PSA grading policies

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Did anyone else find this interesting? In the June 2007 issue of SMR, page 14, Joe Orlando, in a column called "Card Grading & Urban Legend" states:

"... the vast majority of cards are graded with the naked eye."

Also,

"Graders will measure the card if they think the card needs to actually be measured."

In other words, submitted cards are not routinely measured and loupes are not used as a matter of course. It is also my understanding that the graders do not wear gloves.

True, measuring a card will not necessarily prove trimming but isn't it a good place to start? And doesn't a loupe make it a lot easier to spot a trim or some added color? No mention of black light examination was mentioned.

I wonder if most PSA customers assume all of these things are being done?

Any thoughts?

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

So then, they establish authenticity by use of the Force?

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Posted By: Dave Hornish

I would really like to think if I submit a card to a grading service they would:

a) measure it

b) use a loupe or other magnifying device and

c) use cotton gloves.

WOW!

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Posted By: Peter Spaeth

What y'all may be overlooking is that if you grade cards hour after hour day after day you probably develop an innate sense of when a card looks too small.

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Posted By: mr. moses

shouldn't they then get a discounted price? Toungue in cheek of course. I don't weigh in one way or another on grading. I would prefer an unbiased professional opinion along with my own about whether the card is as it should be (the integrity of the card) on expensive cards. I would prefer the "extra eye" I have on my what-are-becoming-costly cards to use strict scientifically based testing. Additionally i would expect them to supplement that with wisdom accrued from observing many altered cards and understanding the current capabilities utilized by those that would chose to separate one from their money. My cards are not important enough - my bids are not high enough - I have but one voice. I guess it was naive of me to think the value of one's card submission might dictate the scrutiny it receives. Ooooops. Too bad they didn't specify the amount of attention they would pay to a card at what specific levels. I collect graded and ungraded cards. I encourage others to collect what they want to in the manner they chose. I DO think it important at times to consider exactly where you spend your money and what you are actually getting........

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Posted By: Calleocho

How much does it cost to authenticate coins? stamps? diamonds? comic books?

Grading costs for baseball cards are quite cheap actually and prices have actually gone done or stayed flat for many years.

I wonder if collectors would pay 50 bucks per card to any grading company. thats what it would probably cost to have your cards throughly inspected with the lastest tools and a good amount of time not to mention a team of the best authenticators in each category ...

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Posted By: James Gallo

shouldn't they then get a discounted price? Toungue in cheek of course. I don't weigh in one way or another on grading. I would prefer an unbiased professional opinion along with my own about whether the card is as it should be (the integrity of the card) on expensive cards. I would prefer the "extra eye" I have on my what-are-becoming-costly cards to use strict scientifically based testing. Additionally i would expect them to supplement that with wisdom accrued from observing many altered cards and understanding the current capabilities utilized by those that would chose to separate one from their money. My cards are not important enough - my bids are not high enough - I have but one voice. I guess it was naive of me to think the value of one's card submission might dictate the scrutiny it receives. Ooooops. Too bad they didn't specify the amount of attention they would pay to a card at what specific levels. I collect graded and ungraded cards. I encourage others to collect what they want to in the manner they chose. I DO think it important at times to consider exactly where you spend your money and what you are actually getting........


OH PLEEESE.

I sent a 1993 Derek Jeter Rookie to PSA in one of the bulk groups and it came back trimmed. Since I broke the seal on the set myself I knew it wasn't trimmed. I sent is back and it got a PSA 9.

So your telling me someone could tell that a card from 1993 wasn't trimmed but I am supposed to trust them to tell me that 100 year old cards are trimmed.

As for the cost of grading cards, it compares very closey to coins. Comics are larger and have a lot more to look over so the should cost more.

I think at 8-10 a card the companies are making a good amount of cash.

James G

Looking for 1915 Cracker Jacks and 1909-11 American Caramel E90-1.

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Posted By: Calleocho

Sure companies make money at 8 -10 bucks per card ...they probably do quite alright considering even GAI stays in the biz.

The problem is how easily collectors complaint about issues like " not enough time per card" , " not enough qualified people " etc

A company could offer these extra services...but how many people would pay for them?

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Posted By: mr. moses

my post James or I was not clear (not unusual for me). Basically it was a lament that if I wanted someone to look my cards over with me, but I wish I could find someone qualified that made me feel more confident of their abilities to represent MY interests... I don't buy a lot of high dollar cards anyway but if I did and didn't have a micrometer and whatever else might be available to insure it's stated integrity - I'd want another opinion too.
(edited to add: and not just someone who "thinks' it needs a closer look.)

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Posted By: barrysloate

One of the questions I've brought up is since there are various grading tiers ranging from roughly $10 to $100, is do the top tier cards get a much more thorough look? I feel a T206 Plank should be examined more carefully than a T206 Nattress, because so much more is at stake.

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Posted By: Paul S

May I please have the name of the grader who does not use a loupe? I'm sending all my raws to him/her.

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Posted By: Neal Kane

I am a PSA buyer and I never assumed that all of those methods were being practiced for every card grading. I have used a loupe on occasion, but I don't use a black light, and I most certainly do not wear cotton gloves. The only thing that surprised me about that article was that Orlando actually printed it and potentially open up yet another PSA Pandora's box.

I am not a big time submitter, but I have been very accurate in what grades I expected and what I received.

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Posted By: JK

The failure to use a loupe would certainly explain why psa consistently misses small creases in many midgrade cards.

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Posted By: Mark F.

First off, hello everyone. This is my first post on the boards. I wanted to comment on the 'glove' policy. In my days of submitting shiny cards, there are always a few that ended up getting smudged by the grader's oily fingerprints. It would get encapsulated like this and it ends up looking very sloppy within the holder. I feel they should be using some type of gloves when handling your cards...

Mark

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Posted By: jay wolt

I have been to many shows where PSA/SGC/GAI have done on site
grading and frankly I don't remember seeing any graders wearing gloves.
Maybe some had them on and I just didn't notice, but I don't think its
a business standard. Then agin how many submitters wore gloves when they
submitted cards and packaged them? I never have.

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Posted By: barrysloate

To respond to Mark's first post- welcome Mark- many times when I have gone to auction previews to examine lots I have been told I must wear white gloves, which the auction house provides. You would think that would be standard with graders, too.

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Posted By: Rob

The feeling I get is if I spend ~ $15 to send in a nice T206 Cobb for grading services, chances are it will be looked at intensely with many of the latest gadgets (loupes, micrometers, whatever). But if I send in a common t206 in rough shape, it will probably get looked at quickly w/o extra time taken to see if color was added or at the surface to see if pencil marks previously existed or if it was professionally rebacked etc.?

If I spend the same money, I expect the same service no matter what kind of card I submit. Don't discriminate against the poor man!

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Posted By: Jim Dale

There was quite an article actually published by Beckett some time back that didn't really benefit their grading services. It gave the impression the cards got less then 20 to 30 seconds of actual review by a grader; more time was put into slabbing, data entry, registration numbers, etc. They did say one person looked at cards for authenticity and a different person for grade quality. It was kind of interesting - I think its on their message board still.

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Posted By: Mark F.

PSA is usually good for at least one mislabel per order, too. Not sure about SGC...

Mark

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

To chime in on Mark's comments about gloves - when I was in junior high band playing clarinet there was a kid who sat next to me whose oily hands, over time, actually removed the chrome from his clarinet keys. An extreme case to be sure but gloves to me seem like a prudent precaution when grading cards.