[Oscar_Stanage]

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

I actually feel the opposite. Human nature and the way the brain is wired, I think it is harder to form your own opinion on something when you see an opinion from someone else.

If you are handed two of the same card, one raw, and one in a PSA 9 holder, your brain will subconsciously think about those cards differently. Also, if you are sending a slab to PSA that has subgrades on it (like BGS or HGA or CSG), if you are the grader and you see a card has a 9 for corners, you are going to look at the corners more closely.

Perhaps, there is truth in this.... If a grader sees a card already is labeled a '7', then he probably has an idea it should be around that grade. However, I think the distinction I am making is that the SGC graders are not seeing "PSA8" and then thinking " ok, I need to be harsher than PSA, so this is a 7-7.5". that is nonsense. The reason why most slabs are getting downgraded on cross is because mostly older slabs are getting sent in. We all know the standards have changed, so if you send an old slab PSA for cross, it will probably grade down. and vice verse for SGC.

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

I saw a youtube video the other week where a group submitter submitted 30-35 cards in BGS holders to PSA for crossover, and the rate was something like 5 out of the 35 actually crossed over, and 1 of those was a no min grade.

I believe it. In my experience, BGS overgrades. although I think this is more related to my response to part 1 above.

Originally Posted by 53toppscollector

It literally takes 30 seconds to crack out a card with very basic tools, and there is almost zero risk to the card itself.

I butchered a T206 common that I tried to crack from PSA using techniques from youtube. this was 1 out of 3 or 4 i tried cracking. I know most people do this easily, but based on my experience in a small sample, I won't do it again.