Thoughts on Grading Cards...

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by swarmee

They (SGC) have also been known to grade trimmed or altered cards and grade them with a number.

To me, this is hilarious. The very foundation of PSA is built on a trimmed card...

[Peter_Spaeth]

David, you should make that image your avatar.

[DBesse27]

I didn't know that saying they correctly graded one card made me a "PSA advocate." Now I know. Regardless, your card is a 2, and if you subbed it 10x it would never get higher than a 2.5 . Nevertheless, I love the card and would be proud to own it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by DBesse27

I didn't know that saying they correctly graded one card made me a "PSA advocate." Now I know. Regardless, your card is a 2, and if you subbed it 10x it would never get higher than a 2.5 . Nevertheless, I love the card and would be proud to own it.

Ok then Dan, no worries. You aren't a PSA advocate. Thanks for the kind words about the card too. Let's just forget the part about creases and it will be all better. No way could a 3-4 have any. Just like it doesn't rate a 3.... No way. (unless we go by PSA's written quidelines)

I am sure Please Submit Again would love for it to be sent in 10 more times. That would be $800 in fees and about $250 in gouged shipping costs.
I have heard of people doing that. It's a great racket. My question is if PSA got it wrong then why are they charging to change a mistake? LMAO

I fix my mistakes for free.


.

[Peter_Spaeth]

There is probably a disparity between their written grading standards and how they really grade. Especially on a major card. According to the written word yes it could be a 3 but I would be surprised if they bumped it.

[DBesse27]

Originally Posted by Leon

Ok then Dan, no worries. You aren't a PSA advocate. Thanks for the kind words about the card too. Let's just forget the part about creases and it will be all better. No way could a 3-4 have any. Just like it doesn't rate a 3.... No way. (unless we go by PSA's written quidelines)

I am sure Please Submit Again would love for it to be sent in 10 more times. That would be $800 in fees and about $250 in gouged shipping costs.
I have heard of people doing that. It's a great racket. My question is if PSA got it wrong then why are they charging to change a mistake? LMAO

I fix my mistakes for free.
.

I admit I misstated their stance on creases. Nevertheless, that doesn't change my opinion that the card is correctly graded. Just my opinion and I'll agree to disagree.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by DBesse27

I admit I misstated their stance on creases. Nevertheless, that doesn't change my opinion that the card is correctly graded. Just my opinion and I'll agree to disagree.

It's only cards and a conversation, no more and no less. I don't think PSA is a bad company. I would guess 80%-90% of the value of my card holdings are now in PSA holders (with rookies included). I just think they are way, way, way overrated. But too, I have to go with the perceived notion they are better, for buying and selling, as that is the game in the hobby so it seems. I will have to pay (and sell for) less, the other TPG companies holders in certain parts of the hobby. And I agree, we can politely agree to disagree. It's all good....take care

[glynparson]

would bring up the Wagner. Like I said before completely different regime at PSA now than back then. I do not hold the current SGC regime responsible for the fiascos graded during the Merkle period including that absolute joke of a Doyle and I do not blame Joe Orlando run PSA for the Rocchi regime and their misses.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

The very foundation of PSA is built on a trimmed card...

Exactly, glad to see someone finally make this distiction. I've cited this very thing when people in other threads or in online sales want to get all high and mighty about PSA. Have you watched the ESPN 30-for-30 short "Holy Grail" with Keith Olbermann, where he just (very convincingly) rips the entire history of that card and exposes it and Bill Mastro as total frauds? The worst part is where PSA founder David Hall's reasoning for the slab on the Gretzky Wagner is "well, it didn't look trimmed to me." Come. On. The company whose very reason for being is that they are ostensibly the experts and know more about cards than anyone to the point where they can be the unquestioned authority - and that right there proves it's built on a foundation of total rubbish. Other graders in the room said they knew it was trimmed but to give it an Altered designation would be too detrimental to the hobby. They may have been right, but it does not change the fact that yes, the whole foundation of PSA essentially is built on a gigantic lie. If they ever just hand out Wagner cards one day, I'd much rather have Mr. Burdick's from the Met - even though it's in worse shape and has a few visible wrinkles.