PSA set to encapsulate "TYPE" Photographs & Signed photos as well...

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

Good to hear from you Hank. Been a long time.

Just to clarify one issue...the sky is not falling.

Also, PSA will not be grading photos in any way, shape, or form. For those that wish their photos to be graded, Beckett will do so.

Regards, Jimmy

I wasn't trying to be Chicken Little, just expressing my opinion on something I care about. Seems like a solution without a problem, but maybe I can be convinced. So tell me, who are going to be the beneficiaries here? And are you really looking forward to having all your beautiful photos encased in heavy plastic surrounded by a lot of color graphics? But most importantly for those on this board, will you still be able to start those great threads for the rest of us to enjoy?
Hank

[David Atkatz]

It is certainly a "solution without a problem." No one is printing photos today, and passing them off as "Type I." (Also a ridiculous and completely arbitrary concept, invented by dealers to fleece more customers. Either a photo was printed and used roughly when it was taken, or it was reprinted later. One year later, two years later, five years later? In general, no way to tell. Twenty years later? Yeah, you can determine that.)

PSA is not in business to "help the collector." PSA is in business to make money. And, by its very nature PSA's business will dry up (how many times can you resubmit the same card?), unless it comes up with new items to slab.
Autographs, checks (checks, fer chrissakes--do you really need PSA to tell you a check is genuine?), and now photos.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

It is certainly a "solution without a problem." No one is printing photos today, and passing them off as "Type I." (Also a ridiculous and completely arbitrary concept, invented by dealers to fleece more customers. Either a photo was printed and used roughly when it was taken, or it was reprinted later. One year later, two years later, five years later? In general, no way to tell. Twenty years later? Yeah, you can determine that.)

PSA is not in business to "help the collector." PSA is in business to make money. And, by its very nature PSA's business will dry up (how many times can you resubmit the same card?), unless it comes up with new items to slab.
Autographs, checks (checks, fer chrissakes--do you really need PSA to tell you a check is genuine?), and now photos.

Completely agree.... and when PSA's business does dry up (and they ultimately go out of business) how much clout will those slabs really carry?

When PSA is no longer a driving force, who will care whether a card was arbitrarily graded a "9" instead of an "8". The joke will be on the guy who paid twice as much money for the "9" (even though the "8" might well be nicer in appearance).

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

It is certainly a "solution without a problem." No one is printing photos today, and passing them off as "Type I." (Also a ridiculous and completely arbitrary concept, invented by dealers to fleece more customers. Either a photo was printed and used roughly when it was taken, or it was reprinted later. One year later, two years later, five years later? In general, no way to tell. Twenty years later? Yeah, you can determine that.)

PSA is not in business to "help the collector." PSA is in business to make money. And, by its very nature PSA's business will dry up (how many times can you resubmit the same card?), unless it comes up with new items to slab.
Autographs, checks (checks, fer chrissakes--do you really need PSA to tell you a check is genuine?), and now photos.

Right on, David! I have to totally agree with you on this one. IMHO this slabbing thing is getting way out of hand. PSA authenticating checks, now photos- yikes! Personally if I find an item that I particularly like that has been entombed, I crack the SOB open so I don't have to look at the eyesore in my collection.

[GKreindler]

I think there's a lot of validity to what David just said. Though PSA can certainly be noble in their causes, it is indeed a business first (as are most ventures in this hobby), and I don't think they would have signed on if they didn't think it could be profitable. And, I feel like in the end, the money does have to be in the mix to an extent.

I'm sure PSA wants to be the best at what they do in the hobby. With that in mind, I'm sure that Marshall and Yee will be responsible for adding a lot of legitimacy to the photo collecting through this venture. What's interesting is that it seems to me like the whole slabbing thing is more about educating people about what they're buying than it is making a buck. Most of the photo collectors I know are much more into the idea of bringing interest into their corner of the hobby for educational reasons, rather than financial. I'm sure in the end, there has to be a balance of noble causes and financial goals, but I guess the $60,000 question is, "when does it end?"

About six months ago, I heard from a collector of really high-end memorabilia that he was approached with the idea of slabbing and authenticating paintings. I don't know which company this was, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that it was PSA. If that was indeed true, it's bound to raise the same questions. As an artist, I would be appalled by that idea. But at the same time, maybe it would open my work up to a larger audience, and legitimize it for people I never could have reached otherwise.

Take this all with a grain of salt - just thought I'd give my two cents.

Graig