PSA: What Am I Missing?

[Mike D.]

Two 1986 Leaf Fred McGriff cards, both from the same box, submitted to PSA in the same sub.





I don't have the cards back in hand yet...but an 8 and a 2? What am I missing here?

[Jim65]

I'm guessing its a wrinkle or crease that you might not have noticed

[EldoEsq]

Even a wrinkle or crease would probably bring it to a 3 in that shape...very odd grade

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[swarmee]

A grade disparity like that is either a mechanical error or the card has some water damage that you didn't notice.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by swarmee

A grade disparity like that is either a mechanical error or the card has some water damage that you didn't notice.

Once I have the cards back in hand, I will take a closer look.

The cards came directly from an unopened box into a penny sleeve and card saver, after getting a once-over under a magnifying glass.

The other card I subbed from the box, a Nolan Ryan, came back a "9".

[bnorth]

They do occasionally get cards wrong and highly over grade them. That could explain the PSA 8 grade.

[D. Bergin]

Wax stain?

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by bnorth

They do occasionally get cards wrong and highly over grade them. That could explain the PSA 8 grade.

Perhaps I've been looking at this whole thing the wrong way....maybe the glass ISN'T half empty!

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Wax stain?

I don't recall one...when the card arrives back (probably tomorrow) will have to check. Would that send it all the way down to a "2"?

I wish PSA would provide notes on cards like this. I get not explaining why an 8 isn't a 9 isn't a 10 (assuming there actually are reasons), but a modern card a "2"? That could use some explanation.

I do now own the single lowest graded card that PSA has ever graded from 1986 Leaf....that's gotta be worth something, right? "Pop X, none lower". Technically, it's rarer than a 10.

[Peter_Spaeth]

This may just be a mistake. The more disturbing issue to me is the huge volume of cards intentionally graded 2 grades too low.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

This may just be a mistake. The more disturbing issue to me is the huge volume of cards intentionally graded 2 grades too low.

I'm fairly convinced that that modern cards without obvious flaws get put in the "pull a number out of the hat" pile, where the hat has 8, 9, and 10 options.

Either that, or I'm just terrible at subbing cards.

[Mike D.]

OK...cards arrived back today. I still don't see anything on the McGriff. Think I may have had a less than stellar grader...in addition to the McGriff, I have one card that came back a 7...because of a dinged corner that wasn't there when I subbed it....and a typo on a player name on a label. *sigh*