PSA Grading of Strip cards
 

Anyone have any experience with PSA lately in grading strip cards; W examples specifically.
How are they generally treating cards:
1. Torn from the strip
2 uneven edge cuts
3 oversized

Trying to avoid authentic grade if possible if I were to submit.
I’ve seen plenty of older PSA slabs with one or more of the above features in holders with numeric grades.
Is it fair to say their tendencies are still the same on obviously hand cut cards or have they been opting for more often now the authentic designation?
Thoughts (other than don’t submit in the first place and leave them raw)😉
I’ll look forward to your thoughtful comments on your experiences.
Thanks
RayB

Ray I have had a number of Strip cards graded by Both PSA and SGC both have very different standards now vs years ago. I think 2006 was the first batch I sent in W510 W514 W519 etc with most of not all of the cards having "Hand Cut on the Flip. Another fairly large batch in 2013 - 2015 Mostly W514's and W519's and a couple recently including a W519 Ruth. In order to receive a number grade now the card needs to match up ( or be bigger ) than the listed standard size for the issue. Or if dotted lines are part of issue they need to be present. Rough edges are going to hurt grade but shouldn't cause an Auth grade on their own.
This is VERY different from years ago but good luck, nice examples are still treated fairly but rules are much tighter now.
J

I've complained about this elsewhere, but I'll gripe here too. PSA is very inconsistent with its grading of strip cards. A couple very general observations:

1) The old standards were looser than the current standards.
2) Even under the current standards, numeric grading of strip cards is arbitrary and depends on which underpaid, overworked graders you happen to draw.

The 1926 W511 Unnumbered set doesn't have dotted lines and the individual cards are smaller than some of their numbered counterparts. The Lindbergh below received a PSA 6; the Ruth didn't qualify for a numeric grade (minimum size not met).

Attachment 648581
Attachment 648582

For the W512 panels below, the first one has vibrant color, but received a 3 even though the upper right corner is torn, leaving very little border. The second one is faded and received a 4, presumably for its sharp corners, but the bottom border was cut unevenly, encroaching on the border that separated the Ruth from the row beneath it. Another grader could easily have slapped an Authentic grade on this one.

Attachment 648585
Attachment 648586

W519 sisler and w521 marquard
 

I sort of shake my head at highly graded, true strip cards. To each their own. It's all good.

Here are a few raw ones. They would probably grade AUT because they are Authentic. Even ones with pointy corners, still AUT to me....but again, to each their own.
That all said, of course, nicely cut ones without creases look better than ragged ones. Here are a few ragged ones. The cards are about the same size but one scan is a lot larger than the other. I like ones with the Decalco print ads on them too....it's the little things...

I can’t speak to what PSA is doing these days, but I can show you recent examples from SGC.

Interesting. That tear actually bites into the frame of the image so authentic seems right in that case.
RayB

That was my first submission of strip cards to SGC so I used those two cards as a test to see how they would view cards in similar condition.

Just my opinion:

If "strip" cards were issued in strips, then that would imply that individual cards were cut after the strips were issued. Doesn't that fall under "altered" and should result in an "A" flip?

Same with cards that have a coupon clipped off. Those are "altered" and should be flipped as "A". What happens then is that all Zeenuts (for example) with the coupon clipped would be "A" graded. That's a very wide aesthetic window of condition, however that's when common sense and actual eye appeal comes into play. If it's a total beater, then that would be very obvious when compared to an "A" card with great eye appeal. Isn't that the way things used to be before all the plastic slabs came about?

yes...I agree. All strip cards should be graded A.

I also agree, but perhaps there should be a "A+" grade for good lookin', nicely cut full-size cards. The type of grades that boosts the GPA for students looking to get into more prestigious universities.


Brian (I may be mixing up two completely different subjects)

When a strip card looks this good there is no reason it shouldn’t have a grade IMHO.
RayB

+1

Given what's known (some) and unknown (a lot) for strip cards, it'd be great to know that grading companies were willing to either push ahead with new research or pick up what's been published elsewhere. Odd to still be using info on flips that is now 2-3 decades old, whether or not they add a number. :-)

I've been dinged with AUTH from PSA for having too much border on a hand cut card before...that's always been interesting.

Here's a recent submission with what I thought might be too little border.

I was hoping for a 1, wouldn't have been shocked at AUTH, and ended up getting a 1.5.

Also, PSA treats these as hand cut whether one believes they were a hand cut set or not. Also also, PSA doesn't note the incorrect spelling of Roger(s) on the bottom of the flip like they generally do on other cards...probably because they're using the bottom line of the flip for other info.

Why waste your money on an opinion, I keep mine raw

Being that it made it over 100 years in this form, I will not be slicing the sides of the below card to perpendicularity, and definitely will not snip off the bonus 'ear' on the right border.


Brian

PSA is tougher than SGC on numerical grades for strip cards . I acquired several lots. Both companies give out A's if they dont neasure so undersized examples I did not send in. If they are going to get an A or even a 1 it's not really worth paying SGC 15.00 or PSA even more. I saved the nicest cards for PSA and they were graded harshly. SGC gave me better grades . In general I prefer PSA but on W Cards SGC does a better job and always have

I agree and good advice

Adding on a related question: which grading companies will grade and encapsulate a whole w512 sheet? The graded ones I've seen sell are in Beckett holders. Does SGC or PSA do oversize holders that are big enough? (something like 7 1/2 x 11 inches).

thanks

(not my sheet below, from a leland's sale)

https://lelands.com/images_items/item_51291_1.jpg

PSA’s jumbo holder maxes out at 8.5” x 11”.

thank you. The sheet is 11 1/4" tall so it looks like beckett is the only option.

Yeah, kind of a bummer when it’s that close. I have a piece that is similarly just about 1/4 inch too tall. So it stays raw, which will warm the cockles of the hearts of everyone in the “raw is beautiful” crowd.