Mile High Auction: Item Graded PSA "Authentic" ???

[Robbie]

Reading this post, you may not recognize me because although I've been in the hobby for about 40 years, my participation has been very limited for about the past 10 years (due to unforeseeable life circumstances). I'm very happy that I am finally able to spend a little more time here.

I primarily collect original photos, and have not purchased cards in some time. I would really appreciate your help because I have lost touch with some of the nuances of cards, grading, and everything PSA.

Well to my point/question, Mile High Card Company is currently having an auction in which they have a variety of Season Passes (i.e. Team Passes, League Passes, Press Passes, etc) mixed in with their tickets. I'm interested in these items.

The thing is... almost every single one seems to be GRADED - "PSA AUTHENTIC." I have researched and can't get a straight or clear answer on what "Authentic" means (especially on a season pass).

Does this mean they have been "altered or "restored"?
"Maliciously"...? ... however that is really defined.

Did the person or AH having them graded pay less for an "Authentic" designation than for a number grade?

Why wouldn't someone prefer a number grade? ...even in the case where there is very severe paper loss and/or creasing and/or writing on the pass?

Anyway...
Would someone please explain what "Authentic" means on these passes, and why you think the passes that were graded, were graded... and why the ones left raw were left raw?

Thank you for your help!
Robert Slatkin

[glynparson]

It means it’s real. Most people
Choose to just authenticate tickets passes and autographs that don’t reach a certain threshold. They are not cards and the collectors seem to view them differently. It is my understanding they’d be labeled authentic altered if they felt they were real but Messed with. Hope this helps.

[perezfan]

Correct. Ticket collectors aren’t as concerned about a numerical grade. It’s just the authenticity that is being verified, as there are many bogus and counterfeit examples out there. Kinda wish the “powers that be” would also grade this way for cards, but unfortunately that ship has long-since sailed.

Post this question/concern on the Memorabilia side, and you’ll get some even more specific answers. Lots of advanced ticket collectors over there. I’m not a “Ticket” or “Slabbing” guy, so that’s about the extent of my knowledge on this topic. Best of luck!

[swarmee]

Agreed. Not everything needs a number grade. And it's been proven PSA is awful at determining the ones that deserve numbers and the ones that don't.

[Johnny630]

Does anyone else think at this point that PSA’s brand has lost its relevance in being able to consistently determine wether a Card has been altered or not?
To me they have ......registry and pop mean nothing to me...their pop report has always been inaccurate. It was a perfect Marketing Campaign to Target Collectors and Rich People whom are super competitive to Chase Being Number 1, it worked For their bottom line.
However in light of the recents discovered by BO
Can we have a New Pop Report Created by Newport Beach Highlighting altered Cards in their holders with number grades
Thoughts and Opinions????

[Robbie]

Thank you Glyn, Mark and John for your replies.

I posted this on the card side because you guys seem to understand PSA better... if that is possible.

There are some rel inconsistencies with this "grading," and I would love to hear why people think the other raw Passes were not graded.

I'm not good with the technology here, but if I can copy this to the memorabilia side, I will. Thanks!

[mybestbretts]

I had some tickets submitted to PSA when they first started grading tickets and didn't know they could have a grade. The tickets were simply graded "authentic".
I think I was more concerned they were not fraudulent then I was as to a grade

[asphaltman]

I was lucky to pick up a couple of these tickets I was going after last night. A couple went for surprisingly good money to me though.

[stlcardinalsfan]

I went to sleep and missed out on the 1923 World Series tickets... I thought the debut tickets went for good money... I still managed to buy about 6 tickets

[Robbie]

They had a lot of great tickets and passes in this auction!

Once I understood that an "Authentic" grade is pretty much standard throughout the hobby for grading passes, even I got into the action and won a great pass!

[drcy]

Originally Posted by Robbie

They had a lot of great tickets and passes in this auction!

Once I understood that an "Authentic" grade is pretty much standard throughout the hobby for grading passes, even I got into the action and won a great pass!

Good job.

Tickets might be like vintage autographed cards. Autographed cards are sometimes graded and sometimes not (just authenticated)-- the latter often just because all the collector cares about is the authenticity. Autograph collectors aren't as concerned about number grades as trading card colletors.