Ebay experiment: PSA vs. SGC

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

And when I see a 4 now, my immediate thought is 6 or 7 but the submitter was some anonymous collector not a favorite with connections.

This is becoming more and more true every day it seems. I don't believe for one second that all submitters just get graders assigned to their orders at random. I've had so many cards at PSA come back 2 full grades low in recent months. I won't even send them anything anymore. I just end up paying twice to grade it. Now I just send it straight to SGC where I get a fair and accurate grade every time.

[toledo_mudhen]

Originally Posted by Snowman

This is becoming more and more true every day it seems. I don't believe for one second that all submitters just get graders assigned to their orders at random. I've had so many cards at PSA come back 2 full grades low in recent months. I won't even send them anything anymore. I just end up paying twice to grade it. Now I just send it straight to SGC where I get a fair and accurate grade every time.

Ditto +1

[bobbyw8469]

My most recent $50 sub was a mix of T206's and 30s, 40s, and 50s cards. They HAMMERED the T206's (Sorry Sonny).....

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

My most recent $50 sub was a mix of T206's and 30s, 40s, and 50s cards. They HAMMERED the T206's (Sorry Sonny).....

Oof. Ya, my last sub was pretty bad too. I had a Pele RC, a 52 Bowman Mays, and a 49 Bowman Jackie that were all in VGish condition. No creases or wrinkles or surface flaws, no print defects, nothing like that. Just some moderate corner wear. PSA gave me 1s on both the Pele and the Mays, and tried to upcharge me to give me a 2 on the Jackie. I told them to pound sand and just send me the Jackie back ungraded. Then I sent them all off to SGC where they got 2.5s and 3.5s.

It's getting bad. Before, I was only getting the terrible/noob/inexperienced graders on ultra-modern stuff. Now, I'm getting them on $10k+ cards.

I also have a beautiful 86 Fleer Jordan RC that is dead-centered and dead mint. It was in an SGC 9 holder when I bought it, but I decided to grade shop it around for fun. PSA rejected it as a crossover (which they often do) so I cracked it out and decided to send it in raw. They said it was "altered" , so I sent it to BGS and they gave it a 9++ (9.5, 9, 9, 9.5 sub grades - almost a gem mint. It's one of the nicest 9s I've ever seen. PSA screwed me twice on it. And I know the 86 Fleer set and grades very well. I've subbed hundreds of these cards. My grades are always spot on with 86 Fleer basketball (or at least they were until recently at PSA, and they're still spot on with SGC and CSG).

PSA is putting inexperienced graders on high-end vintage stuff now. Guys who just finished slamming a Red Bull that came back from lunch break with Cheetoh fingers who had never even seen a vintage card prior to their training course last month.

And if you believe the "we have 2 to 3 graders evaluating every card" line that PSA proclaims, I've got a bridge to sell you. That's nonsense.

It's gotten so bad, that I now find myself seeking arbitrage opportunities for cards in PSA slabs whose serial numbers start with 6xxx. I'm not even all that interested in flipping cards, but PSA is now flooding the market with $10k cards in $4k holders. Getting your cards slabbed with PSA used to be a value add. Nowadays, a card often loses value after they put an EX-MT card in a 3 holder.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snowman

This is becoming more and more true every day it seems. I don't believe for one second that all submitters just get graders assigned to their orders at random. I've had so many cards at PSA come back 2 full grades low in recent months. I won't even send them anything anymore. I just end up paying twice to grade it. Now I just send it straight to SGC where I get a fair and accurate grade every time.

I've said for years to anyone who would listen, all submitters are equal, some are more equal than others.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I've said for years to anyone who would listen, all submitters are equal, some are more equal than others.

Spaethism