Am I the only one who thinks the difference between PSA 9's and 10's is crazy?

[Royalsfan8515]

So u guys think from an investment standpoint I should invest in 10's over 9's

[pokerplyr80]

I would take a 10 over a 9 of it's in the budget for most cards, especially if you're doing so for investment purposes. This could backfire if a scandal forced PSA to go under though.

[Royalsfan8515]

Ya..its like...I can get a PSA 9 for 45 bucks....or a PSA 10 for 350 plus...seems crazy

[jayandbutton]

seems like a relatively new sport is to submit a stack of 9s for review, hoping to catch one or two to be upgraded to a 10.

i have perhaps one hundred or more 58 and 59 topps cards for example in 9 and have been tempted because tens bring lunar prices.

[Throttlesteer]

Don't let your head spin too much over BGS 10 "pristine"

[Hankphenom]

The whole system seems crazy to me when a "1" can be a card soaked in diesel fuel and driven over by a tank OR a nice-looking card with rounded corners and some paper loss, whereas the difference between a "9" and a "10" requires an electronic microscope to determine. If the scale is 1 to 10, shouldn't the gradations between them be at least somewhat similar?

[Royalsfan8515]

Seems to be true...if u are collecting for yourself a 9 is waaaaay more sost effective and seems to be identical to 10's to the naked eye... 10's are for making money(for the most part).. I get people like to have the best, but thats my point, seems like at that point you are paying for the holder

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

The whole system seems crazy to me when a "1" can be a card soaked in diesel fuel and driven over by a tank OR a nice-looking card with rounded corners and some paper loss, whereas the difference between a "9" and a "10" requires an electronic microscope to determine. If the scale is 1 to 10, shouldn't the gradations between them be at least somewhat similar?

But grading cards by use of descriptors (EX, Mint, Poor, etc. etc.) predates TPGs, unless I'm severely mistaken. I'm not sure when the grading scale terms entered into the hobby (much less became the standard), but I believe it was a long time before the same terms became associated with the number scales attached to them by TPGs. In that way, the TPGs didn't create the system, they just codified it with numbers.

I'd guess that one of the early hobby publications might be the source of the grading system, but it may have even started earlier. I am pretty sure there are people on this board who can help with when and where it all started (and even any influences from other hobbies - coins, perhaps?).

And considering the long history of the grading system in place, the current terminologies (regardless of having numbers associated or not) have likely been very deliberately created to not have evenly distributed or smooth gradations.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by jayandbutton

seems like a relatively new sport is to submit a stack of 9s for review, hoping to catch one or two to be upgraded to a 10.

I thought that was a new angle too but apparently that has been going on since shortly after the birth of grading, from countless stories I have been told.

[bbnut]

There is always a risk of a market-crashing bubble popping. I figure it's like a big earthquake in the S. F. Bay Area (where I live). Eventually it's going to happen to those exponentially-high 9's and 10's. Might be next year, might be a decade away.

[hcv123]

MOst of this has been said already:

Simply supply and demand economics drive this - when there are more buyers than cards in a given grade, it drives prices higher. Less cards in a given grade than buyers, drives the prices down.

Problem - The "investors" buy the flips"
Opportunity - Buy the card not the flip at any grade level - Not all 7's, 8's, 9's or 10's are created equal.

Question - are you buying for enjoyment, investment or some of both? More for enjoyment - buy the lower grades with great eye appeal. Investment - the higher grades with great eye appeal. both - well, you are going to have to figure out the balance that works for you!

For me - I pay strong for cards in high grade with an absolute lack of supply - An example would be a PSA 7- 9 copy of cards where there are only 20 or less graded (in any grade). I don't pay strong for a graded 7-9, where there are hundreds or thousands of total graded copies

[darwinbulldog]

The Rickey Henderson rookie has a multiplier of like 100x.