Former PSA employee AMA on reddit

[BobC]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

This was my logic as to why my cards were worth more since they were PSA graded than they were raw. However, when it came time to declare value and file the insurance claim, PSA chose to ignore their graded card value. Why not just make all cards $99 (or whatever the max value is) and be done with it.

This has always been one of the problems with TPGs giving their "opinions" on card grades, and especially with autograph authenticity, the fact that they have different charges based on perceived values of items they are looking at and not just charging based on the actual work being performed. The grading/authenticating process should be consistent and without prejudice and bias for all cards, whether they are looking at a '52 Topps Mantle or a common from the '87 Topps set. They should be doing similar work and efforts for both cards. But are they when they end up charging so much more for one card than another, it creates at least a perception of potential bias, if not also a factual one to some degree. And it is even more pronounced with autographs. Think about all the Mantle and Dimaggio autos that TPGs have authenticated over the years. Their authenticators have reviewed and handled so many of them by now they probably need do very little research to authentic such signatures, whereas someone coming in with an autographed card of some minor league player that had a cup of coffee in the majors might require a bit of research and work to actually end up verifying the signature, at a fraction of what they charge for a Mantle or Dimaggio.

At the end of the day, all the TPGs are doing is giving an "opinion", nothing else. So why do people let them get away with basically charging a contingent type fee on the supposed value of a card/autograph they are grading/authenticating? CPAs are also in the business of giving "opinions, yet the entire profession is not allowed to charge contingent fees on "anything" they do, not just in giving opinions on financials. CPAs have to maintain an unbiased, arm's length relationship with clients and can only charge for the work performed, or potentially lose their license. I would think/hope that any TPG offering grading/authenticating services would be following a somewhat similar line of thinking in being completely impartial in fact and appearence, but they are not. And the grading companies should never have been the ones to decide what the grading standards were. The people in the hobby should have gotten together and decided, and made all the TPGs follow one single, consistent set of grading standards, along with making them submit to periodic, independent, third-party review of their procedures and practices to insure they adhere to those standards or practices. But is probably too late to ever have that happen now. Too many people with too much to lose are in the card hobby industry and will not allow the risk of such a loss to them personally to happen by making such radical changes to the hobby now.