Destroyed!!! Anyone else getting obliterated on their PSA grades this month???

[larry25]

So I understand that grading is inconsistent and that grading standards can tighten and loosen over time, rolling in waves every few months, but what I am seeing most recently is absolutely garbage and borderline criminal.

To be clear, most of my stuff is from the 2000s and 1990s and even some 1980s.

I've had several orders of several dozen cards that are ALL graded PSA 9s--just 9 after 9 after 9--with a fair amount of PSA 8s, a few token PSA 6s, of course, and just one SINGLE PSA 10. Just one!!!

This is so laughable to me because the cards are the EXACT same cards I was submitting 6, 8, and 12 months ago. Last summer I made large piles of the same cards that I broke from a pretty massive amount of wax... 100s of Jordan 1989-1993 Fleer, 1989-1992 Hoops, and quite a bit more. I basically spent the whole summer breaking this stuff and then putting it into Card Savers, about 3,000 cards.

So, for the last 12 months, every 6 weeks or so I have submitted 100-200 of these at a time, broken into orders of 50. The cost of that is over $1,000 per order.

I did fairly well up to just a few months ago. My gem rate was bouncing between 25 to 50%. Certainly not the 75-80% it used to be just a couple of short years ago, but not terrible.

Now, since about July, I've gotten ONE SINGLE PSA 10. No sh*t. Out of almost 400 cards. At my worst, at 25%, there should be 100 PSA 10s in there, and I literally got just 1.

What could possibly be the reason for this? Pokemon graders looking at my Jordans? Is PSA selling out its OG customer base of sports collectors to facilitate TCG? Artificial intelligence, maybe? I feel like one possible thing might be the reverse centering, which I know I don't scrutinize as closely as the fronts. It's the only thing I can think of.

I don't know what to do. This project took me an entire summer last year, and I still have over 1,000 cards in various stages that will cost me over $20,000 once they finish. I think I should put the brakes on everything, but I don't know if that's even possible. Most of the stuff is in Assembly or at the Q stages, where it's been sitting for many weeks.

I know what I am doing. I have done this for many years, breaking wax cases and vending and factory sets. I feel absolutely destroyed.

Sorry for the long rant. I am not looking for consolation, I just want to know if others are experiencing the same results and what people think might be the problem.

[Bosoxfan5990]

Did you forget you already started a thread that's still active?

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1608790

[towerymt]

The good times are over. It's sad.

[discodanman45]

Grading is broken. Anyone that is using a PSA 10 to make money in this "hobby," needs to rethink why they are sending cards to PSA. I actually like the stupidity of PSA. Maybe it will break a few people from the addiction of grading cards. Grading, more than ever, is just another gamble in the hobby. I am buying PSA slabs with new cert numbers, but there is no way that PSA is getting another penny of mine.

[prospectorgems]

I think we are all in the same boat unfortunately. PSA has absolutely changed their standards or their graders are horrible at what they do. Everything PSA does is a secret so we will never know if their graders need to go through a certification program or they just hire joe schmo from the street and plop a stack of cards in front of them.

Grades you would have received a 1+ years ago are not the same what you would receive today.

Best thing you can do, whether you are a collector or flipper is assume your cards will get a 9 and just be happy if any get a 10. I know for myself I have changed my grading process in the last year. If I do not have any profits at a 9, I just won't send those cards even if I am certain the card(s) look flawless. The only time I would send something in if a 9 is a short loss or break even if those cards are very rare or low serial numbered. To me that can justify the risk of getting a 9.

[ogresnetttt]

I haven't submitted anything to PSA this calendar year. The last order I subbed was to SGC. It was just under 50 cards and the results were spot on with what I expected except for two cards. I misread my notes on one and sent one that I shouldn't have. And the other card was damaged by SGC. Other than that, SGC's grades were as expected.

You mentioned 1989-1993 Fleer, 1989-1992 Hoops. This is the sort of stuff that interests me the most. 1 know the sets very well. I'm curious about the quality of cards you're sending in. A lot of the 9s that I see listed on eBay from people who grade these years are sending in cards with fisheyes on player uniforms.

If you don't mind sharing some of the certs from your recent frustrating orders, I'd like to take a look at them and see what you're sending in. I won't be able to catch scratches, but a lot of other issues can be seen on PSA's scans. You can DM me if you don't want them shared in public.

[hxcmilkshake]

Yeah I just figure I'm gonna get hosed and be pleasantly surprised when I'm not. I submitted 2 of these, identical, (that weird spot on the roght side is not on the card) both got 7s. Can I squeeze out an 8 ffs??

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

[larry25]

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan5990

Did you forget you already started a thread that's still active?

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1608790

I did not forget. In fact, was tempted several times over the summer to report some decent returns in the 25-50% range, but then the last several rounds were just so unusually abnormally bad, I felt I had to cry all over again. Something has changed since then, no question.

