PSA - Cards moving in the case

[STL1944]

I apologize if this has been asked and answered... I just got a big stack of cards back from PSA. The issue that I am seeing is that many of the cards are "off centered" in the case and will move around inside the case. I am worried about damage to the card.

My older PSA flips don't seem to have this problem. Is this something that other folks are seeing? or has this been the case for a while>


Here is an example:

[swarmee]

Yeah, it's common for oddball sizes. Your card is surrounded by a mylar sleeves to reduce the likelihood of damage while in the slab. But since their slabs are not made for every specific size of card, they pick the next size above those and use the mylar sleeve. I would not worry about this card getting damaged unless you're planning to play football with it.

[luciobar1980]

Yup, I find this absolutely absurd and have found what I believe to be damage to cards from being within a PSA (and for that matter, SGC) case. Again, absurd. Beckett definitely has the best holders from this standpoint.

Originally Posted by STL1944

I apologize if this has been asked and answered... I just got a big stack of cards back from PSA. The issue that I am seeing is that many of the cards are "off centered" in the case and will move around inside the case. I am worried about damage to the card.

My older PSA flips don't seem to have this problem. Is this something that other folks are seeing? or has this been the case for a while>


Here is an example:

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think it's REAL hard for the cards to get damaged, usually the geometry is such that even though there's lots of room a corner can't really hit the edge. And in any event it would take a lot of force.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think it's REAL hard for the cards to get damaged, usually the geometry is such that even though there's lots of room a corner can't really hit the edge. And in any event it would take a lot of force.

But a 10 could go to a 9 with a small bump or was it a 9 to a 10...never mind!! I probably would not be overly concerned with an oddball issue going from a 4 to a 3.5 though .

[STL1944]

Interestingly, I just purchased another lot of 1947 Tip Top Bread cards. What is interesting, is PSA does have the right size holder for the size card... they just decided not to use them for my cards.

Below is an example. On the left is an example of the card I just got back. Card cutout in the case is too big for the card, card is in a bag, card slides around.

On the right is an example of the exact same card the I just purchased. Same vintage flip but card is in the right sized case and doesn't slide around.

Disappointing.

[jchcollins]

To me, the oversized holder problem - or the situation when they have the proper holder but don't use it or are out of stock or whatever - is super egregious if the card noticeably sloshes around in there. I have enough problems just with the cards moving somewhat in the proper holders that were designed for them. The consensus on this seems to be that yes, some cards will move somewhat, but generally not enough to cause noticeable damage or pose major problem. People have done tests with dropping cards, and even attaching them to cans of paint shaken in the machine at Home Depot - with varying results. Some claim that yes even though the cards move, they do not get damaged. Others (this seems to be more prevalent among modern cards with chrome and other attributes easier to chip) claim they can see damage.

For me, I think it depends on the extent of how much the card moves inside the holder. If I can turn the slab on it's side or upside down and the card doesn't move (even if it might if you really shook it or whammed it on something) then I tend to leave those in the holder. But for slabs when you can see the card just casually shift inside with very light movement of the holder, say you turn your wrist - to me this is annoying as hell. When I see a vintage card do that, I generally will bust it out of the slab if keeping in my personal collection. My experience has been that 1950's cards generally stay pretty well put in their slabs; I'm guessing this is because they were mostly printed on thicker, higher quality card stock. But for some late 1960's through the 1970's issues - the cards are so thin that they generally slide around all over the place. 1970, '72, and '75 Topps seem particularly bad about this. These I really have a hard time not busting them out. Even if I'm realatively confident that no noticeable damage is going to occur, the thought of it drives me nuts and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The "sleeve" idea to prevent this I think is a good one, but it always seems to be implemented poorly. The complaints about PSA's use of mylar are a given and have been brought up numerous times before - and whatever BVG uses seems to be generally so shoddy that it's not worth it either. Dust specs, poor quality plastic - and I once even removed a small hunk of wood from the interior of a BVG sleeve that was trapped between it and the surface of the card.

If you are a super aficionado of graded cards, I guess this can cause an issue - but for me - it's hard to get much simpler than the trusty old penny sleeve and toploader. Rarely do the cards slide the same with this method, and when they do, the buffer created by the sleeve with the card makes it so the card itself is not going to be in a position to hit anything hard. Card Savers work well for this fix too, although in general I'm not a fan of how openly flexible they are.

