consistency tightens up, and would like to see them be a bit stricter on centering for 9s and 10s. Just my personal preference.

Finally, it would be great if the graders and QA staff could differentiate between Topps and OPC. I bought a mislabeled 1974 OPC Bobby Orr last year (PSA 7) that turned out to be Topps. Had to ship it back. It happens way too frequently.

anusinha · 02-25-2023, 09:47 PM

customer service is horrible, overall logistics are bad, consistency in grading is nonexistent, and yeah, they are really heavy on pokemon right now.

larry25 · 02-25-2023, 09:58 PM

PSA is utterly horrible. Never thought I would believe in the pop control conspiracy nonsense, but their treatment of junk wax era stuff as if it was vintage 1960s and 1970s material is obscene. They have conveniently adopted the gem mint standards for 2020s Chrome and Prizm products for 1980-90s Topps and 1990s inserts. Although logistically understandable how this could happen, I'll grant that, it is a rather obvious and damning sign of total incompetence and a failure to understand the very material and subject matter in which they are supposed to be experts. They are NOT. They are a bunch of poorly trained, low income earning, mostly non-collector, non hobbyist 20-something-year-olds. And yet, and yet... I still want my PSA slabs. What the hell is wrong with me!?

The_Reverend · 02-26-2023, 01:27 AM

Lots if not all is true and until their ROI becomes closer to the other MAJOR grading companies, BGS, SGC & CSG, they will have no need to change. We all know this and continue to submit cards to them. Why? Set consistency, registry completions, or and the BIGGEST of the three ROI!

miscus555 · 02-26-2023, 08:37 AM

I kinda fear where PSA is going. Zero accountability on the service they provide which isn’t consistent at all. There is no standards at PSA except that they will accept your money.

I think the company plays God with your cards when it should be following a simple process that has 100% integrity. It’s only a matter of time before the next PSA scandal happens or they have a class action lawsuit against them. I’m sorry, if you are showing any type of bias to a particular card, a particular customer, or particular company, it’s terrible business and corrupt considering the type of business you are in and the amount of people’s money you are dealing with.

I hope other other grading companies are intensely watching how all this unfolds and how to act as a business. If humans generally accepted variety and didn’t flock to a single God, psa would have equal ROI or less than all the other companies that grade cards. I’ve never seen so many purchase a slab name over the card inside.

I’m not trying to by biased in my argument here…I’ve only graded with PSA once In my life in late 2019 and received with a hint of everything but since then, I’m A- afraid to send anything else to them for reasons above, B-see PSA complaints much more with customers than any of the other main 2 companies, and C- see customers with zero service or group to turn to for their questions or complaints.

SupermanBrandon · 02-26-2023, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miscus555

I kinda fear where PSA is going. Zero accountability on the service they provide which isn’t consistent at all. There is no standards at PSA except that they will accept your money.

I think the company plays God with your cards when it should be following a simple process that has 100% integrity. It’s only a matter of time before the next PSA scandal happens or they have a class action lawsuit against them. I’m sorry, if you are showing any type of bias to a particular card, a particular customer, or particular company, it’s terrible business and corrupt considering the type of business you are in and the amount of people’s money you are dealing with.

I hope other other grading companies are intensely watching how all this unfolds and how to act as a business. If humans generally accepted variety and didn’t flock to a single God, psa would have equal ROI or less than all the other companies that grade cards. I’ve never seen so many purchase a slab name over the card inside.

I’m not trying to by biased in my argument here…I’ve only graded with PSA once In my life in late 2019 and received with a hint of everything but since then, I’m A- afraid to send anything else to them for reasons above, B-see PSA complaints much more with customers than any of the other main 2 companies, and C- see customers with zero service or group to turn to for their questions or complaints.

I stopped reading your post at the bolded. What does "100% integrity" mean to you, at a company thats completely built around one persons opinion in a :15 second window of time.

anusinha · 02-26-2023, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Reverend

Lots if not all is true and until their ROI becomes closer to the other MAJOR grading companies, BGS, SGC & CSG, they will have no need to change. We all know this and continue to submit cards to them. Why? Set consistency, registry completions, or and the BIGGEST of the three ROI!

I think if BGS could figure out how to scale up they could compete with PSA. Right now PSA only wins at ROI, which admittedly is the most important, which is what keeps them going. The main problem in the influencer era is that PSA is the only company that can crank out enough volume to fill up the hype.

