Question regarding PSA Grading/Miscuts......

[team-of-rivals]

I'm attempting to understand PSA's grading standard when it comes to the 'MC' qualifier. PSA states the following:
MC (Miscut):
Cards that exhibit an atypical cut for the issue or ones that contain partial portions of more than one card will be designated "MC."

Can anyone tell me why the Williams is not considered a miscut? Thanks for the help. (sidenote: I'm not attempting to cause an issue with the sellers of the presented cards, simply examples.)

[savedfrommyspokes]

When looking at the back of this Drysdale card, the miscut is on the back and not on the front. One portion of bottom border on the stat box is missing....likely the reason for the MC. The centering on the Williams is apparently in line with the qualities associated with a "5". For a 5, here are PSA's centering requirements: Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-Topps-Baseball-18-Don-Drysdale-PSA-8-MC-Rookie-Card-/151132014220?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item23302b868c

[Rich Klein]

I believe you can also request no qualifiers on a PSA card when submitting.

[mckinneyj]

PSA appears to have changed the language in the standards a bit over time - several years ago MC was defined as such

MC (Miscut):
Cards with a factory miscut, such as a diamond cut, or when another card's image is on the original card will be designated "MC."

The OC qualifier was more typically used for cards that contained the image and borders on the front along with a complete, though maybe not centered, reverse where the cut of the card was parallel to the intended borders. The degree of "off center" permissible for front and back is dependent upon the standards set for a cards of each grade (as noted above by savedfrommyspokes).

[team-of-rivals]

When looking at the back of this Drysdale card, the miscut is on the back and not on the front. One portion of bottom border on the stat box is missing....likely the reason for the MC. The centering on the Williams is apparently in line with the qualities associated with a "5". For a 5, here are PSA's centering requirements: Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-Topps-Baseball-18-Don-Drysdale-PSA-8-MC-Rookie-Card-/151132014220?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item23302b868c

I believe you can also request no qualifiers on a PSA card when submitting.

PSA appears to have changed the language in the standards a bit over time - several years ago MC was defined as such

MC (Miscut):
Cards with a factory miscut, such as a diamond cut, or when another card's image is on the original card will be designated "MC."

The OC qualifier was more typically used for cards that contained the image and borders on the front along with a complete, though maybe not centered, reverse where the cut of the card was parallel to the intended borders. The degree of "off center" permissible for front and back is dependent upon the standards set for a cards of each grade (as noted above by savedfrommyspokes).


Thank you to everyone for their input. That definitely helps clear some things up for me.

[pclpads]

I believe you can also request no qualifiers on a PSA card when submitting.

You can, but save the ink. I have subbed several that were obvious mc - not just oc - and requested on the form: NO QUALIFIERS! As every damn one came back with the Q, I've decided they either can't read, or have a hard on for mc cards. :rolleyes:

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Either grade all cards with qualifiers or grade non of them. Allowing them to be optional makes no sense.

[mckinneyj]

With respect to to the OC qualifier, I believe that if you request that a card be graded without using it, then the best grade that the card can receive is only as high as the centering requirements permit (even if the card is otherwise perfect).

[KCRfan1]

With respect to to the OC qualifier, I believe that if you request that a card be graded without using it, then the best grade that the card can receive is only as high as the centering requirements permit (even if the card is otherwise perfect).

This is why we have a huge disparity in the quality of cards that all have the same grade. Ex: a card graded at a 5 vs a card graded a 5 that was a 7 oc yet graded without qualifiers. That 7 oc will be a sharp card compared to the true 5. The same is true for other grades as well. Remove the qualifier option and grade the card.

[glynparson]

Opt out of mc and mk qualifiers.

[bn2cardz]

You can not opt out of mc and mk qualifiers.


According to an email I recently got from PSA you can opt out of MC. I have a severely miscut card and wanted to know what the highest grade it could possibly get if it had the qualifier. Here is the answer:

The highest grade a card could get with a miscut is a 9 MC. The “MC” would be labeled appropriately if you choose so.

[glynparson]

new policy, but just because a customer service person tells you something at PSA do not take it to the bank. They often do not truly know policy. My information comes directly from a conversation with Joe Orlando from about 3 years ago. I assume he knows/knew the policy correctly. The reasoning is the MC is outside the parameters for centering to receive even a 1 which i believe needs to be 90-10. I don't have the standards in front of me.

[bn2cardz]

new policy, but just because a customer service person tells you something at PSA do not take it to the bank. They often do not truly know policy. My information comes directly from a conversation with Joe Orlando from about 3 years ago. I assume he knows/knew the policy correctly. The reasoning is the MC is outside the parameters for centering to receive even a 1 which i believe needs to be 90-10. I don't have the standards in front of me.

I can accept that because I have never actually done it and I would take your convo with Joe O over a CSR any day.

[mattsedate]

I'm attempting to understand PSA's grading standard when it comes to the 'MC' qualifier. PSA states the following:
MC (Miscut):
Cards that exhibit an atypical cut for the issue or ones that contain partial portions of more than one card will be designated "MC."

Can anyone tell me why the Williams is not considered a miscut? Thanks for the help. (sidenote: I'm not attempting to cause an issue with the sellers of the presented cards, simply examples.)

Can't you just ask PSA do not grade qualifiers and the grade is just 2 grades lower instead of a qualifier?