PSA OR IS IT??

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Posted By: Mack

I have come to the realization that PSA grading is a scary venture. I say this because of my experience with PSA. I sent a 1954 RED HEART MICKEY MANTLE to PSA for grading last year expecting a grade of 9. It came back a 6. Boy was I upset!! Over and over again I reviewed and read the grading standards and grade levels 1 through 10 and even looked at some of my other cards that had grades of 6 through 10. That 1954 RED HEART MANTLE should have been at least a 9. So as weeks went by I was looking on ebay and other sports card and memorabilia dealers for the 1954 RED HEART MANTLE. I came across a few 1954 RED HEART MANTLE"S of which 2 were being sold on ebay by MEMORY LANE INC out of Newport Beach, CA which is also home to PSA.. Now I am not a detective but rest assured question marks began poppin up all over my collection. Through simple minded research I have learned this: Joe Orlando, Editor In Chief of the PSA Sports Market Report is also the inside guy at MEMORY LANE INC which deals in sports cards and memorabilia and it just so happens that a lot of the cards MEMORY LANE INC has on ebay's auction block are of Very high Grade.. Maybe MEMORY LANE gets lucky with cards I don't know but assured that when I looked closely at my 1954 RED HEART MANTLE and then looked at the 1954 RED HEART MANTLE MEMORAY LANE had on ebay for auction I saw no difference whatsoever. I mean they were exact.
As a consumer I don't want to be told "Never Get Cheated" if I can't prove it either way. Simple question!! How do I know that I am not being cheated?? How do I know that cards are not being "juggled" or "fixed" or swapped for that matter. It seems to me that with PSA's recent move to allow for half grades says that maybe, just maybe we, PSA, "have not been on our game" and true collectors and customers "have been cheated" one way or the other". I have since been going Beckett and others at least my cards and things have a decent chance of honor!! No accusations here but there are some questions!!!! Inconsistencies prevail!!!

BILL MACK
trialb2002@yahoo.com