Customer Service
SGC>CSG>PSA=BGS

Slab
CSG>PSA=BGS>Rancid Dog Vomit>SGC

Flip
BGS (gold or black)>Csg>PSA>SGC

Grading consistency
SGC>BGS=CSG>PSA

ROI
PSA>BGS>SGC>Used underwear from a thrift store>CSG

ChaseUA · 02-26-2023, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anusinha

I think if BGS could figure out how to scale up they could compete with PSA. Right now PSA only wins at ROI, which admittedly is the most important, which is what keeps them going. The main problem in the influencer era is that PSA is the only company that can crank out enough volume to fill up the hype.

Customer Service
SGC>CSG>PSA=BGS

Slab
CSG>PSA=BGS>Rancid Dog Vomit>SGC

Flip
BGS (gold or black)>Csg>PSA>SGC

Grading consistency
SGC>BGS=CSG>PSA

ROI
PSA>BGS>SGC>Used underwear from a thrift store>CSG

I actually agree with your rankings aside from the slab and consistency rankings. PSA > BGS. BGS slabs are too thick and prone to corner chipping.

I also think the grading consistency across all companies is similar. PSA seems amplified but it’s due to volume alone. For the most part PSA gets things right (as do the others) - see crack and resubmit results for evidence of this.

I love the bgs flips with subgrades and the auto grade on front (when applicable)z is. My only concern with the bgs flips is the lack of consistency from card to card as to whether there’s subgrades or not, and sometimes the auto grade or subgrades are on the back rather than front etc. add in their different line of BAS grading and it’s a major turn off for me.

ggxarmy · 02-26-2023, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anusinha

I think if BGS could figure out how to scale up they could compete with PSA. Right now PSA only wins at ROI, which admittedly is the most important, which is what keeps them going. The main problem in the influencer era is that PSA is the only company that can crank out enough volume to fill up the hype.

Customer Service
SGC>CSG>PSA=BGS

Slab
CSG>PSA=BGS>Rancid Dog Vomit>SGC

Flip
BGS (gold or black)>Csg>PSA>SGC

Grading consistency
SGC>BGS=CSG>PSA

ROI
PSA>BGS>SGC>Used underwear from a thrift store>CSG

SGC has been a better ROI than BGS for a good while now on most cards by a good percentage.

mjohnatgt · 02-26-2023, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anusinha

I think if BGS could figure out how to scale up they could compete with PSA.

Beckett's parent company owner continuing to have major legal problems:
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=287772

Don't hold out too much hope for the company. I haven't really seen them do anything useful in the past three years.

vthobby · 02-26-2023, 08:00 PM

SGC makes them look foolish.

It is so obvious it hurts to see so many "flock" to them.

SGC rules. The smart money knows.

3124508 on COMC · 02-26-2023, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vthobby

SGC makes them look foolish.

It is so obvious it hurts to see so many "flock" to them.

SGC rules. The smart money knows.

I don’t think Nat trims cards to make payroll.

PSA2Pac · 02-26-2023, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3124508 on COMC

I don’t think Nat trims cards to make payroll.

…..are you saying that’s Nats card, pre and post trim?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vthobby

SGC makes them look foolish.

It is so obvious it hurts to see so many "flock" to them.

SGC rules. The smart money knows.

Lollll SGC isnt #1 on this Earth or in 99% of the parallel universes.

You are right about one thing, though: the smart money is with SGC - I buy cheaper priced SGC slabs purely to crack out that cheap middle school dance rented tuxedo and replace it with the finest/purest PSA plastic.

Dat butter soft Italian leather

anusinha · 02-26-2023, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggxarmy

SGC has been a better ROI than BGS for a good while now on most cards by a good percentage.

I give BGS an edge because its easier to get a BGS 9.5 than it is an SGC 10, and BGS has the potential to get 10 Pristines and Black labels. SGC does have a better turn around time though, so for new releases SGC would be better before the PSA stuff starts rolling in.

yoyosh · 02-26-2023, 10:46 PM

Thread status: hijacked!
Congrats fellas!
I wanted to discuss how PSA has or hasn’t changed since Nat Turner took the helm but here we are discussion ROI of another tpg.
Blowout gon Blowout

3124508 on COMC · 02-26-2023, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSA2Pac

…..are you saying that’s Nats card, pre and post trim?

I think that’s exactly what I’m not saying.

jetcollectibles · 02-26-2023, 11:37 PM

To get back on topic, I'd say it's slightly better overall. You can't go anywhere from up really from the backlog nightmare. I feel like I can see occasions where they are at least somewhat trying to make strides to improve. Customer service has long been a disaster. A few weeks ago I called several hours after opening and to my surprise I was able to still get in the queue and they called me back within an hour. Months ago if you missed getting in line right when they opened, you were out of luck so I was slightly encouraged by that. They still haven't fixed my issue so that's no surprise, but it was at least easier to talk with someone on the phone.

