Certified, Qualified and Glorified!!!

[JollyElm]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump with a couple of the all time great sluggers. Show 'em if you got 'em...

1972mays49psaoc.jpg1965aaron170.jpg

[jchcollins]

This one doesn't bother me in the least.

[tjenkins]

Here is one my favorites.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by tjenkins

Here is one my favorites.

Gorgeous color.

[Sportscards1086]

Originally Posted by tjenkins

Here is one my favorites.

I've seen worse that don't have the OC.

??

I don't get get it...

BEAUTIFUL CARD!!!

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Sportscards1086

I've seen worse that don't have the OC.

??

I don't get get it...

BEAUTIFUL CARD!!!

The higher grade the card is notwithstanding the centering, the less tolerance there is for bad centering in terms of the grade. Does that make sense? For example a PSA 8 must be 65/35 to 70/30 centering or better on the front. If a card is otherwise an 8 but is centered 75/25 it's going to be a PSA 8 (OC). But when you get down to a card that is otherwise a PSA 5, the tolerance is only 85/15 on the front. So a card there that is 75/25 is going to be a straight 5 without the qualifer.

[Sportscards1086]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

The higher grade the card is notwithstanding the centering, the less tolerance there is for bad centering in terms of the grade. Does that make sense? For example a PSA 8 must be 65/35 to 70/30 centering or better on the front. If a card is otherwise an 8 but is centered 75/25 it's going to be a PSA 8 (OC). But when you get down to a card that is otherwise a PSA 5, the tolerance is only 85/15 on the front. So a card there that is 75/25 is going to be a straight 5 without the qualifer.

Thank you for that. Had no idea. Good info.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Sportscards1086

Thank you for that. Had no idea. Good info.

Yeah it's still subjective (you will see cards often centered outside the standard on the back, for example - but they still get a higher grade...) but the idea is that if a card is really high end, the centering must be very good as well.

This kind of thing drives me nuts when people online are arguing over why this or that vintage card got a PSA 3 or 2, and someone will chime in "Look! It's way off-centered on the back...that's why!!!" Well yeah, it's O/C on the back, but who cares? That is virtually never the reason that a card in lower grade already gets downgraded further. As if the card would have been a PSA 5 if not for the centering on the back...when often the card in question already has a crease or 3 shot corners or something.

[Gr8Beldini]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Thought I'd give this thread a bump with a couple of the all time great sluggers. Show 'em if you got 'em...

Attachment 340393Attachment 340392

I never liked that '65 Aaron card. Always looked like he was trying to squish down into a tiny confined box so as to fit into the close-up photo.

[Rad_Hazard]

No qualifier, but it's one of my favorite miscut cards.

[JollyElm]

A tale of two Willies...

496. Optimullet
A card that is optimally beautiful when looked at from the front, but when you flip it over there are significant problems on the back.

On front, this 1967 Topps #200 Willie Mays is beautifully centered, which is woo-hoo worthy...but, WTF, the label says this card is miscut?? Turn it over, and although no actual information or graphics are compromised, you find the white box falls a hair off of the edge. Oh well. Picked it up from a fellow board member. This 1963 Fleer #64 Orlando Cepeda is harmlessly pushed a tad too close to the top for PSA's liking, but it ain't a problem for me. And finally, look at the intensity emanating from his eyes on the 1970 Topps #530 Bob Gibson card. Although he only went 1-3 against the Miracle Mets that year, what kind of fool batter would want to be staring back at that antagonist on a sun-drenched afternoon at Shea in 1969???

Qualifiers27-1967Mays1963fleerCepeda1970Gibson.jpg

[JollyElm]

Happiness is a warm qualifier...

The 1974 Topps #1 Hank Aaron 'New All-Time Home Run King' card was simply epic to those of us collecting back in our carefree younger days!!! And he's still the frickin' HR king!!! Here's an early 'Great One' card, 1981 O-Pee-Chee #106 Wayne Gretzky, and the fact it's Canadian makes it perfect (outside of the obligatory OPC centering, of course) for any hockey fan!!! The epitome of a moment of intimidation captured in a snapshot, 1976 Topps #300 Johnny Bench, has a tad bit too much 'noise' for the grader's liking, but it just adds a little more particle debris to the dust storm at home plate. And lastly, a tough and not-so-badly-centered high number, 1967 Topps #544 Indians Team.

Qualifiers28-1974Aaron1976Bench1981opcGretzky1967Indians.jpg

[JollyElm]

A Quartet of MVPs (Minor Visual Problems)...

The 1976 Topps #550 Hank Aaron portrait is a wonderful, must-have career-capper. 'Hammerin' Hank' was still raring to go!! The 'PD' on this 1961 Topps #360 Frank Robinson stands for 'PSA Delusional'!! And this cool pair of MVP season cards, 1969 Topps #375 Harmon Killebrew and 1973 Topps #130 Pete Rose, get my vote for simply phenomenal pieces of cardboard!!

Qualifiers29-1976Aaron1961FRobinson1969Killebrew1973Rose.jpg

[jchcollins]

Good work as always, Darren. Your stuff here lays blatant just how random and inconsistent PSA is basically on any given day. Yet to no one's surprise, their lock on the market and collective imagination of many collectors remains unbroken. My hope with all of this is that at some point, inroads being made with consistency of quality from those such as SGC and CSG will break the spell. But I'm not betting on it happening anytime soon.