Does PSA Actually Look at Cards Before They're Slabbed?

[gunboat82]

According to PSA's website:

Qualifiers

MK

Marks

Any and all cards with writing, ink marks, pencil marks, etc. or evidence of the impression left from the act of writing will be designated "MK."

[doug.goodman]

Wow.

The opinion sellers have historically been so good at what they do that it's hard to believe they would have missed something so obvious.

[gunboat82]

Unfortunately, they also play games with their "Grade Guarantee."

I didn't want anyone else to get fooled by "buying the grade" instead of the card, so I reached out to PSA's Customer Relations Center (CRC) for regrading. Sure enough, PSA realized they overgraded it, deactivated the old certification, and said they'd reslab it as "Authentic."

Per PSA's "Grade Guarantee" terms and conditions, they will:

... Subject to the Maximum Amount, refund the difference in value between the original PSA grade and the current PSA grade if the grade is lowered or deemed to be authentic only. In this case, the card will also be returned to the customer along with the refund for the difference in value.

The current market value is determined by PSA in its sole and absolute discretion, based in part on the PSA Price Guide values and verifiable recent prices realized."

PSA's unofficial value estimate right now for a PSA 2 is $14,093.



I valued the card at $8,636 (my actual cost) on the CRC submission form.

PSA values a PSA 2 at $8,500, but they won't disclose how they got to that number. According to the PSA Customer Relations Specialist:

The initial PSA grade of 2 and the associated value of $8,500 were based on the market research provided by our pricing specialist. These figures were determined according to the general market value at the time of submission.

[samosa4u]

Here is the original listing:

https://goldin.co/item/1921-exhibits...-psa-gd-26jq76

Graded GD 2 by PSA (86528730). Hall of Famer. A stunning, postcard-sized collectible, capturing the great Ruth in only his second season as a Yankee. This popular and rare arcade card shows Ruth in a seldom-seen fielding pose; the name used as a caption (Geo. H. "Babe" Ruth) offers another intriguing element with respect to an important card from what was arguably Ruth's finest season as a major leaguer. Upon close examination, vestiges of defacements that appear to be faded, handwritten notations can be observed on the card’s surfaces; routine general wear affects the periphery.

Why did you bid on the card then ??

[G1911]

For a second or so, maybe. Why bother to pay attention or be competent, people keep throwing money at them and their slabs no matter how obviously incompetent and/or corrupt they are. If your customers refuse to expect or reward competency or honesty, why bother? PSA has it made.

[Wanaselja]

I haven’t submitted in a while but if memory serves you can opt out of the qualifiers and accept a lower grade when you submit.

[gunboat82]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

Why did you bid on the card then ??

Unfortunately, I used the Goldin app to bid on my watched lots in that auction. When you click on the thumbnail to place a bid on a card in an active auction, it looks like the attached images. I didn't scroll down to the description, which appears at the bottom in smaller print, below the Current Bid, End Time, Quick Bid Button, Manual Bid Entry Box, Place Bid Button, Sales History, and Shipping & Handling. I generally don't bother with the description unless it's an ungraded item or it's marked "Altered" and I want to see if they disclose what the alteration is.

When I bid on a PSA card, I know that their policy is to not issue a numeric grade to altered cards. I also know that submitters can't opt out of a Marked or Miscut designation. If the grader detects those, it goes on the label. PSA has a notice explaining this during the online submission process. A card with evidence of handwriting (other than an autograph) should never receive a numeric grade without a qualifier.

I got complacent because I trusted the slab and placed a bid quickly. That's on me. I'm still concerned that PSA charges $599 per card to inspect these cards (with occasional upcharges) and they somehow didn't notice the handwriting when it was in-hand. Maybe this was part of a bulk submission with a preferred customer and just got waved through.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by gunboat82

. A card with evidence of handwriting (other than an autograph) should never receive a numeric grade without a qualifier.

Interesting, because I see PSA 1s with writing all the time. If that's their policy, they never follow it.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by gunboat82

Does PSA Actually Look at Cards Before They're Slabbed?

No. That would be an unnecessary bother. The fee must be paid anyway if the submitter wants his card returned.

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

No. That would be an unnecessary bother. The fee must be paid anyway if the submitter wants his card returned.

LOL, too time consuming !

[BuzzD]

Here is another. Picked this up from a board guy but didn't look close and thought the paper loss on lower right was a base. Don't know how this got graded

[ALR-bishop]

Nice looking card, Eric

[Beercan collector]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Nice looking card, Eric

Thanks but it’s not mine - it was almost mine - I seen it on eBay a couple months ago was gonna pursue it but if you look at the #59 on reverse there’s a “G D” Or something wrote in pencil

[BobbyStrawberry]

They apparently move the goalposts whenever they feel like it, especially for big money cards and/or submitters.

[ullmandds]

Seeing as long as they have them in their possession, in addition to the fact that they are scanning images now I would hope they're looking at them.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

They apparently move the goalposts whenever they feel like it, especially for big money cards and/or submitters.

Bingo!

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

They apparently move the goalposts whenever they feel like it, especially for big money cards and/or submitters.

And why should they not? After all, the vast majority of slab buyers now think PSA's opinion is sacrosanct. Slabs are therefore treated as a fungible commodity with an 8 being an 8 being an 8. (Yes, yes, I know, I'm tilting at windmills.)