My biggest gripe is the lack of quality control getting cards back with fingerprints, crumbs, boogers, fuzz, and plastic shards inside. It's insane to me that to get those fixed it takes 1-2 months. If they screw that up, I feel like it should be a week turnaround time AT MOST. They are authenticating ebay orders within a day, so there's no reason they can't fix quality screw ups. Those should be a top priority in my books.

I know we all voice our complaints here, but I want to encourage everyone to fill out their PSA pulse feedback survey every month. Who knows if it matters, but at least voice your concerns directly to them.

SpartanWarrior · 02-27-2023, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3124508 on COMC

I don’t think Nat trims cards to make payroll.

--------------

Does his brother shill bid his consignments at auction?

Boo · 02-27-2023, 07:41 AM

Where are the Nat nuthuggers? Everything was going to be rainbows and unicorns when he took over.

DaveedTO · 02-27-2023, 08:34 AM

Original post should read,

Is Nat's PSA Collection better since Nat took over?

PSA2Pac · 02-27-2023, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3124508 on COMC

I think that’s exactly what I’m not saying.

I’m an IDIOT.. lol I didn’t see the SGC portion clearly on the top part of the card. My apologies

I also apologize for helping to derail the point of the thread.

While I think PSA is clearly still the #1 grading company (it’s not even close lol), in regards to the question posed, in some ways it’s better but in other ways it’s not. It’s nuanced and not as easy as ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Overall grading times are down considerably at the macro level but digging into the details, there’s no reason items should be in QA states for weeks (especially for Express+ submissions). Stated TAT’s don’t have very much meaning. Some of the cheaper sub levels have seen lightening quick turn around, so that’s a good thing but there’s still no consistency.

Are the different levels in the grading process merely an administrative thing or do they really reflect what stage the card is in?

As stated, customer service is almost non existent and they have a long way to go in this area. No reason a company of this magnitude can’t straighten that department out. If there needs to be any extra hiring it’s surely there.

Logistics and overall work flow should be much more streamlined and customer friendly.

That said, there still isn’t a better option. (Shrug)

02-25-2023, 09:09 PM	#5
OPChockey Member Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 150	From what I see, it seems like vintage sports cards took a back seat to Pokemon and the modern card market. Call me an old geezer or whatever, but all I collect and submit are vintage hockey and the odd small batch of baseball or football cards. Feels like I'm at the back of the bus. I want to be sure that only the most professional and senior graders even get to touch vintage, where consistency tightens up, and would like to see them be a bit stricter on centering for 9s and 10s. Just my personal preference. Finally, it would be great if the graders and QA staff could differentiate between Topps and OPC. I bought a mislabeled 1974 OPC Bobby Orr last year (PSA 7) that turned out to be Topps. Had to ship it back. It happens way too frequently. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by OPChockey; 02-25-2023 at 09:10 PM. Reason: correction

02-26-2023, 08:00 PM	#15
vthobby Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Virginia Tech Posts: 855	SGC is #1 SGC makes them look foolish. It is so obvious it hurts to see so many "flock" to them. SGC rules. The smart money knows.

02-26-2023, 10:46 PM	#19
yoyosh Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: USA Posts: 4,466 partyauctions yoyosh	Thread status: hijacked! Congrats fellas! I wanted to discuss how PSA has or hasn’t changed since Nat Turner took the helm but here we are discussion ROI of another tpg. Blowout gon Blowout Last edited by yoyosh; 02-27-2023 at 08:08 AM.

02-27-2023, 07:41 AM	#23
Boo Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: PA Posts: 57,491 klay22	Where are the Nat nuthuggers? Everything was going to be rainbows and unicorns when he took over. __________________ I have found that flicking through a few threads on my smartphone is a great way to pass some time while "stocking the pond."Hairy 6/7/12 “ I feel you, brother. Welcome to East Berlin, circa 1963.” Hairy 5/9/20 "No one said I was smart." BoSux 12/18/25

02-25-2023, 04:00 PM	#1
yoyosh Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: USA Posts: 4,466 partyauctions yoyosh	Is PSA better since Nat took over? I’m curious what you guys think, I see no major differences yet For example, we all know there’s still no FIFO policy, but this just killed me… I sent an email to PSA general info email, asking if they would authenticate (or grade) backstage passes. A few days later I got a reply that YES they would, and I could email the research team for more info on pop zero items. I sent a detailed info w pics etc to research team and sent in my items. Today I received a reply from Beth in the research dept…any guesses? Well if you guessed she’d say “sorry we don’t authenticate those” then you win! Wtf?? Get yourself together PSA!!

