Notes from a former card Grader/Authenticator

[Leon]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

It was an honest question. Username is unfamiliar somehow.

old age.....
.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by swarmee

So here's a question that many are probably wondering:
A rare/scarce vintage card is bought through eBay AG that is real, but has minor undisclosed alterations. Who is resposible for recommending to the company that the buyer still get a chance to accept the card as is rather than cancelling the sale? Most buyers would prefer to fill a hole in their collection rather than have it unilaterally cancelled without input.

I understand wanting a look behind the curtains, but I can't really talk about the process. But it is worth mentioning again that we were all collectors, so we understood the mindset of a collector wanting an item that would be hard (or even impossible) to replace if they didn't get the item now no matter the condition.

Originally Posted by Fred

For clarification - which TPG did you work for?

Reading through your original post, were you indicating people would provide commentary on the cards in their submissions?

When I submitted cards, I'd put the ACC info on it and pray the TPGrader didn't totally hose the grade. I can remember once in a blue moon that I'd leave a comment and it usually was regarding encapsulating the card with an AUTH opinion if the grader felt it was altered in any way. What would drive me nuts is that receiving a card with the rejection slip/label and having wasted the money on that opinion. I felt, if an "A" label is what the card should have, then slab it anyway. I could always break it out if I wanted to. Biggest difference in a grade on a resubmission I had was through PSA. The initial grade was an "Auth". I resubmitted and received an "8".

CSG/CGC is the company I came from. My references were to typical messages I would see in the community (message boards and social media). The only notes I would see in grading is if there was a min grade or auth only requested. Graders aren't opening and processing the mail, so unless it directly affects our grading of the card we wouldn't see it (like the submitter information).

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Then again, as far as I know the OP only worked for the CGC company. All our cherished myths can stay intact for the other grading companies.

Brian

Oh, you can keep any myth you want, but I wanted to humanize the position a little . I am no longer in the field so really it won't affect me going forward. I just know that prior to taking the job it was hard to find any grader (former or current) that would publicly talk about it. So I thought I would add a little insight from my POV.

Originally Posted by Pjere

This may be mildly irrelevant to your situation but I thought that I’d ask. eBay has spent a ton on this authentication process with high end packaging and utilizing grading companies to authenticate. Have you seen it make a difference from when they started the program up until you left in the amount of fake cards sent by sellers?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I felt like it ebbed and flowed. It was as though I would get a large flood of fakes, then it would be quiet for a month or two and it would happen again. I wondered if it was just fraudsters testing the waters again to see if they could get something by that they didn't get by previously.

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Kinda surprised that somebody with over 3000 posts has a username I don't ever recall seeing before. Recent name change, or did I miss 3019 of your posts?

As Leon has stated I have been around with the same name. I honestly don't recall your ID either. It just appears that our paths haven't crossed much. That said, I will go back and edit my profile now to put in my full name since this may be a little too close to an opinion and I don't want to break the rules.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Funny, I certainly recall your actual name! Just not your username, I guess!

[Fred]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

CSG/CGC is the company I came from. My references were to typical messages I would see in the community (message boards and social media). The only notes I would see in grading is if there was a min grade or auth only requested. Graders aren't opening and processing the mail, so unless it directly affects our grading of the card we wouldn't see it (like the submitter information).

I was hoping that "CSG" in the original post was at typo and that it was SGC instead. Please don't take this the wrong way but (IMHO) it would be more interesting if you worked for PSA or SGC because those are two biggest volume TPGs which means the business operations may be a little different because of the number of employees a larger TPG would have when compared to a smaller TPG. The biggest problem with TPGs is the consistency in how inconsistent the grading standards are applied to cards. Smaller TPGs probably do a better job than the larger TPGs (until they hit that point of no return and start acting like the larger TPGs).

So far, I've only purchased one card that is graded by CSG and it's graded correctly which helps build confidence in that TPG. I'm probably like most collectors and when I see any TPG slabbed card, I focus heavily on what I can actually see in scans/pictures (and many times, left shaking my head).

