Mastro and Psa

[Archive]

Posted By: Charlie Barokas

Jim,

I am not sure I want to attempt to defend PSA on this board but 2007 has been a difficult year to get any meaningful card graded with PSA. Sure, Kevin can remove a stain on a 33 Goudey card that smells like goo gone and get it passed the graders. But, PSA has made huge improvements in detecting alteration in PSA 8 or better.

PSA cannot go back and regrade all 8,000,000 cards, all they can do is improve their abilities to detect alterations going forward. And, in my opinion, they have been succesful most recently. They should also stand behind the product and buyback cards that look bad in the holder. Not sure that they can and or will buyback every example but I have first hand knowledge that they do it all the time.

Lastly, the marketplace is getting smarter and if a card looks bad in a PSA holder or any graded card holder the card will suffer at auction. For example, at the National in Mastro's auction the T205 Cobb PSA 8, looked trimmed in the holder and went for a fraction of what it would have gone for if it had not looked trimmed. The old adage buy the card and not the holder is outdated. I would buy the card and the holder. Make an evaluation of both the company assigning grade and make sure the card does not look altered in the holder and resembles the grade if not looks undergraded.

CB