"No Qualifiers" dis-allowed on PSA subs

JollyElm · #1 12-02-2022, 04:09 PM

Allow me to post a perfect example showing how much BS this move by PSA is.

When Bobby's group sub was submitted in 2021, qualifiers were the order of the day. If you didn't want them, you could choose "no qualifiers" and all was peachy, but if you had no problem with them (as I do) they would be applied when necessary. Then a funny thing happened. While PSA held this sub for ransom for a year and a half, they suddenly decided to CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME and leave us in the lurch.

For a moment, let's all forget that every time we say what number a card will receive, we are wrong...

I sent in this sharp cornered 1966 Topps #561 Choo Choo Coleman high number, because it is absolutely sweet, but off-centered. I fully expected and wanted it to get a PSA 8 OC (again, assume the grade guessing is correct), but in the interim PSA eliminated qualifiers, so it came back downgraded to a straight PSA 6. And here's the problem. No one will say, "Man, that card is real nice, probably an 8 that got a 6 due to its centering." Nope!! The thought will be, "Gee, that card is a 6 AND it is ALSO off-centered, so it's really nothing but a PSA 4."

That, my friends, is a screw job!!!

1966choochoo561PSA6.jpg

GasHouseGang · #2 12-02-2022, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JollyElm

And here's the problem. No one will say, "Man, that card is real nice, probably an 8 that got a 6 due to its centering. "Nope!! The thought will be, "Gee, that card is a 6 AND it is ALSO off-centered, so it's really nothing but a PSA 4."

That, my friends, is a screw job!!!

I never thought of that issue. Good point.

puckpaul · #3 12-02-2022, 05:53 PM

My favorite PSA 8 (OC) card! I don�t know what is the right way to label it. Sure looks like an 8 to me, and not terribly off center (70/30 vs 75/25 top/bottom?). The OC label bothers me a little. But it looks a lot better than a 6.

No idea how the card feels about it!

Snowman · #4 12-02-2022, 08:29 PM

I hate qualifiers on slabs. There is no such thing as a "9 (OC)" or an "8 (MC)" to me. That's nonsense. Why not a PSA 10 (BTC) for "but the corners"? If a card was cut wrong, then it is not a high-grade card. And what's with the (PD) qualifier? Seriously? ... Slabbing a card that you can't even make out the image from due to registration being off by 1/4" as a "PSA 9 (PD)" is clearly nonsense. Nobody cares if the corners are nice if they can't even make out who the player is supposed to be.

PSA is the worst...

Lorewalker · #5 12-02-2022, 09:34 PM

This thread might end up being like the one on defining what a rookie card is or what is the best way to end an auction.

One thing is 100% clear in the hobby. We do not all agree on every point or every system. It is great that we have choices. And it is great that we come here to chat about those points of view.

As for the qualifiers I never minded them. If PSA did away with them or decides they want to do what is in the best interest of the card now...AWESOME!!!! I think they have a place in the hobby but I have always made adjustments for grading services that did not use them.

Bottom line for me is that I never have bought a card based on the label. And I never will. I decide for myself if the appearance is acceptable all things considered.

Tabe · #6 12-02-2022, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowman

I hate qualifiers on slabs. There is no such thing as a "9 (OC)" or an "8 (MC)" to me. That's nonsense. Why not a PSA 10 (BTC) for "but the corners"? If a card was cut wrong, then it is not a high-grade card. And what's with the (PD) qualifier? Seriously? ... Slabbing a card that you can't even make out the image from due to registration being off by 1/4" as a "PSA 9 (PD)" is clearly nonsense. Nobody cares if the corners are nice if they can't even make out who the player is supposed to be.

PSA is the worst...

Yeah, I've need never quite understood them either, for the exact same reason.

Eric72 · #7 12-03-2022, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowman

..you can't even make out the image from due to registration being off by 1/4"...

Oddly enough, I really like cards like that. Not the slightly misaligned, somewhat out of focus ones; I like cards where the registration is wildly off. I wish the grading companies had a PFE (Perfect For Eric) qualifier.

bnorth · #8 12-03-2022, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

Oddly enough, I really like cards like that. Not the slightly misaligned, somewhat out of focus ones; I like cards where the registration is wildly off. I wish the grading companies had a PFE (Perfect For Eric) qualifier.

Nice card, I like the ones with the bigger print offset also. Hate the ones that are slightly off.

Eric72 · #9 12-03-2022, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnorth

Nice card, I like the ones with the bigger print offset also. Hate the ones that are slightly off.

That Aaron is perfect. Awesome card.

Eric72 · #10 12-03-2022, 10:28 AM

A couple thoughts:

I like having sub-grades on the flip. It's not a perfect way to convey information; however, it tells me much more than a single grade. If a card is graded a 6, why did it get that grade? If it has a low sub-grade for centering and 9+ for corners/edges/surface, that tells me a whole lot more.

In an alternate reality, imagine centering didn't factor into the final grade at all. Think about it. We can immediately see how well (or poorly) a card is centered. It doesn't matter if we're at a card show with less-than-optimal lighting. It doesn't matter (for the most part) if an eBay photo is a bit blurry, taken at a slight angle, or color-enhanced. If we can read the flip, we can see the centering. Perhaps the grading companies should focus on things we might easily miss while at a show or shopping online.

Nobody enjoys getting a card one day and then later discovering some hard-to-detect flaw. "Damn, I didn't see that when I bought the card" is something nearly all of us have said. It rarely, if ever, applies to the centering.

kailes2872 · #11 12-03-2022, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

Oddly enough, I really like cards like that. Not the slightly misaligned, somewhat out of focus ones; I like cards where the registration is wildly off. I wish the grading companies had a PFE (Perfect For Eric) qualifier.

I bet that card looks awesome with 3-D glasses!

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