“Old holder” - issues or concerns?

[Oscar_Stanage]

for me , its not the holder, its the grade date that matters. Application of grading standards have changed over the years and pretty much any card in an old SGC/PSA holder needs to be brought down a grade. When I look at a card in old slab its usually pretty easy for me to tell its overgraded. slab buyers beware.

[Kutcher55]

This is so overplayed. Yes on average the standards have toughened but there are plennnnnnty of good-for-the-grade cards in old holders.

[Natedog]

Besides the fee and the outrageous wait time to get it back, can't a card in an older PSA case just be sent in to have it reholdered? Or is it not that easy?

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

This is so overplayed. Yes on average the standards have toughened but there are plennnnnnty of good-for-the-grade cards in old holders.

The average is what matters though, in terms of why a "rule" exists to begin with. There is always a distribution of over and under-graded cards in any given year. But yesteryear's under-graded cards are today's accurately graded cards, while yesteryear's over-graded cards are often 2 full grades high today. I've seen just as many old-label 8s that would be 6s today as I've seen old-label 7s that would still be 7s today. The average or median grades from a given era are what matter in terms of driving the narrative. Not the exceptions.

[Oscar_Stanage]

Originally Posted by Snowman

The average is what matters though, in terms of why a "rule" exists to begin with. There is always a distribution of over and under-graded cards in any given year. But yesteryear's under-graded cards are today's accurately graded cards, while yesteryear's over-graded cards are often 2 full grades high today. I've seen just as many old-label 8s that would be 6s today as I've seen old-label 7s that would still be 7s today. The average or median grades from a given era are what matter in terms of driving the narrative. Not the exceptions.

+1 . well said

[Kutcher55]

Originally Posted by Snowman

The average is what matters though, in terms of why a "rule" exists to begin with. There is always a distribution of over and under-graded cards in any given year. But yesteryear's under-graded cards are today's accurately graded cards, while yesteryear's over-graded cards are often 2 full grades high today. I've seen just as many old-label 8s that would be 6s today as I've seen old-label 7s that would still be 7s today. The average or median grades from a given era are what matter in terms of driving the narrative. Not the exceptions.

This is an overstatement. There are plenty of “undergraded” cards in old holders. On average I would say the earliest PSA holders are one grade easier at most.

[Kutcher55]

So there’s two ways we could handle this. 1. I go find a group of undergraded old slabs and over graded new slabs (I have plenty of both in my collection). You go do the opposite. Or 2. We agree to disagree. I vote #2.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

So there’s two ways we could handle this. 1. I go find a group of undergraded old slabs and over graded new slabs (I have plenty of both in my collection). You go do the opposite. Or 2. We agree to disagree. I vote #2.

My point wasn't that you can't find undergraded old slabs or overgraded new slabs. I certainly have both in my collection as well. My point was that in general, or on average, they used to grade softer. I don't think anyone really disputes that here?

[Kutcher55]

I agree on average they grade softer. We are good.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Wid_Conroy

for me , its not the holder, its the grade date that matters. Application of grading standards have changed over the years and pretty much any card in an old SGC/PSA holder needs to be brought down a grade. When I look at a card in old slab its usually pretty easy for me to tell its overgraded. slab buyers beware.

In the case of PSA Registry addicts though, isn't the grade really all they care about for the most part? And assuming so, why would those Registry addicted people really care how old the PSA holder and flip were, as long as it shows the grade they want?

And if that is the case, why would a seller ever give a discount for an older PSA holdered card, unless the Registry influence on PSA cards is declining? But if that is the case and the Registry aspect is no longer the main driving point, how does one then explain the pricing differential still favoring PSA over SGC/BGS? Is it possibly a carryover from new investors/collectors in the hobby initially seeing the PSA price advantage and not attributing it to the Registry? It has been said and noted by many that grading between PSA, SGC, and Beckett does not appear to account for the PSA price advantage, so the Registry has been given a lot of credit for this pricing differential in the past. But are the new investors/money that appear to have jumped into our hobby since the pandemic started into the Registry at all? The impression I get is that they don't really care that much about the Registry, as these investor types don't seem to be into building sets or collecting in a manner that the Registry is more suited for.