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Fred

I was hoping that "CSG" in the original post was at typo and that it was SGC instead. Please don't take this the wrong way but (IMHO) it would be more interesting if you worked for PSA or SGC because those are two biggest volume TPGs which means the business operations may be a little different because of the number of employees a larger TPG would have when compared to a smaller TPG. The biggest problem with TPGs is the consistency in how inconsistent the grading standards are applied to cards. Smaller TPGs probably do a better job than the larger TPGs (until they hit that point of no return and start acting like the larger TPGs).



So far, I've only purchased one card that is graded by CSG and it's graded correctly which helps build confidence in that TPG. I'm probably like most collectors and when I see any TPG slabbed card, I focus heavily on what I can actually see in scans/pictures (and many times, left shaking my head).

That is fine that you prefer those two companies. Again I no longer work in the industry, so it means nothing to me. SGC doesn't do eBay authentication.

[steve B]

Possibly not answerable, but was there pressure or expectations of you for quickness?

Like them wanting a certain number of cards per hour or day? (Obviously that number would be secret)

[Svabinsky78]

Always liked CSG. I was a bit bummed out when they went CGC route. I always thought CSG graders were fair and accurate. With the exception of one card (where I missed a surface issue), their grade was either spot on or 1/2 grade in one or the other direction with my prediction (and I am conservative). It was never the PSA Russian roulette. And the CSG slabs are lovely.

My CSG 61 Kaat. Really sharp and clean card. Those scratches in the upper right are on the case, not the card.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

That is fine that you prefer those two companies. Again I no longer work in the industry, so it means nothing to me. SGC doesn't do eBay authentication.

To say I prefer those companies is a bit inaccurate. I used to like SGC more than PSA, then SGC turned into PSA-Jr with all the inconsistent grading. At this point, I don't care for either PSA or SGC. However, I'm encouraged by what I've seen from CSG (from a grading standpoint). I won't pretend to say I understand the ebay authentication "thing".

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Fred

I was hoping that "CSG" in the original post was at typo and that it was SGC instead. Please don't take this the wrong way but (IMHO) it would be more interesting if you worked for PSA or SGC because those are two biggest volume TPGs which means the business operations may be a little different because of the number of employees a larger TPG would have when compared to a smaller TPG. The biggest problem with TPGs is the consistency in how inconsistent the grading standards are applied to cards. Smaller TPGs probably do a better job than the larger TPGs (until they hit that point of no return and start acting like the larger TPGs).

CSG (now CGC) grades more cards per month that SGC, just FYI. Here are the number of items graded by TPG for last month.

..

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Snowman

CSG (now CGC) grades more cards per month that SGC, just FYI. Here are the number of items graded by TPG for last month.

..

I wonder how many of those are Pokey-Man.

And for Andy: How incredbly tired are you of Pokemon? Do card graders get flooded with violent thoughts whenever they run into anything Pokeman-related in the course of their daily lives?

[parkplace33]

Great post! Thanks for starting the thread.

Question for you.. What is CSG's plan on grading more vintage? Is this a priority? or are they not concentrating on it? I haven't seen much CSG vintage at card shows or in auctions.

[JustinD]

Thanks for opening the secret door a tad Andy!

One question that you may or may not be able to answer, how much time do you feel is spent on average looking at a singular card? Is their a company standard for review time?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I understand wanting a look behind the curtains, but I can't really talk about the process. But it is worth mentioning again that we were all collectors, so we understood the mindset of a collector wanting an item that would be hard (or even impossible) to replace if they didn't get the item now no matter the condition.

I know from experience that this empathetic understanding does not stop CSG from unilaterally nixing a deal between a consenting buyer and consenting seller who reached a deal on eBay and who do not care one white for a fourth parties consent to their deal.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Leon

old age.....
.

Not yet, but I've certainly been getting some reminders that I'm not the young guy who started in this hobby so long ago.