Grading advice
 

Hi all, just seeking a little advice regarding a situation I haven't encountered before.

I bought a couple of raw 1915 CJs at the Chantilly, VA show back in June and submitted to PSA on site. The grades just popped, and one card received a 3.5 while the other did not meet minimum size requirements.

My question is, would it be untoward of me to ask the dealer if there are any options in terms of returning the card that did not meet the size requirements (or perhaps trading it in for something else in his inventory)? Or is it strictly a caveat emptor thing, particularly given the vagaries of grading?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can share.

Better if you had addressed the possibility before purchase, and also the question of what you paid (did you pay a price commensurate with a card that would fail to receive a numerical grade?) comes into play. Still I would hope the dealer would be willing to work with you in some fashion.

Just wondering who the cards were. 3.5 is a nice grade. The other may be worth submitting to sgc.

BTW - minimum size requirement doesn’t mean the card was trimmed. It means it measures differently than others. I’m guessing they weren’t all cut exactly correct 100+ years ago. SGC May be fine with it.

Personally, I likely wouldn't even ask unless it was agreed upon before purchasing. When buying at a show you have the card in your own hands and you can make your own judgement about the condition of the card. Regardless of what a TPA says, nothing about the card has changed since it was purchased. If it met your criteria at the show such that you were willing to purchase it, why doesn't it meet them now?

That said, if the dealer has known you for awhile and you've done deals with them in the past, they may be willing to take it back just for the customer service/repeat business aspect.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

Adam, the 3.5 is a Lee Magee; the one that didn't grade is an Otto Miller. And yes, it was my understanding that PSA would mark "evidence of trimming" if that were the suspicion, so I'm sure the card is fine.

Based on this feedback (and my own gut), I'm not going to pursue anything with the dealer. I generally buy graded in an effort to protect myself from my own ignorance, and I'll likely continue to lean in that direction, while making an effort to get smarter! No doubt this board will continue to help in the regard...

Good decision.
That said, buying graded doesn't seem to be as safe as it used to be. Caveat emptor even on graded, unfortunately. I have seen some cards in holders (recently), not even on any outed list, that just make me shake my head. I am beginning to feel I am as good or better than most graders and I am not that good. :)