Interesting email I have not seen

[Peter_Spaeth]

Maybe these folks can help.

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Maybe these folks can help.

Nope. Pretty sure they don't want to talk about it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Maybe these folks can help.

There is nothing in the room to see. Really. Move along sheeple.....

[h2oya311]

yikes, I can't believe I wrote that 5+ years ago...my blood still boils!

[silvor]

So much for the graders not knowing who's cards they are grading.

[Empty77]

But anyone yet noticed the possibly unfair dual criticism?: that on the one hand we complain that PSA gets so many wrong because they don't spend enough time/effort examining an individual item, and now here also complaining about a process where they are asked to take a more definitive look to get it "right".

granted not in the ideal or apparently equal manner, but it should not be disregarded that more careful attention needed when grading is a piece of the puzzle...

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Empty77

But anyone yet noticed the possibly unfair dual criticism?: that on the one hand we complain that PSA gets so many wrong because they don't spend enough time/effort examining an individual item, and now here also complaining about a process where they are asked to take a more definitive look to get it "right".

granted not in the ideal or apparently equal manner, but it should not be disregarded that more careful attention needed when grading is a piece of the puzzle...

When a big spending submitter gets a private meeting with a grader, is it really just a cordial "Say, maybe you can spend another half minute triple-checking those corners" kind of thing?

Or is it more like "Look, we're spending $10,000 this month alone; we need this 5 to become a 6?

I don't know the answer (I don't get the special private sessions with graders) but I have to wonder why the in-person session is even necessary, after a card has already been submitted and then re-submitted.

[Empty77]

I know what you mean and concerned for the same reason.

But trying to work through it logically, the big dealer/AH is going to spend the $10k anyway, since in practice PSA is the "only" game in town, and both sides know it...so since they know it, it doesn't seem like from a business perspective that PSA should be vulnerable to that sort of pressure, since they have nothing to gain (going to get and keep getting the $10k's no matter what) and can only lose longerm in the event that buyers were to catch on if their stuff seemed to tend to be overgraded.

Of course all this is just theorizing what motivates people and how they think, but the above seems right to me. If the hypothetical 5 doesn't bump and stays a 5, then what's the pusher going to do? Take the stack of $10k fees to a competitor and give them the wink-wink? Let's say that one gives the 6. We already know an SGC or BGS 6 will sell less than the PSA 5 anyway, so it doesn't increase their margin, which is why they don't go elsewhere and PSA has months long turn-around-times, and that's why it *seems* like PSA shouldn't be at that sort of friendly-overgrading risk.