When grading cards, how is the back considered?

[gradedeflator]

Hi,

first of all, apologize if this is the wrong forum, but have a quick question around how grading companies "grade" backs of cards. having looked through recent ebay auctions and other auction house lots, I've been shocked at how many cards (1954, 1957, 1958 topps) have beautiful fronts but pretty awful backs, particularly with centering.

I've read the grading guidelines on PSA and SGC, but these guidelines don't always seem to be enforced. Would like to solicit Net54's expert contributors for your opinions.

how important is a centered card back? a card back ENTIRELY free of spots and specks?

thanks!

[glynparson]

Centering on the back is not really all that important when determining a grade. As long as it is not miscut you are usually ok for an 8 a 9 they usually want 70-30 or better though i occasionally see a little worse. print dots are not as enforced on the back. Wear, creasing, wrinkles however are almost as important front or back

[gradedeflator]

Thanks Glyn. I am attaching a photo, am curious for thoughts on how the back of this card would grade. It's one of the most extreme examples I could find, I would say the left to right on the back is 5/95 (but maybe it's 10/90, I don't know how strict that is). There's really just thin sliver of cardboard between the stat box and eternity.

Given that, assuming for all intents the front is PERFECT, how does the centering on the back impact the card? if this was the front it would be called offcut. thanks

[gradedeflator]

Okay, I found a more extreme example and IMPLORE some knowledgeable soul in this community to explain the rationale for the back centering. this card was sold in an REA auction and I want to point out that this is not intended to cast REA in a negative light, I in fact have dealt with them before and they are terrific, it's just a really really good example of something I am trying to better understand:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2009/605.html

1948-49 Leaf Paige, PSA 7, the description refers to the back centering as 10/90 but wow it looks something closer to 5/95. According to PSA, a NM 7 should have back centering no worse than 90/10...

thanks in advance for your help!

[rnisly]

on the Paige your eye will be deceived

If you pull the scan and measure digitally

6 pixels on the left 31 on the right

19/81 on the centering

Roger

[gradedeflator]

Roger, thanks for the math and pointing out an obvious test. I'm not 100% sure how to count pixels so I just blew up the scan and held a ruler to it. I got something like 14/86 centering L-R, which is still still better than PSA's 90/10 criteria.

is there some kind of software you use that can count pixels?

thanks again!

[rnisly]

I use Microsoft's Picture It for photo editing, cropping, straightening etc.

I believe it is similar to Photoshop but I haven't used Photoshop.

When I pull a photo into Picture It on the bottom row it gives me the

dimensions of the photo and the X Y coordinates of the mouse in relation

to the photo. The paige back for instance was 388 x 670. When I point the

mouse to the very left edge of the card I got an X coordinate of 41, beginning

of text 47, end of text 315, right edge of card 346.

From there you just do the math. I used pixels because that's my default

setting. It gives me the option of inches, millimeters or centimeters as well.

Roger