PSA MK (Mark)

[jimhopkins82]

Hey, just have a question. I know that MC usually means a valuation of 2 grades below normal and was wondering if the same applies for MK. I bought a PSA 6 MK T206 at a considerable discount from its PSA 4's usual price and was wondering.

[seablaster]

Jim, I think your question is a good one but the answer is multifactorial. The question of value applies to each individual card and cannot be generalized in my opinion. If the MK was perhaps period writing, many collectors would value that over random stray marks. Eye appeal is also critical for most collectors. If you could post an image of the card in question, I think you would get a more accurate response here.

[jimhopkins82]

Hey, here is picture of the back. Its a line thru Piedmont.

[iwantitiwinit]

I'd say you may have answered your own question depending on where you bought the card. If you bought it on ebay I'd say the value is exactly what you paid, there are no t206 "deals" on ebay anymore.

[seablaster]

So, the stray line would detract from the value of the card in my opinion. Taking into account the common back and the mark not being overly offensive, the front appearance and the condition of the corners would be paramount. If the PSA 6 MK had nice centering, bold colors, good registration, etc., I would favor it over a mediocre PSA 4 with slightly rounded corners. It's even better if the price was competitive.

A lot of folks collect cards in the VGish to VG-EX range because there is a lot of variability in how these cards appear. They also seem to be priced more reasonably than EX+ cards. Again, this is only my opinion.

[jimhopkins82]

Thanks, I didn't buy it for resale purposes, just curious if there was a semi-rule for future dealings.