My Pet Peeve With PSA on ESCO Photos; Am I Wrong?
 

I collect original artwork for ESCO (Exhibit) cards. Like this:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...%20Lucille.jpg

They are the original images with ink and paint applied to them, used to make the cards. PSA labels them "Production Proof". That annoys the crap out of me. I ran "Production Proof" through ChatGPT and got this:

"In the context of printing and production, a "production proof" or "pre-production proof" is a sample of a printed piece or product provided for review before full production begins, allowing for error detection and adjustments before mass production."

That's what I thought. I have production proofs too and they are not original art. This is an example of a proof:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...of%20Sheet.JPG

As is this:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ys%20proof.jpg

I don't know WTF the powers that be at PSA were thinking, but it annoys me to have my original art labeled that way. Is it even worth the time to try and get them to label these things correctly?

Since they've proven themselves incompetent, why use them at all? I mat and frame most of my original artwork used for cards. And what I don't frame, I display on easels in rigid toploaders (alongside the matching card).

Never felt the need to get some minimum wage stooge at PSA to verify its existence, or "validate" the item when I know damn well what it is. Since we don't authenticate the original artwork of Graig Kreindler, Dick Perez or Willard Mullin, why would we need to slab or authenticate this type of art?

Not sure why anyone would actually pay for this "service" (or lack thereof). :confused:

And AWESOME Lucille Ball artwork, BTW! What a classic early image of the comedy legend! :eek:

PSA is a comedy legend.

:D

I teed it up, but you knocked it out of the park!

I bought these about a year ago. I wish I would have looked harder for more card matches.

Trying to be logical about PSA is sometimes illogical. :rolleyes:

Ricky Y

I don't use them; I won an item at auction a few weeks ago and it was already PSA'd. I'd have bid regardless of the slab because I am an expert in the field and I know what I am looking at.

I do not need them but the percentage of collectors (buyers) who do not need them is vastly dwarfed by the percentage of collectors who do need (or feel they need) someone with expertise (cough! cough!) to opine on an item before they will feel comfortable paying for it. I've had raw photos sell for 10% of comparable photos in the PSA slabs, so it definitely pays off for basic photos.

My complaint is not that I need PSA, it is that if they are going to do the service and proclaim themselves as experts, they should be able to accurately describe the items they are authenticating. In the case of these Exhibit original art pieces they have consistently misidentified them as proofs.

Oh, and here is another one I just love:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...20Lansbury.jpg

Here's a side by side of the Mays proof (L) and the card as issued (R):

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...comparison.jpg

They should look at your site regarding exhibit cards....they might learn something!

Ricky Y

Yeah, if you’re buying to sell them, that’s a different animal. Shame that sales prices are so dependent upon a third party who knows so little in this regard.

Maybe you could consult for them as a side gig!

Nah, I don't like Red Bull or Cheetos, so I wouldn't fit in.