Tampered PSA case or not? Need opinions
 

This card was recently purchased from a fellow board member. I received it today and have some concerns that the PSA case may have been tampered with. This concern is largely based on discussions I've read, and participated in, on this forum.

There are two distinctive spots of frosting about 1/4 of the way up and about halfway up on the right side of the case. Along with the frosting, there appears to be a bend in the plastic where the frosting appears mid way up the holder. Please give me your opinions good or bad so that the previous owner and I can reach some sort of consensus based on our collective experience. Thanks in advance!

Case
 

Can you take a picture with the card on a black backing? Basically put a black piece of paper behind the card so all corners are viewable...Frosting can occur based on travel thru postage system.

I don't see any issues, that 'frosting' happens sometimes when it is sealed because of the materials they use. If it were cracked, it would be pretty white.

Very nice looking card

I have seen spotted frosting like that on many cases that were fine. I think it's just a less-than-perfect seal at the factory. Where you need to be concerned is where there continuous frosting over a large part of the slab's border.

Here's some additional pictures.

Thanks for everyone's input so far...I think maybe this board has made me paranoid!

Psa
 

Im still suspect...look at the "pins" two round circles below the flip(red and white label)..Do they look white(should be clear)..if so they have been pryed open ...Also notice the windows...clear spots about 1 inch from bottom of case on either side..They should be clear and no frosting...Ultimate answer is to pull on sides and see if the case pops open...do this by hand and don't use any tools.

Also the left border looks really frosted and cracked.

I agree...it would fit perfectly in a PSA 6 holder. The borders are snow white, three sharp corners (one EX+) and the colors are so much better than the raw copy I have. Looks like it was just pulled, which is probably only adding to my paranoia

Wow
 

Never mind the frosting - that's a nice looking card! :eek:

Psa
 

PSA 5 means wrinkle or hairline crease...a majority of the time.

Here's a couple more pics. There's actually four "pins" under the label, three are clear...the fourth one has a small crack leading to it (which can be seen in the first pic) on the underside of the case. I tried pulling it apart, but admittedly not very hard as I really don't want to open it!

I can't find a crease or wrinkle...there is a small print defect (at least I assume it is since it was not given a qualifier)in the right border.

Do you have any pictures of the back of the card?

Here you go

Back

If the holder is tampered someone had to have a motive to do it, so what's the motive here where if anything the card seems undergraded and for all the world looks real? I think you are being paranoid myself.

Looks fine
 

That's a nice card! I can't see someone putting that in a PSA 5 holder if they were looking to "improve" its grade unless the card was a fake. I believe it is ok.

Update
 

I've heard from the seller who confirmed that he personally had the card graded at the National convention last year in Baltimore and has a picture of this and two other cards (shown below) that were graded at the same time that have consecutive serial #'s. He also gave me the submission order # and his PSA account password in case I want to investigate further (which I don't). I think the consensus is that the case looks fine and may have sustained minor damage at time of assembly or over the course of the last year. I want to make it absolutely clear that I never, in any way, was accusing the seller of any wrong doing...I just wanted/needed some confirmation and I appreciate everyone's input.

Cards with sequential #'s

Psa
 

Best thing to do is get it reslabbed..cost $5.00 at the National. Wrinkles are hard to see at first glance hold the card at an angle. Good Luck

Will they look at it again and consider a bump or is that additional fees? I don't have an account and I'm not going to the National...would someone consider doing this for me? Of course I'd pay for return postage and the PSA service charge. Oh and I see no creases in any light from any angle, front or back, even with magnification (not loop). There's that print thing in the right boarder and a little surface "abrasion" that has impacted the "G" in gum, which can be seen in the picture of the back. Fairly minor but apparently enough to downgrade on that particular day.

Looks tampered with and fake to me. I'll take it off your hands for $200. :D

lol!!!

a 5 should not have a crease ever. i think he means a 4.

kevin