The one good thing about PSA

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Posted By: Robert

Like many of you on the board I am not the happiest person with PSA, but I must say the one good thing about them is their slabs are the easiest to crack. I am opening about 50 of them so I can send the cards off to SGC for a regrade.

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi Robert,
I disagree I can open SGC holders within seconds and with 0 chance of damage to myself or the card. While PSA holders require different tools and the possibility of injury. What's your technique on PSA? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? lmk brian

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Posted By: dan mckee

I agree, PSA opens easiest with a pen knife pry in a corner.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

for that matter, easier than getting through the wrapper on a new DVD, esp. the ones with the sticky tape on the edges.

Or just drop one on the floor of my kitchen. Saltillo tiles. Cracks them like eggshells.

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Posted By: Richard Lloyd

Just my 2 cents: but is sounds funny to me that folks are off cracking slabs to get regraded... BUT, I TOTALLY think the grading should be stopped! and grades of REAL or FAKE!!
should be given.. it just seems to much money is riding on a 7 or a 8.. which may depend on if the grader is having a bad or good day.. again.. just my thoughts!!

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Posted By: Josh K.

I agree Adam - those cd wrappers are a pain in the a#@. PSA holders, on the otherhand, no problem.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Richard LLoyd your are absolutely right; so, don't apologize
for your comments. The entire card grading business has become
so arbitrary. PSA will reject a card due to "evidence of trim"
and the same card will be slabbed by SGC with an 88 grade.
This happened to me several years ago and it was then that I
became turned off on Graded cards.

Now, I knew my 1949 Bowman Musial was not trimmed because it
was one of my original cards that survived in great shape. I
tried to convince the PSA guy about this and he became very
belligerant with me. It was not a nice scene.

I have popped many graded cards from their plastic slabs since
and believe me there is no consistency in these graded cards.
Like you eluded to, a given card in Near Mint Condition can get
a 7 or 8 or even a 9 grade, depending on several human factors
on any given day. Let's face it, the card grading business is
very SUBJECTIVE. And unfortunately depends on who in the hobby
is submitting the cards to be graded.

But, it isn't going away, in fact the demand on graded cards is
increasing. And, one of the main factors supporting this growth
is Ebay. A majority of buyers on Ebay will not bid on a given
card unless it is slabbed. There is a great fear that a "raw"
card, especially an apparent Hi Grade one, will have been in
some way altered. Well, not too long ago, an SGC graded T206
rare Doyle (Nat. Lge) was proven to be an altered card.

I've been expecting the Graded Card Bubble to "pop"; but, I am
not holding my breadth till it does.

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Posted By: Richard Lloyd

Thanks Ted...
The graded card industy is a joke and most honest people know it is but sellers make more money and untill collectors stop paying BIG bucks it will continue... also, when collectors crack the slab, then, the stats on who and when the card was slabed it wrecked.. I always read, "the 2nd highest grade card ever"...WELL, these stats mean nothing because hundards of cards are being reslabed because the collector did not get the ANSWER he/she wanted!!! so, the stats mean nothing!!! with many cards being reslabed and favortism being done!, it is just a matter of time before the graders pack up there slabs!!
best

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Posted By: Bob Marquette

"buy the card, not the holder." There's nothing wrong with buying a slabbed card IF you think it is a nice card. The trick is buying an SGC 70 card in an SGC 40 holder or PSA 6 in a PSA 4 holder. I recently found 7 cards on ebay which I narrowed my search down to, 5 1959 slabbed Mantles, an SGC 60, 50 and PSA 5 and 2 PSA 4s and two "raw" ones described as EXMT. It is always hard to tell from scans, granted, but one of the PSA 4s looked the best, color, registry, corner, etc. wise, so I bought that one and got a bargain.
To Pete, leon, Scott and all the others who drummed in my head "buy the card not the holder," I offer a toast.

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Posted By: Julie

http://www.julievognar.com/home

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Posted By: Judge Dred

TBob, you are right - that same anthem probably holds true for most serious collectors - "buy the card, not the holder". Unfortunately sometimes the card is worth $50 but the holder is worth $500 to someone that thinks there is value in a number. Personally, I think that allowing grades dictate price is crazy because look at the people that actually use their "subjectively" to assign that number to an encapsulation label. What makes them the authority? I think I'd rather admit to being an axe murderer than to admitting to being a PSA grader, especially at the National. Oh yes, what was the one good thing about PSA?

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Posted By: pete

I currently dont own any and assume most but not all are trimmed...how would you crack open a PRO holder? the same as PSA? I bet I could get some good deals on some PRO graded cards whether trimmed or not...not trying to be sneaky and resell them, but there are over 500 cards in the t206 set...how many are commons? the only graded cards I have are the high priced ones...everything else is in a binder and ungraded.
pete-

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Posted By: Scottopotamus

I would not crack open a PRO graded card simply because it would be an admission that I BOUGHT a PRO graded card!

Scottoptamus
My T206 Web Site

http://www.freewebs.com/scottopotamus

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Posted By: dan mckee

WOW! funny how the "old timers" all say the same thing. Ted has been around forever! Not a late 80s entrant like many here. Dick, you are fairly new and have the right attitude! I love it!!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I recently saw a T218 Baldwin advertised as best ever SGC graded, at a 50; I own an 80. I emailed the seller to tell him and his response was that his is the best for that brand (Mecca instead of Hassan). That's the equivalent of selling a T206 in a 50 as the best ever because it is the highest Piedmont they ever graded.