[Goudey77]

I may be in the minority here but I prefer the mylar sleeve inserted within a larger framed PSA case. I see very little risk for the card to hit any hard edges with this method.

As for any tighter framed case that "fits" to the size of the card I do see some tolerance for movement which would worry me more than anything.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Goudey77

As for any tighter framed case that "fits" to the size of the card I do see some tolerance for movement which would worry me more than anything.

Yes, this was my point - even though they "fit" the card, some cards still slide left and right, up and down very easily. I do think that it would be pretty difficult to substantially damage a card like this regardless, but the worry issue and the unsightliness of the cards moving makes the whole thing a downer for me, which is why I ususally bust said cards out and put them in a toploader with a penny sleeve.

SGC I will say does not seem to have this problem. I don't have as many of their slabs as I do PSA's, but the black inserts seem to be way more form fitting than PSA's rail method inside the case.

[Peter_Spaeth]

There's always the toploader and sleeve or cardsaver option particularly for inexpensive cards. I've even broken some out because I didn't like the look or the sliding.

[Steve D]

The biggest problem I've seen is with Topps stamps and other thin paper issues. A while back, I bought a PSA 9 1974 Topps stamp, and when it arrived, the stamp had turned 90 degrees and migrated to where it was entirely above the top gasket in the slab.

I can't see any damage to it, but I don't know for sure if it wasn't damaged.

Steve

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There's always the toploader and sleeve or cardsaver option particularly for inexpensive cards. I've even broken some out because I didn't like the look or the sliding.

Toploaders suit me fine for expensive cards as well. (Just to note, I consider anything more than about $100 an "expensive" card). They make pre-'57 size vintage toploaders and penny sleeves too. Never had a problem with one and they are easy to store and transport.

On another note since I ressurected this thread, when I got home this evening I decided to liberate my 2 remaning PSA slabs that presented an "unacceptable" sliding problem, in my judgment. The cards in question were a PSA 5 '61 Mantle AS, and a PSA 8 '72 Steve Carlton Traded. The Carlton slab opened up as if it were sealed yesterday with a glue stick and the top came right up in one piece. Easy peasy. Then what do you think happened with the Mantle? Of course that slab (they were the same generation slab, go figure) fought as if it had been welded together decades ago and cracked and split in many more places - nearly giving me a coronary before it finally yielded the card - yes, unscathed and no worse for the struggle. The 2 newly liberated cards are now resting comfortably in their penny sleeves and toploaders.

[jrb97]

I know this is a baseball forum so my apologies if in the wrong place but this seemed like the appropriate general PSA topic. I have a PSA 1970-71 Topps basketball tallboy. The card moves around in the case. Not sure when the card was graded but it is in an older case. Do they have new more secure tallboy holders (if i were to get it reholdered) or is this just normal for tallboy cards?

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by jrb97

I know this is a baseball forum so my apologies if in the wrong place but this seemed like the appropriate general PSA topic. I have a PSA 1970-71 Topps basketball tallboy. The card moves around in the case. Not sure when the card was graded but it is in an older case. Do they have new more secure tallboy holders (if i were to get it reholdered) or is this just normal for tallboy cards?

Not sure, but I don't collect basketball. Look on ebay at active and completed listing for '70 basketball and I'm sure you will see a variety of different generation PSA holders. If they have gotten better / more secure in recent years, you should be able to tell.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by STL1944

Interestingly, I just purchased another lot of 1947 Tip Top Bread cards. What is interesting, is PSA does have the right size holder for the size card... they just decided not to use them for my cards.

Below is an example. On the left is an example of the card I just got back. Card cutout in the case is too big for the card, card is in a bag, card slides around.

On the right is an example of the exact same card the I just purchased. Same vintage flip but card is in the right sized case and doesn't slide around.

Disappointing.

Aside from the better slab... that "4" is so much nicer than the "5"

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Aside from the better slab... that "4" is so much nicer than the "5"

Exactly why with mid-grade in particular, you have to buy the card and not the grade. Technical issues that result in a knock from a 5 to a 4, a 6 to a 5, or even a 3 to a 2... sometimes have nothing to do with eye appeal.

[kateighty]

Thanks for bringing this thread back. It demonstrates PSA inconsistency at it's finest. I wonder if they use one of those cool disappearing purple glue sticks?!