02-25-2023, 04:36 PM	#2
Woodsy074 Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: New York Posts: 921 jerwo_9399	TATs and getting scans with every order are the only improvements IMO. Everything else is either the same or worse. The biggest decline I see since Nat took over is in shipping logistics. The time from popping to actual shipping is now taking a week (or more) when it used to be within 24 hours and the increased usage of FedEx is a huge negative for me.

02-25-2023, 06:13 PM	#3
gododgersfan Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 457 goarmynco	No improvements. Grading is all over the map and quality control (damaged cards) is too high. Yes, I know they hired a lot of new staff during COVID, but that excuse can't go on forever.

02-25-2023, 09:47 PM	#6
anusinha Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 13,775	customer service is horrible, overall logistics are bad, consistency in grading is nonexistent, and yeah, they are really heavy on pokemon right now.

02-25-2023, 09:58 PM	#7
larry25 Member Join Date: Sep 2022 Posts: 958	PSA is utterly horrible. Never thought I would believe in the pop control conspiracy nonsense, but their treatment of junk wax era stuff as if it was vintage 1960s and 1970s material is obscene. They have conveniently adopted the gem mint standards for 2020s Chrome and Prizm products for 1980-90s Topps and 1990s inserts. Although logistically understandable how this could happen, I'll grant that, it is a rather obvious and damning sign of total incompetence and a failure to understand the very material and subject matter in which they are supposed to be experts. They are NOT. They are a bunch of poorly trained, low income earning, mostly non-collector, non hobbyist 20-something-year-olds. And yet, and yet... I still want my PSA slabs. What the hell is wrong with me!?

02-26-2023, 01:27 AM	#8
The_Reverend Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 15,441 islubi	Lots if not all is true and until their ROI becomes closer to the other MAJOR grading companies, BGS, SGC & CSG, they will have no need to change. We all know this and continue to submit cards to them. Why? Set consistency, registry completions, or and the BIGGEST of the three ROI!

02-26-2023, 08:37 AM	#9
miscus555 Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 664	I kinda fear where PSA is going. Zero accountability on the service they provide which isn’t consistent at all. There is no standards at PSA except that they will accept your money. I think the company plays God with your cards when it should be following a simple process that has 100% integrity. It’s only a matter of time before the next PSA scandal happens or they have a class action lawsuit against them. I’m sorry, if you are showing any type of bias to a particular card, a particular customer, or particular company, it’s terrible business and corrupt considering the type of business you are in and the amount of people’s money you are dealing with. I hope other other grading companies are intensely watching how all this unfolds and how to act as a business. If humans generally accepted variety and didn’t flock to a single God, psa would have equal ROI or less than all the other companies that grade cards. I’ve never seen so many purchase a slab name over the card inside. I’m not trying to by biased in my argument here…I’ve only graded with PSA once In my life in late 2019 and received with a hint of everything but since then, I’m A- afraid to send anything else to them for reasons above, B-see PSA complaints much more with customers than any of the other main 2 companies, and C- see customers with zero service or group to turn to for their questions or complaints.

02-26-2023, 11:37 PM	#21
jetcollectibles Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Pelham, AL Posts: 593 jetcollectibles	To get back on topic, I'd say it's slightly better overall. You can't go anywhere from up really from the backlog nightmare. I feel like I can see occasions where they are at least somewhat trying to make strides to improve. Customer service has long been a disaster. A few weeks ago I called several hours after opening and to my surprise I was able to still get in the queue and they called me back within an hour. Months ago if you missed getting in line right when they opened, you were out of luck so I was slightly encouraged by that. They still haven't fixed my issue so that's no surprise, but it was at least easier to talk with someone on the phone. My biggest gripe is the lack of quality control getting cards back with fingerprints, crumbs, boogers, fuzz, and plastic shards inside. It's insane to me that to get those fixed it takes 1-2 months. If they screw that up, I feel like it should be a week turnaround time AT MOST. They are authenticating ebay orders within a day, so there's no reason they can't fix quality screw ups. Those should be a top priority in my books. I know we all voice our complaints here, but I want to encourage everyone to fill out their PSA pulse feedback survey every month. Who knows if it matters, but at least voice your concerns directly to them.

02-27-2023, 08:34 AM	#24
DaveedTO Member Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 332	Original post should read, Is Nat's PSA Collection better since Nat took over?