Brianruns10
10-19-2011, 02:32 PM
I mean, given how qualitative grading a card can be, centering is one thing that is fairly absolute...just measure with a rule, have a margin of error, and if it falls outside it's not centered, and if it does, then you say, "PSA ExMt 6 Centered" or something. Since they offer qualifiers like OC and MC, why not for the other end of the spectrum?
For one thing, this might help tremendously when it comes to figuring how much of a premium to place on centered cards. For example, I collect 52 Topps, which are rather notorious for centering problems, and some cards are non-existent in centered examples. So when one turns up on ebay, they go for a premium over SMR, as they should, because they have that great eye appeal that a non-centered card has less of. But it's hard to figure how much of a premium, because how many centered examples are there? Wouldn't it be worth cataloging in the pop reports centered examples, to judge premiums? If there is, say, only 3 centered examples of a card across all grades, I'll certainly pay more over SMR even if it's a PSA 5...I'd rather have a that than an off center 7.
Also, a centering notation would be very helpful for catalogue listings or in cases where an image is not available. I get catalogs from various dealers, but I'm not so inclined to buy cards this way because even if they're PSA or SGC, without a centering notation, I've no idea what the alignment of the card is like. Of course I always buy the card, not the plastic, but I tend not to bother. If there was a centering notation, I'd be more inclined to follow up, and say, "Do you have a picture?"
Not to mention, PSA seems to factor in centering in the overall grade, which is potentially misleading. A 10 card that isn't centered usually gets bumped to a 9, whereas I've seen cards that definitely looked worse than the grade they were given, and I suspected their centering inflated the grade. I'd much rather the two be separate, as centering is a part of the manufacture, and condition has to do with the life of the card once it leaves the pack. I card without centering should still be able to fetch a 10, while a crummy card with excellent centering shouldn't benefit from "grade inflation" due to the eye appeal.
Well that's my spiel. What do you all think?
For one thing, this might help tremendously when it comes to figuring how much of a premium to place on centered cards. For example, I collect 52 Topps, which are rather notorious for centering problems, and some cards are non-existent in centered examples. So when one turns up on ebay, they go for a premium over SMR, as they should, because they have that great eye appeal that a non-centered card has less of. But it's hard to figure how much of a premium, because how many centered examples are there? Wouldn't it be worth cataloging in the pop reports centered examples, to judge premiums? If there is, say, only 3 centered examples of a card across all grades, I'll certainly pay more over SMR even if it's a PSA 5...I'd rather have a that than an off center 7.
Also, a centering notation would be very helpful for catalogue listings or in cases where an image is not available. I get catalogs from various dealers, but I'm not so inclined to buy cards this way because even if they're PSA or SGC, without a centering notation, I've no idea what the alignment of the card is like. Of course I always buy the card, not the plastic, but I tend not to bother. If there was a centering notation, I'd be more inclined to follow up, and say, "Do you have a picture?"
Not to mention, PSA seems to factor in centering in the overall grade, which is potentially misleading. A 10 card that isn't centered usually gets bumped to a 9, whereas I've seen cards that definitely looked worse than the grade they were given, and I suspected their centering inflated the grade. I'd much rather the two be separate, as centering is a part of the manufacture, and condition has to do with the life of the card once it leaves the pack. I card without centering should still be able to fetch a 10, while a crummy card with excellent centering shouldn't benefit from "grade inflation" due to the eye appeal.
Well that's my spiel. What do you all think?