Another Grading Question

[xdrx]

I've read some posts here (none of which I can find at the moment) which indicate that you can get some sort of explanation or details about why a card graded a certain way.

I've had SGC completely ignore a request I sent in along those lines, and have been told on the phone by PSA that they don't discuss grades or provide any details about a grade.

Has anyone gotten any sort of explanation about grades from either SGC or PSA (or anyone else)? Is there a trick? (maybe you have to be a big time customer?) I'm really feeling like I should have taken a few hundred dollar bills and used them to light cigars rather than waste money on grading at this point. And I don't even smoke cigars...

Thanks.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by xdrx

Has anyone gotten any sort of explanation about grades from either SGC or PSA (or anyone else)? Is there a trick? (maybe you have to be a big time customer?) I'm really feeling like I should have taken a few hundred dollar bills and used them to light cigars rather than waste money on grading at this point. And I don't even smoke cigars...

Thanks.

As far as I know, none of the TPGs will explain their grades. It would just be too much work and too time consuming as they would have to do it for everybody.

I have had SGC explain to me why cards would not cross over. For example, I sent in a T206 PSA 4 Molly Miller to SGC for a crossover and they would not cross it over to the grade requested (SGC 50 or 4). They informed me that it had a crease on the back and even pointed it out. Sure enough, they were right.

I also had a 1961 Topps Willie Mays that was graded a BVG 8 that I sent to SGC for cross over as well. I requested an 8 on that one and it wouldn't cross either. They told me it was trimmed on the bottom. I couldn't see it, but I'll take their word for it.

So, to answer your question, I think the only company to give explanations of grades is SGC and they'll only do that on cross overs that don't cross. I hope that helped.

Maybe you should post some scans of cards that you're confused about and we'll try to help you out. Maybe we can see something you don't.

[xdrx]

Thanks David. Maybe the comments I recall reading were about crossovers.

I was going to post some scans for review, but what I have is on white background and won't allow anyone to really be able to evaluate the corner wear, which is what this seems to come down to almost entirely. I need to accept that fact and move on. I keep thinking that the overall appearance of the card matters most, but the corners seem to drive the grades.

That would be a good thing for me if I was collecting again, as there are relative bargains out there that will only qualify for modest grades, and I'd certainly be a "buy the card, not the holder" guy. But as someone who is mostly in the selling mode, selling cards purchased when VG, EX, and Mint meant entirely different things, it is not so good. Oh well, that's life. It's only cardboard.