PSA Response from President Steve Sloan

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Agreed Peter. This whole issue is very convoluted and I really have no idea how it will all pan out.

There's at least an opportunity for it to end up in a better place, but I don't know. This industry has been operating in a set way for a long time and lots of that needs to change, through some combination of punishment, deterrence, and voluntary proactive steps. Unfortunately as in so many human endeavors, all the money in it has just corrupted it.

[steve B]

I'm really not so sure PSA doesn't have an internal problem where they or someone there is involved.

Just how many times can you fall back on "oops I missed that one" Or the eventual "I really have no idea what I'm doing" before it really looks deliberate?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by steve B

I'm really not so sure PSA doesn't have an internal problem where they or someone there is involved.

Just how many times can you fall back on "oops I missed that one" Or the eventual "I really have no idea what I'm doing" before it really looks deliberate?

PSA has been in business for 25 plus years. If that were the case, someone who left would have spilled by now, in my opinion. As I recently told someone writing a story, in my opinion, it's a combination of the extreme sophistication and talent of card doctors, the lesser sophistication of some (probably junior) graders, and in some cases insufficient time spent. Just my opinion. If I'm proven wrong, so be it.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

PSA has been in business for 25 plus years. If that were the case, someone who left would have spilled by now, in my opinion. As I recently told someone writing a story, in my opinion, it's a combination of the extreme sophistication and talent of card doctors, the lesser sophistication of some (probably junior) graders, and in some cases insufficient time spent. Just my opinion. If I'm proven wrong, so be it.

That's a great point. And pretty much the same one I make to conspiracy theory guys.

I'd love to have a look at one of the proven trimmed cards to see just how good the trim is.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by steve B

That's a great point. And pretty much the same one I make to conspiracy theory guys.

I'd love to have a look at one of the proven trimmed cards to see just how good the trim is.

It's probably not hard to buy one.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

It's probably not hard to buy one.

If there was one I could afford.....

I'd be all over one as an altered card if I could get it for like $20. Most are worth more even if they were slabbed as altered.

I was interested in picking up one of the fake Jeter auto cards they were showing on the Postwar side, but at $100+ each I just don't have the budget.

[Frank A]

I don't know that PSA was not grading altered cards intentionally. No one else on here knows either. That statement has no fact. As far as I'm concerned this is a very major hit in the card market. The fact that these cards were graded is a disgrace to PSA. Why would anyone ever purchase a PSA card for big money again. They have totally destroyed their product.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Frank A

I don't know that PSA was not grading altered cards intentionally. No one else on here knows either. That statement has no fact. As far as I'm concerned this is a very major hit in the card market. The fact that these cards were graded is a disgrace to PSA. Why would anyone ever purchase a PSA card for big money again. They have totally destroyed their product.

Look at ebay and see what PWCC cards are selling for in their current auction. I don't think the broader market perceives it as you do or even knows. We are up against a huge mountain here, those that want to see change.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Frank A

I don't know that PSA was not grading altered cards intentionally. No one else on here knows either. That statement has no fact. As far as I'm concerned this is a very major hit in the card market. The fact that these cards were graded is a disgrace to PSA. Why would anyone ever purchase a PSA card for big money again. They have totally destroyed their product.

could not agree more but just look around you'll see just how moronic people really are. There are idiots everywhere that can't make it through High school. it will be business as usual until it's not.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There's at least an opportunity for it to end up in a better place, but I don't know. This industry has been operating in a set way for a long time and lots of that needs to change, through some combination of punishment, deterrence, and voluntary proactive steps. Unfortunately as in so many human endeavors, all the money in it has just corrupted it.

The one thing TPG's did that I believe hurt the hobby was to make cards exponentially more valuable based on criteria so minuscule that to the average collector was imperceptible. 7.5 looks like an 8, 8 is identical to an 8.5, 9's and 10's are interchangeable, yet the difference in price among these cards is enormous. That put way too much power in the hands of the grader, and took it away from the collector. And as you said, the hobby to a great extent has put too much emphasis on monetary value.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

The one thing TPG's did that I believe hurt the hobby was to make cards exponentially more valuable based on criteria so miniscule that to the average collector was imperceptible. 7.5 looks like an 8, 8 is identical to an 8.5, 9's and 10's are interchangeable, yet the difference in price among these cards is enormous. That put way too much power in the hands of the grader, and took it away from the collector. And as you said, the hobby to a great extent has put too much emphasis on monetary value.

I personally think the distinctions are silly but the market can decide that for itself, nobody forced anyone to pay those premiums. Whereas most people can't detect alteration particularly within slabs, so there people really do depend on the competence of the TPGs. After all, the core mission of PSA when it started was to AUTHENTICATE.