Reasons for "A" grade?
 

I've been avoiding getting "A" grades in my collection. But for this card, I couldn't turn it down, as I hadn't stumbled across it in any higher grades.

So, any suggestions as to what's wrong with this card? Trimming? I had hoped that SGC might give more info, but perhaps back in 2015 they didn't usually do this?

https://i.ibb.co/m90b4nf/American-Caramel.jpg

For an eye investigation, you're going to have to post larger, clearer pics for the experts here to have a better chance of an accurate assessment.

Oh thanks! I've never been good at this, so I usually go by what the "professionals" grade things as, so I try to stay above a 1.5 in my collection :)
Figure this will be a placeholder for quite a while...

https://i.ibb.co/MNmBqV5/IMG-3864.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/jrvcYmg/IMG-3865.jpg

4 most common reasons that come to mind for an A grade are:

1) Trimming
2) Missing big chunks of the card / paper loss / pin holes
3) Recoloring
4) Somebody really messed with it, by say lacquering it or laminating it. Or putting tape or glue on it!

Not sure if any or all of them come into play here, but #1 and #3 seem like the most likely culprits in this case.

The bat ear on the top right is most telling.

I'd say even more on the top left corner. Look at that sharpness and curvature on the left border. Trim city.

agree, definitely looks trimmed.

Personally I don't mind authentic grades and often prefer to get a nicer card for the price of a visual disaster of a poor numerical grade.

Back a bit farther than 2015 if you didn't want anything slabbed as "A" they would send back a slip with the notes.

The reasons above are the most common, but a lot of other stuff would get slabbed as "A".
The unfortunate thing is that most collectors only look at size or straightness, but not the details of the cut. So anything factory but unusual gets tossed into the "A" category. See below.

Using my slightly less than scientific method for checking straightness from scans(a bit of cardstock held up to the flat monitor as a straightedge)
The top is actually straight.
The left side does appear curved, but... the pics are phone pics not scans and were taken at an angle so there may be some lens stuff going on.
The image of the card is narrower at the top than bottom, and the right edge has a similar curve, so it presents sort of hourglass shape. That makes me lean towards a lens/range etc issue more than an actual curve.

Curved cuts can happen, but would not be concave on both sides.

Here's one I sent in that is nice, but was rejected for very rough cuts top and bottom. That is often from a dull blade in the cutter.
https://www.net54baseball.com/pictur...pictureid=5054

This one would be rejected, but is facory cut. This odd cut comes from a bit of debris either in or below the stack of sheets being cut.

https://www.net54baseball.com/pictur...pictureid=7029


The other two I had rejected, one was factory but undersize, the other actually trimmed all around, (an embarassing miss on my part, rushing to get 10 I thought were good enough to bother with near a submission deadlne. )

All 4 would be slabbed "A" but only one really would deserve it.

I am not afraid of the A

Ideally i want a number grade at the highest that I can afford
But
1. I am more concerned about the eye appeal of the card
2. Also depends on the scarcity. Kind of like the one you picked up if the card is rare and I want it I better get especially if I do not know when another might be available or depending on my budget

I'll take A grade cards with the right discount. The same holds true for cards graded 1-2 that have great eye appeal.

Attachment 560431

In this bubble, you get a lot more for your money with an "A" grade.

Agreed!

https://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/1287548003.jpg
https://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/1287548003b.jpg

Sorry if I missed it in this thread but will a card also not receive an "A" if it is detectable that it has once was been placed in a screw down holder squishing it/enlarging it some?

My understanding is that those cards actually get the dreaded AA grade - Authentic Altered.

Although I guess there's room to question whether there's really a difference between plain old Authentic and Authentic Altered, since most of the Authentic grades are handed out due to some form of alteration.

Yes, you could be right? I forgot about that.
Thanks. :)

Thanks again for all of the great advice. I think the edges are straight, and my photo was a bit angled to avoid glare - sorry about that for implying there was a curve there. I was able to compare with another version of the card, and it seems that at least there is trimming involved. I stacked the two images:
https://i.ibb.co/PTQyrV9/Murphy-compare.jpg

Seems a good chunk is missing from the top edge. Unsure about left/right, as it seems the centering is a tad off between these two copies, but if someone trimmed the top heavily, I'm sure they didn't shy away from taking a bit off the sides.....

I think I am more comfortable with an "A" grade, if I know *what* was done.

I didn't know that the TPGs started an AA grade. Not sure why the AA label because if assigned an A grade, it usually means some type of alteration (including trimming) or totally trashed, which would be obvious. If an AA label drops the price a ton, I'll take them if the eye appeal is good and the discount is better.

Collecting in the 21st century!

…I was mostly teasing about AA being dreaded…

I’m not convinced that AA and A are really all that different or result in different prices. Unless, of course, any specific card is in much worse shape than another with the same designation.

Here is another E106 card for comparison. Many of the ones I have seen in less fresh condition like this Speaker are also, perhaps not coincidentally, larger in size.

Brian

I also like my trimmed cards to have real obvious trimming, not none of this new-fangled, half-ass trimming.

Brian (by the way, can this E106 be any more colorful?)

Yes, Brian, Mr. Schaefer could be much more colorful if only you were to use some Sharpies (e.g., purple, yellow, etc.) to color in his drab-looking uniform and cap. :D

I love the A grade. It allows you to get a super looking card for a fraction of the price!! Unfortunately, nefarious people tend to crack them out and sell them raw for more money. Sad but true.

https://imgsrv.sellersourcebook.com/...693/img685.jpg

E106s are tough so one with this eye appeal, even in an Authentic holder is definitely a keeper. I try to avoid Authentic slabbed cards but if the alternative is either a 1 with major creasing or not having the card, I’ll take the A.
I would never break out an Authentic grade card and sell it without the caveat that is was graded A but I’m Old School, and I know that it happens way too often, especially on eBay.
Your card is a beauty by the way, nice pick up.

The only Authentic card I've ever bought was this one. I just thought the eye appeal over most 1's was so much better that I was willing to overlook the grade. I guess it's the "dreaded AA grade". I'm not sure how it's different than many other show here. As far as I can tell it's just trimmed.