Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff1970Red
It would be nice if the grading companies provided or offered at an additional fee an explanation with the grade. I am interested in knowing what the blemishes are. It should be standard when paying a premium grading fee. The grader's name/initials should be attached the grade as well.
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I can't say about PSA, but in person SGC might do this for free depending on schedule and what's going on.
They gave me a quick accurate explanation without charge on a couple cards that I'd had done a year + before the show. It may have helped that I'd just dropped off about 10 easy ones for grading at the show and they were a bit slow right then. (And by easy I mean T206 blank backs, a CB red Cobb that was going to be either a 10 or A and at least one other)
Here's one of the ones I had them check.
There's a tiny flake off the surface of one corner. A bit less than the head of a pin size, centering isn't perfect but not all that bad. Registration is a bit off, corners nicer than the scan, but not perfect. I couldn't quite figure out the 50.
The guy pointed out a tiny wrinkle on the front about halfway up the left side which I'd missed. Front only, and only goes as far as the frameline. When I asked about the written standard showing spider wrinkles as Ok up to 70 he said the grades are cumulative. Perfect card with the same little wrinkle =70 Nice looking card with 5 very minor flaws =50.
The other one looked nearly as nice, but only got a 40. That one had an erasure of a very light pencil mark right in the middle of the back. That I'd missed since maybe 1980
With the explanation I'm a lot more comfortable with the grades. And pretty impressed that they spotted all that. The guy at the table took all of maybe one minute to look over both cards.
If a card won't grade, and you elect to not slab as "A" you usually get at least a brief explanation.
Top and bottom edges are factory, but cut with a dull blade. The front rounding and back ridge of a factory cut are VERY pronounced. And the edge of the ridge is quite rough.
Thinking about how even slightly undersize cards are viewed by some, I can understand why the declined to give it a number.
Speaking of creases....... From the submission at the show. A grade I feel is a bit generous. I'd hoped for a 30, expected a 20, would have been very pleased with a 35
And an earlier one, with a crease down the center either from removal from a page, or that I did getting it out of the mylar slip inside a toploader.
Just a tip, the mylar will eventually press out the air between itself and the toploader making it truly stuck. I can only wonder what it would be without that.
Making things easy may have also helped get the free review. When I handed him the stack I was dropping off, he got to the Cobb, kinda paused and said "umm .....I can't do this one at the onsite grading price tier, it's worth a bit more. So I asked how much, and after a pause he gave me a price for the stack that worked out to maybe another ten bucks to do the Cobb. Done deal, see you in an hour or two. I'd hate to think that influenced the Young grading, but I'll probably always wonder.
Steve B