What is PSA smoking sometimes?
 

Sorry if this is someone’s card on here. But look at this card:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/152942930864?ul_noapp=true

And then this card:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Goudey...p2047675.l2557

In full disclosure, I was the winner of that second card and I now have it, and there is no major hidden defect. It’s a great looking 2.5.

Sorry, the scans that you provided are of the same card. :confused:

??
 

Yeh, whatcha smokin’ there 🤪?

Looks consistent to me
 

Two identical cards. Two identical grades. I think neither deserves a 2, but at least they were consistent.

The same over graded card.

Hahaha. Oh man, sorry about that. Should be fixed now.

Whatever, I know this is one isolated comparison of two cards, but still, I really don’t know what they’re thinking sometimes.

One is a half grade over graded the other is probably right, maybe a half under, if i had in hand could probably see what is making it a 2.5 instead of a 3. not sure what the big deal is eye appeal is not technical grade no matter how many times some stomp their feet about it.

Can't anyone see the first card ? It is missing a corner. Should be graded as authentic or altered, sure not a 2 ! What a difference in cards and only a .5 grade difference and we continue to send money to these companies.

I agree with most of the comments so far. The first one should probably be a 1. The second maybe a 3. Not exactly the worst mistake I've seen a grading company make.

Yet another example of why you should buy the card, not the holder. I know I'm in the minority, but to me "eye appeal" is everything, and not just one of many other equal factors that go into determining the value of a card. I don't know about everyone else, but I buy cards for their visual appeal, not because of the integrity of the cardboard slab. A minor crease here or there, or a rounded corner, or a bit of paper loss in an unobtrusive section of the card, to me pales in comparison to how sharp the image is, coloring, and centering - but the grading companies just evaluate the quality of the cardboard - and for some people, that's all that matters (cardboard collectors). Again, I see cards graded 6-8 all the time that I wouldn't even have in my collection (even if I could afford them), due to some appearance issue that the grading companies don't take into consideration. But the grading companies have come to have a stranglehold on the hobby, and we've let them do it, so that little number on the upper right is now much more important than the actual card itself. Sad.

Very negative take on the situation, especially if you're a contrarian. You should be celebrating the fact that you can get graded 4's with enormous appeal cheaper than you would've gotten the same card raw off of a dealers table in the days before grading. Grading can be a huge boon to eye appeal collectors!

I believe the corner is broken off not uncommon and not very different from wear. I have seen multiple grading companies slab cards with this identical issue with a number grade. This is not the same as a clipped corner. It is from wear and handling. I honestly have little to no issue with it being in that holder. Like I said I would probably go 1.5 based on the scan. But so what a half grade difference that can easily happen between two knowledgeable graders.

+1

But I do like the way cards look in the (especially SGC holders)... In my area, I would rather have a Billiken with a bug hole and a nice image to a light image great "card" in an SGC 80 holder, but the higher graded one will almost always sell for more.... I see this as an opportunity to get a "better" card (from my perspective) at a lower price. But we need to be aware that MOST will focus on the graded number, so our "exit" will likely never bring what the higher graded example gets...

It is just important to understand and work around to the place where you feel comfortable. In this case the 2.5 is a card that I would want in my collection (congrats) and the 2 is not.