First PSA submission-54 Aaron, 57 Clemente qualifiers-now with pics

[gst22]

Hey guys-I got my first PSA submission return and had a question. I got two qualifiers, one on the 1954 Aaron which was a 4 MC and one was on the 57 Clemente which was a 7 ST. I am new to submitting cards so would you suggest that I send them back and have them graded without qualifiers or just leave them be? I sent 14 cards in this first batch and am a little disappointed with most coming in between 3 and 6.5. I knew they weren't 10's but thought that they were certainly higher than 3's.

Here are pics of the Clemente and Aaron that had qualifiers. I need to get better at pics

https://www.flickr.com/photos/189549.../shares/0MmN98

[robw1959]

It's really up to you. Do a cost vs value analysis on them. Decide if the cost (grading fees + shipping) is low enough to justify sending them back. Do understand, however, that it will probably be a long time before you will have them again, and when you do receive them, those grades will be appreciably lower.

Personally speaking, if I were in your shoes, I would be fine with having those PSA grades, even with the qualifiers. I would be very happy with them.

[Throttlesteer]

If the cards are for you, don't worry about it. If you're trying to sell them, then it's worth the consideration.

Buy yourself a jeweler's loupe (30x or better) and you'll find that you can get a lot closer to predicting your grades.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Throttlesteer

Buy yourself a jeweler's loupe (30x or better) and you'll find that you can get a lot closer to predicting your grades.

30x is way too powerful. That's what jewelers use. You will overpower your field with that. PSA themselves use 7-10x loups.

[gst22]

Is there a general rule of thumb when it comes to qualifiers?

Does a 4 MC usually = a straight 2 or 1.5?

[Throttlesteer]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

30x is way too powerful. That's what jewelers use. You will overpower your field with that. PSA themselves use 7-10x loups.

Maybe my eyes are that bad? It works great for me. I wouldn't wholly depend on it, as you still need to examine other attributes of the card. But, it works wonders for edges and corners. I've been able to guess my grades almost 9 times out of 10.

[swarmee]

MC qualifiers are not supposed to be removed. Same with MK.

OC or ST would be removed and the grade will slide at least 2 number grades down, depending on the severity of the issue.

Add: Also, if you post pictures, people will be able to better help you. If the ST is from wax on the front of the card, you may be able to wipe it off with a nylon. If it is gum or wax on the back of the card, less likely to be removed without altering the card.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Throttlesteer

Maybe my eyes are that bad? It works great for me. I wouldn't wholly depend on it, as you still need to examine other attributes of the card. But, it works wonders for edges and corners. I've been able to guess my grades almost 9 times out of 10.

Great. I'm just telling you what PSA themselves tells collectors.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Throttlesteer

Maybe my eyes are that bad? It works great for me. I wouldn't wholly depend on it, as you still need to examine other attributes of the card. But, it works wonders for edges and corners. I've been able to guess my grades almost 9 times out of 10.

I'm with you. I use 30x and I swear by it. It's nice being pleasantly surprised by grades because I am seeing more flaws instead of bummed out by them because I missed stuff.

[Edwolf1963]

Everyone has their own preferences here, personally I hate qualifiers. Points out/polarizes flaws which are often subjective. I’ve seen cards with centering issues and no qualifiers worse than some marked as “OC“. Last submission to PSA at a trade show, their rep said not a problem to note “no qualifiers” on the submission and they still sent a couple cards back with them .. I cracked them out and resubmitted to SGC. Again, that’s a personal preference thing and debatable whether or not you’ll see any monetary gain because of it.

Edit to add: Regarding your question about 4MC equaling 2 or 1.5, yes – that’s the general thought (about a two grade bump-down) .. but again, buyer subjective based on his/her own needs/taste

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Edwolf1963

I’ve seen cards with centering issues and no qualifiers worse than some marked as “OC“.

People never seem to understand that centering is on a sliding scale. A PSA 8 has a stricter centering requirement than a 4 or a 5. That's the reason for the phenomenon you are describing. A card could be centered 75/25 s-s on the front and get a PSA 8 (OC), but if it were only a 5 it would not get the qualifier.

I would agree it can certainly seem random. I understand the reason for qualifiers; if a card is otherwise a 7 and the only thing wrong with it is centering, it can be misleading to call it a 4 or 5 when other things can be inherently wrong with cards in those grades. So 8 or 7 (OC) is more informative. I would agree with you that I don't like qualifiers on the whole though, which is why I prefer SGC. Just give me a number that accounts for everything that might be wrong with the card. Especially since SGC has tightened up on centering this year, that can lead to more confusion. I have several '72 Topps cards that were given 5's or 5.5's just due to centering, otherwise glossy surfaces and crispy sharp corners. And it's questionable. I think some of them may have been PSA 7's.

[Edwolf1963]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

People never seem to understand that centering is on a sliding scale. A PSA 8 has a stricter centering requirement than a 4 or a 5. That's the reason for the phenomenon you are describing. A card could be centered 75/25 s-s on the front and get a PSA 8 (OC), but if it were only a 5 it would not get the qualifier.

The instances I was referring to were same/similar grade. IE: PSA 6 looking more off center than same marked 6 OC.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Edwolf1963

The instances I was referring to were same/similar grade. IE: PSA 6 looking more off center than same marked 6 OC.

That's just PSA being PSA. Probably due to different grading eras or their insistence to determine centering by eye instead of calculating it.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Edwolf1963

The instances I was referring to were same/similar grade. IE: PSA 6 looking more off center than same marked 6 OC.

6 (OC) is a rather rare grade. It would have to be OC more than 80/20, which gets into the area where cards can almost look like they are miscut.