Yet another 14 CJ thread. Question regarding staining and grading.
 

I have seen 14 CJs with stains all over graded the same as an otherwise similar card with little or no staining. Is this common? I understand that the 14s only came in the CJ boxes and were often stained by the caramel, but do the TPGs take this into account when grading? I know with an issue like Caramelo Deportivos that were made to be glued into a book, the grading companies are merciless. Then I see a CJ 14 graded SGC 50 with SGC 50 corners and SGC 50 centering but it looks like it was taken from the bottom of a spittoon. Then I will see an SGC 50 with SGC 50 corners and SGC 50 centering with almost no staining at all graded the same.

Is this just luck of the draw with who grades the card? Is it unique to the CJ 14s because of how they were packaged? Are the companies any more or less lenient than they were in the past?

Sorry. The day wouldn't be complete without a new CJ 14 post.

Tom C

You're right, all we ask is consistency...

Tom I recently made this exact point to another board member just a couple weeks ago. We're all aware and have discussed the inconsistencies of third party grading here many times over until we've become blue in the face.

The discrepancy and inconsistency in grading though that we see from both PSA and a SGC in regards to the 1914 Crackerjack set is down right laughable. With the differential in value between a vg, vg/ex or ex example being so great it's pretty disheartening.

I hear ya Tony, but could it be comparable to OJs and their grades versus image quality? You can have a Vg/Ex Oj that so faded it really detracts from the card even though technically its a 4. Clean CJs with great, clean color just pop and can make a cad that's technically Gd look bu-tee-ful if its clean. I have found that paying a premium always goes with a clean CJ, just like the image on an OJ. I usually miss the boat though...

Hiya Steve,

No doubt OJ's fall into a similar category. Personally I look at those differently though. Yes we've seen some examples in mid to high grade with an image you can barely make out, but for the most part lower graded examples we see are due to paper loss on the reverse.

There really doesn't seem to be a specific consistent criteria third party grading follows though when it comes to 14 CJ's. I see so many with a nice clean front and back with no creases yet have a spot or two of staining and range from vg to ex. Drives me nuts!

My beef is that you will also see many cards with stains covering a majority of the card in the same grade range. There can be two SGC 40 CJ 14s with similar corners and centering but one with a small stain on the back and the other with stains covering the entire card.

If the stains do not enter into the grading then fine. If they should then fine. Problem is there seems to be little rhyme or reason. A monkey throwing s*** against a wall has more accuracy and consistency it would seem.

Tom C

Yup.........

I have heard different things over the years with regards to 1914's and stains. In fact I was told recently that Psa will no longer give any 1914 with a stain a grade over 4. But I tend to doubt that.

What I do know for certain with Psa is that when they get a really, really nice 1914, a card in the 8 range, then the qualifiers kick in. That's why so many of the Psa 8 1914's (and there's not many) have a stain or OC qualifier. Someone, sometime at Psa made a rule about that.