[larry25]

Originally Posted by ogresnetttt

I haven't submitted anything to PSA this calendar year. The last order I subbed was to SGC. It was just under 50 cards and the results were spot on with what I expected except for two cards. I misread my notes on one and sent one that I shouldn't have. And the other card was damaged by SGC. Other than that, SGC's grades were as expected.

You mentioned 1989-1993 Fleer, 1989-1992 Hoops. This is the sort of stuff that interests me the most. 1 know the sets very well. I'm curious about the quality of cards you're sending in. A lot of the 9s that I see listed on eBay from people who grade these years are sending in cards with fisheyes on player uniforms.

If you don't mind sharing some of the certs from your recent frustrating orders, I'd like to take a look at them and see what you're sending in. I won't be able to catch scratches, but a lot of other issues can be seen on PSA's scans. You can DM me if you don't want them shared in public.

Thanks, but no, I'd prefer not. I have what I think (or used to think) was a creative and effective way of ordering things, occasionally mixing/sneaking in higher dollar cards, and also intentionally mixing in cards I think/know are 8s and 9s to get my 10s. I'm clearly off the deep end at this point and may have to entirely rethink my process, but I assure you there are no fisheyes anywhere or scratches. Likely culprits, indeed, but I submit cards with small and even concealed fisheyes (that otherwise look perfect) intentionally, so as to get 10s on ones right after. No luck at all this month or last. 9 city. Now I'm wondering if maybe I've been getting punished for trying to sneak in higher dollar cards into my bulk subs?

[larry25]

Originally Posted by hxcmilkshake

Yeah I just figure I'm gonna get hosed and be pleasantly surprised when I'm not. I submitted 2 of these, identical, (that weird spot on the roght side is not on the card) both got 7s. Can I squeeze out an 8 ffs??

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

Damn, that looks like a 9 to me, despite the print, and a strong 9 at that. Maybe I've just entirely lost it. Guess L to R could be better, too.

[discodanman45]

Even when PSA grades a card correctly, this is the care they take to slab it. Paying $25 plus for them to throw it into a slab like this is unacceptable.

[yoyosh]

I appreciate your commitment to this subject, now in 2 threads!!
I had 2 subs pop this week.
11 total cards, and 3 were gems.
That's pretty much the % I've had in the last 18 months.
All modern cards that I sub are looked at under magnification and with a centering tool.

[salsdali]

I think it must mean PSA has enough 10's of those cards already to include in their different repacks that they are pop controlling so no other 10's make it to market because those new 10's would compete with their existing inventory.

[metsandweezer]

I got 88% gems on my last ultra modern bulk order.

[dherm360]

I guess you could stop using PSA

[inaka]

Another option is to legally change your name to 4SharpCorners so you can get 10s on every 80s/90s card.

[49erRCCollector]

Originally Posted by larry25

To be clear, most of my stuff is from the 2000s and 1990s and even some 1980s.

This may be part of the problem. I generally do better with modern that I check closely before sending... but my latest sub is 80s, 90s and a few modern. I'm not holding my breath for the older cards.

[larry25]

Originally Posted by salsdali

I think it must mean PSA has enough 10's of those cards already to include in their different repacks that they are pop controlling so no other 10's make it to market because those new 10's would compete with their existing inventory.

Ewww...

[larry25]

Guess I spoke too soon. Got an order with 23/50 PSA 10s last night, including a few tougher Jordans. I will admit when I'm wrong, so yay PSA Good luck to the rest of you playing this often times very frustrating game. Hang in there.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by larry25

I feel like one possible thing might be the reverse centering, which I know I don't scrutinize as closely as the fronts. It's the only thing I can think of.

This may very well be a factor. They tightened the reverse side centering standards. One change I agreed with even though it makes it a little more difficult finding raw gems.

Originally Posted by ogresnetttt

A lot of the 9s that I see listed on eBay from people who grade these years are sending in cards with fisheyes on player uniforms.

This is also a possibility and also likely where you will see more inconsistency between graders since those defects are not always noticeable upon first inspection.

I used to lump all my Jordan stuff in one order and now I just mix it in with whatever as I get them. This way, if I get the LeBron grader, my entire lot isn't slaughtered.

[WYTMKE]

I wanted to see what would happen so I sent a card in it first got an 8. Then I cracked it and got a 9 then I cracked it again and got a 6 no damage to it.

[AnthonyCorona]

A lot of people saying PSA 8 is the new PSA 10

[The_Reverend]

Originally Posted by WYTMKE

I wanted to see what would happen so I sent a card in it first got an 8. Then I cracked it and got a 9 then I cracked it again and got a 6 no damage to it.

Because they have no standard and each grader has their own opinion, this happens frequently and why people crack and resend.

[AnthonyCorona]

Originally Posted by The_Reverend

Because they have no standard and each grader has their own opinion, this happens frequently and why people crack and resend.

And why I don’t understand a premium on graded cards 😂

[WYTMKE]

Originally Posted by The_Reverend

Because they have no standard and each grader has their own opinion, this happens frequently and why people crack and resend.

yea I know that but to get a 6 I was like wow lol