Pinholes & Grading Co's
 

Can anyone offer insight on how PSA and/or SGC grades are impacted by pinholes? By way of example, a card that is a solid Very Good ("3") which has a small, unobstrusive pin hole. Do they knock it down a grade, half a grade or any pinhole is an automatic Poor. Any insight would be appreciated!

My experience shows that pinholes are always POOR (1) and can make it to FAIR (1.5) if the other aspects of a card are good appearance wise.

I am pretty sure SGC wouldn't give anything higher than a 20 (1.5) no matter how beautiful the card was.

My guess is it could receive no better than a poor, if it gets a number grade at all. They might give it an AUT if they think somehow the pinhole was filled in, like the following

<a href="http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/zouraspm/?action=view&current=scan0024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/zouraspm/scan0024.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Pretty tough
 

SGC is pretty tough on all pinholes - but on the bright side, that let me get this nice Walter Johnson for a good price.

That is a beauty!

Here's my example...this Fred Clarke has a miniscule pin hole in the top border (looks like a tiny white fleck until held to the light). Got a 1.5...rest of the card is very nice!

I have a card with pun holes that is an Sgc 30 more often then not Sgc will not go higher then a 20. I had them review this card and they kept it a 30.

James G

Last year, I sent two '34 Gold Medals of the Dean Bros. to SGC. Both cards were easy Ex+, close to Ex-Mt, w/o each having a pinhole. Both came back as SGC 20. Disappointing, but I was satisfied, as my intent was to protect and preserve them.