CSA grading service question

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Posted By: TBob

I think everyone has an idea what to expect (or not expect) from PSA, SGC, PRO and Beckett, but I was wondering about CSA. Has anyone had any bad experiences with cards encapsulated by them which turned out to be trimmed or altered? Are they reliable? I know ASA (I assume no relation) is suspect and KSA (ditto) has its supporters and detractors (although it seems the chief complaint with them is overgrading)but I wondered about CSA. Are they still in business?
Thanks,
Bob

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Posted By: leon

I think they are still in business (not sure though) and are a little lenient on their grades. I have a '49 Bowman Paige in a CSA5 holder and I believe it is 1/2 to 1 grade high. I don't remember hearing of them making the errors you are speaking about but have heard people grumbling about them before, I just don't remember what for. Their old holders are ugly....best regards

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Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

When CSA first started they were in Ohio and were one of the first companies that Alan Hager sold the rights to. I had a few CSA cards from that era. I have since cracked all of them out and re-sent them to PSA. All were overgraded or trimmed in both my opinion and the grades I received back. I was not surprised. I remember Hager telling me they were a couple of university kids that were doing the grading.
Anyway, I have since heard (though not certain if it is true) that the company is now in New York under new ownership.

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Posted By: Elliot

CSA has got fancy new holders....they actually look pretty nice....but from what I hear they still have problems regarding trimmed cards...nothing like PRO, but still too high an incidence.

There seems to be some high grade pre-war cards that are now being offered in their holders, I'd love to hear if somebody has tried to cross them over.

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Posted By: botn

I have bought several lower graded CSA cards and in all instances the cards did cross. The lower graded cards seem to sell fairly well on eBay. Not sure how the higher graded cards do.

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Posted By: Todd (nolemmings)

I just received a Boston Store Schalk in CSA 7 holder- one of the new holders. I believe the card to be genuine and unaltered. It may be slightly overgraded, but not horribly so. I'm a corner freak and think this card has 2 slight dings that would lower it to a 6 in a crossover. To their credit, they gave it a subgrade of 6 for corners and that was visible from the scan, so I really can't complain (but sometimes I still do- props Joe Walsh). Also, the card presents better than my PSA 7 of Rube Marquard from the same set. So, while the jury is probably still out, I'm satisfied with my Schalk.

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Posted By: Anthony

I bought a CSA 8 Tango Jennings that crossed into a PSA 7, no problem. I did have a friend that bought a CSA 8 Cracker Jack that turned out to have a huge wrinkle in it, he figured it would get a 50 or 4 at best and returned it. Guess it just comes down to buying the card, not the holder.

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Dittos, I have found most early CSA cards to be overgraded by 1 to 1 1'2 grades. I have seen a few recently that looked trimmed, but I have no proof that they have gone the way of PRO.
Be well Brian

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I've had some cards cross over with the same grade, some that were rejected as altered.

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Posted By: Bruce Moreland

I have experience with perhaps a dozen CSA graded cards. They've changed their holder several times, and I have no experience with their most recent incarnation.

The cards I had were in the original arrowhead holders that they may have gotten from ASA, and were in the holders with the bright blue inserts.

They were a mixed bag. I have seen dead-on NM/MT examples in NM holders, and I've seen off-centered cards with corner wear in NM/MT holders.

I've never taken a card out of a CSA holder, sent it to PSA, and had them return it as altered.

I would trust them over PRO any day, but if I were trying to cross over into a PSA slab, I would much rather have a well-centered SGC-graded card.

But all in all, my experience crossing CSA -> PSA has been very pleasant.

bruce

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

I bought one T206 common graded 5.5 EX+. It is trimmed without a doubt. I will not purchase again. At least the seller made it right.

Lee

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Posted By: Bruce Moreland

I've heard stories like that, but in my limited experience this hasn't happened to me.

I doubt there are many good cards in PRO holders, but I know from experience that there are at least a few good ones in CSA holders. They are not always bad.

bruce

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Posted By: TBob

I emailed the seller on the CSA M116 Brown to ask if he would let me crack it open and submit it to SGC and refund my money if it came back trimmed (told him I didn't care what grade it got) but haven't heard anything back yet. I realize that is an annoying inquiry and it is probably easier to just sell it to someone else but the borders are troubling to me on the card.

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Posted By: julie

..and Dave's Dougout, where I bought it, said "CSA grades mean absolutely nothing." I think it was an 8. Didn't look quite that nice to me.

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Posted By: leon

As you know, it seems like, most borders on M116's look suspect. I am coming to the conclusion that they were just cut that way...sort of a hand cut look. And I do have some that don't look that way. I saw a dozen or so at a show yesterday with about 2 of them looking "trimmed" to me. I ain't no professional but I look for more of the waviness on these and not necessarily just the pointed corners. I've seen too many with pointed corners that were short, and ok..... best regards

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Posted By: Tom

Do you are anyone associated with network 54 remember CSA using a label where the wording was directly at the top center of the holder?
The CSA label was red in color and a thin red line border completely around the top of the holder with the words CSA inscribed in red. The background of the label is white in color. There was no certification number on this label. I really don't know it CSA used this label in the very beginning or perhaps some else udes it at one time or another. If anyone has a picture of this label please, email me a copy of it. I know that CSA was first located in London, Ohio. They are still in business, but in New York. Thank You!

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Posted By: julie

I threw it away. Seems to me if there had been no serial number, I would have asked questions, even though Dave (or Doug?) said that CSA had no meaning at all (i.e.: should be ignored).

The price of the card was quite high--but Clemens had just been traded to the Yankees, and dopes like me were first becoming aware of how many Cy Young awards he'd won, so there was a rush on his cards...

I like my '84 Fleer Update Puckett and Clemens! They'd be far from the first cards I'd sell if I had to sell.

Better a Breshnahan or Clarke...

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Posted By: julie

and no WAY was mine like that. First, it's very short (top to bottom), second, there're no serial numbers and third, there's a thick, red line in a sort of rectangular oval around the printing.

If that's the new CSA holder--how do they get along without serial numbers?