Oh, KSA.......

[xplainer]

KSA is pretty bad. Like USA or MINT bad. I had a friend send me three KSA cards to crossover to PSA. Two were deemed trimmed and the other was two grades lower. 1950's cards. Ford, Berra and someone else...can't remember.

-Jimmy

[irv]

Originally Posted by xplainer

KSA is pretty bad. Like USA or MINT bad. I had a friend send me three KSA cards to crossover to PSA. Two were deemed trimmed and the other was two grades lower. 1950's cards. Ford, Berra and someone else...can't remember.

-Jimmy

Being up here in Canada, I was hoping to save some money due to shipping, the exchange rate, duty, fees, etc and send my cards to KSA for grading, but thanks to a member on here who told/warned me about them, I'm glad I didn't!

He did tell me they were better at grading hockey than baseball, and maybe that's true, but they shouldn't be in the business at all if they themselves can't distinguish between real and fake cards.

[ksabet]

Don't they do well with Hockey in Canada? I thought I heard that hockey cards in KSA holders do well, but this was more second hand.

[irv]

Originally Posted by ksabet

Don't they do well with Hockey in Canada? I thought I heard that hockey cards in KSA holders do well, but this was more second hand.

I have no idea, I don't pay attention to hockey cards nor have I been to a card show or anything similar in years.

The person who told me about KSA said they were better at grading hockey cards than they were baseball, so that is all I can go by.

[Stampsfan]

As a long time collector in Canada, the same debates exist with KSA hockey as they do with any other TPG comparisons I've read on this board, and others.

Do they grade sheet cut cards? How are they on vending? Whatever. I've seen beautiful KSA 8 and 9's and I've seen awful ones.

Over the years, a general rule of thumb is to subtract 2 grades from the KSA grade to equal a PSA grade, but there are exceptions to every rule with any TPG. I have cards from EVERY TPG in my collection, but mostly raw (as I prefer to look at them in binders).

Like most TPG comparisons, there are no hard and fast rules. There are fakes encased in all of them IMHO.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

As a long time collector in Canada, the same debates exist with KSA hockey as they do with any other TPG comparisons I've read on this board, and others.

Do they grade sheet cut cards? How are they on vending? Whatever. I've seen beautiful KSA 8 and 9's and I've seen awful ones.

Over the years, a general rule of thumb is to subtract 2 grades from the KSA grade to equal a PSA grade, but there are exceptions to every rule with any TPG. I have cards from EVERY TPG in my collection, but mostly raw (as I prefer to look at them in binders).

Like most TPG comparisons, there are no hard and fast rules. There are fakes encased in all of them IMHO.

This is the impression I was under, that they over grade, and to subtract about 2 grades, but the cards were good and likely unaltered. The CJ example certainly changes my impression of KSA and I will most likely just stay away in the future. If they will grade an obvious fake, I have to wonder how many other fakes, or altered cards, have received numerical grades.

[auggiedoggy]

Originally Posted by irv

Being up here in Canada, I was hoping to save some money due to shipping, the exchange rate, duty, fees, etc and send my cards to KSA for grading, but thanks to a member on here who told/warned me about them, I'm glad I didn't!

He did tell me they were better at grading hockey than baseball, and maybe that's true, but they shouldn't be in the business at all if they themselves can't distinguish between real and fake cards.

Here's the thing! Once in a while KSA does/did get it right. I had some high-quality C55 hockey tobacco cards graded by them about 16 years ago. The grades were very accurate by anyone's standard. Over time though, KSA's reputation has (deservedly) gone south. So, even if you have KSA-graded cards that were done properly, they would still arouse suspicion and apprehension on the part of any potential buyers. I was fortunate to not take that big a hit on my cards when I finally sold them.