Centering standards (PSA vs. Beckett)

[darwinbulldog]

Excuse the off-topic card, but it's the one that got me wondering, what exactly are the cutoffs for Beckett to give a 9 vs. 9.5 vs. 10 for the centering subgrade?

With PSA it's...clearly(?) posted on their website:

"The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front and 75/25 percent on the reverse."

And that's for a PSA 10! Which apparently only needs to be approximately as good as 60/40 and 75/25. So 61/39 on the front and 75/25 on the back should be fine according to their published standards. This seems like a big discrepancy from Beckett. I measured the borders on this card from eBay last night to the exact pixel, and the worst measurement (top/bottom or left/right) is 54/46, a ratio so good that it doesn't even fall within the range PSA provides for a 10, but Beckett says the centering is a 9.

Are they really that much stricter than PSA? Or is PSA lying about how they grade centering (to entice more regrades and crossover submissions perhaps)? Or did the Beckett grader just make a mistake in measuring this one card?

[swarmee]

Beckett's centering standards are unpublished, but much tougher than PSA.

[jchcollins]

That's weird. Beckett's standards do appear to be unpublished - not just for centering, but for everything. I wonder why. I did find this from an old price guide, the site said it was from 2001. I've got to imagine their real standards are similar. Odd also in this that were was no criteria for 4 - VG-EX:

The Beckett Condition Guide

Pristine (10) - Centering 50/50 all around, corners perfect to the naked eye and Mint under magnification, no print spots, perfect gloss, devoid of any surface flaws.

Gem Mint (9.5) - Centering 50/50 one way, 55/45 the other. Corners Mint to the naked eye but subtle wear is allowed under magnification, smooth edges, a few extremely minor print spots detectable under intense scrutiny.

Mint (9) - Four sharp corners (a tiny speck of wear is allowed), 55/45 or better centering, smooth edges, original color borders and gloss, a handful of specks or one minor spot.

Near Mint-Mint (NmMt 8) - Must have 60/40 or better centering, relatively smooth edges, original color borders and gloss. One of the following very minor flaws is allowed: corners sharp to the naked eye but slight imperfections under intense scrutiny, a handful of minor print spots, subtle color or focus imperfections.

Near Mint (NrMt 7) - Centering of 65/35 or better. In addition one of the following minor flaws is allowed: a slight touch of wear on two or three corners, slightly rough edges, a few noticeable print spots or speckling, color or focus imperfections.

Excellent-Mint (ExMt 6) - Centering no worse than 70/30. No more than two of the following flaws are allowed: two or three fuzzy corners, slightly rough edges, very minor border discoloration, noticeable print spots, color or focus imperfections.

Excellent (Ex 5) - Centering no worse than 75/25 with four fuzzy corners (a touch of notching or a minor ding is allowed). May also have rough edges, minor border discoloration and noticeable print spots, color or focus imperfections.

Very Good (VG 3) - Handled, but not abused. Centering 80/20 or better. Slightly rounded corners with slight layering, slight notching or noticeable chipping on edges, moderate border discoloration, some gloss lost from the surface, very minor scuffing. May have hairline creases.

Good (2), Fair (1.5), Poor (1) - Well-worn or abused. Badly rounded and layered corners, scuffing, no original gloss, major border discoloration, and serious creases.

Condition Sensitive
Cards or sets marked with "!" are condition sensitive (colored borders, poor centering, etc.). Such sets and cards from *1987-back, if in Mint condition, typically command premiums... Condition sensitive cards from 1988-present...typically command moderate premiums above listed prices if in Mint condition.

[jchcollins]

& yes, if true their centering standards are quite strict in comparison to PSA's.