PSA Response from President Steve Sloan

[steve B]

Originally Posted by drcy

I wondered a while, back but, with the continuing onslaught and publicity, I think it will deeply affect PSA. Even if collectors still collect PSA, I find it hard to believe that minor increments in grade (8 versus 9, 9 versus 10) will have the same valuation.

Duly note, I think professional grading, in theory, is a good thing. I think it's good to have an independent authenticator (something they're good at), and can understand the desire for a quick hird opinion on grade in online sales. However, I've loooong thought the fetish for number grades wasn't based (much less priced) in anything rational. The chickens have come home to roose on the latter, and much it lays not at the feet of graders but the collectors.

I think this could actually possibly be the death knell for PSA, and, at the least, the scandal will alter how graded cards are prices (and obviously downward not upward). I don't see how collectors will price graded cards the same way they used to.

I predict that, for one reason and/or other (legal, financial), PWCC will be gone before long.

The funny thing (not necessarily as in ha ha funny) is PWCC was an advisement advisor and building things up as investments, but will have himself tanked the investments.

Sadly, I don't think it will affect them at all.
Return the card to the seller-
The seller who is crooked, and will simply crack out and resubmit to get a new "clean" serial number.
PSA gets a bit more money, the cards are now "fine" and get resold in a year or two, or maybe less. The people who buy the PSA line, or for whom it's all about the money will still pay big bucks for the same cards that they had to return earlier. The only ones happy are PSA and the seller.

[drcy]

Originally Posted by steve B

Sadly, I don't think it will affect them at all.
Return the card to the seller-
The seller who is crooked, and will simply crack out and resubmit to get a new "clean" serial number.
PSA gets a bit more money, the cards are now "fine" and get resold in a year or two, or maybe less. The people who buy the PSA line, or for whom it's all about the money will still pay big bucks for the same cards that they had to return earlier. The only ones happy are PSA and the seller.

Unless drastic changes in grading are done, I don't think graded cards will be priced the same in the future. Collectors can be stupid, but not that stupid.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by drcy

Unless drastic changes in grading are done, I don't think graded cards will be priced the same in the future. Collectors can be stupid, but not that stupid.

Sure they can be. Look at all the people who turned a blind eye to PWCC's shenanigans even as some of us called them out over the years. I wouldn't call it stupidity though, I would call it more wishful thinking and misplaced trust.

[steve B]

And the ones asking if it's actually illegal, and the ones still supporting PSA.. and ….

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by steve B

And the ones asking if it's actually illegal, and the ones still supporting PSA.. and ….

All eyes in jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.

[ruth_rookie]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

All eyes in jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. A little Simon and Garfunkel never hurt anyone.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by ruth_rookie

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. A little Simon and Garfunkel never hurt anyone.

I once cut myself opening a Wednesday Morning 3am CD...

[drcy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Sure they can be. Look at all the people who turned a blind eye to PWCC's shenanigans even as some of us called them out over the years. I wouldn't call it stupidity though, I would call it more wishful thinking and misplaced trust.

It doesn't take everyone, but a portion of collectors changing their valuation of grading and collecting to affect prices.

If a percentage of collectors, and investors, change their buying habits or quit, that will affect prices.

So not everyone has to wise up, just a significant percentage, to alter pricing.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by drcy

Unless drastic changes in grading are done, I don't think graded cards will be priced the same in the future. Collectors can be stupid, but not that stupid.

About half this country is pretty effing stupid. Apply that metric to the hobby and PSA could thrive on that number indefinitely.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by conor912

About half this country is pretty effing stupid. Apply that metric to the hobby and PSA could thrive on that number indefinitely.

Look around and listen the next time you are at a card show. Not the brightest LEDs on the circuit.

[drcy]

Originally Posted by conor912

About half this country is pretty effing stupid. Apply that metric to the hobby and PSA could thrive on that number indefinitely.

"Think about how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are stupider than that."-- George Carlin

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by drcy

"Think about how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are stupider than that."-- George Carlin

“In Lake Wobegon all the children are above average.” - Garrison Keillor

Speaking of Minnesota, I saw George Carlin live in MN.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by steve B

Sadly, I don't think it will affect them at all.
Return the card to the seller-
The seller who is crooked, and will simply crack out and resubmit to get a new "clean" serial number.
PSA gets a bit more money, the cards are now "fine" and get resold in a year or two, or maybe less. The people who buy the PSA line, or for whom it's all about the money will still pay big bucks for the same cards that they had to return earlier. The only ones happy are PSA and the seller.

This is actually a huge potential concern. What should happen with the altered cards, once returned? If they're re-submitted, they'll probably pass once again, and PSA garners even more money on the secondary authentication fees.

They are discussing the topic on Blowout... some believe that subsequent destruction of the card is the only proper solution. Others have suggested a "hole punch" be applied. Perhaps Moser and the like would eventually find a way to mask the hole punch.

But if nothing else comes of this, hopefully some type of governing body or Law Enforcement can find a way to ensure these bogus cards are never re-circulated. If we leave it to PSA or PWCC, we are pretty much doomed.

[Peter_Spaeth]

How is he perfectly matching the ink when he recolors these tiny spots?

[JeremyW]

i've seen cards that are not perfectly matched & still sneak by.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

How is he perfectly matching the ink when he recolors these tiny spots?

Into at least the early 80's, any color that wasn't straight CMYK was mixed by hand, and most printing inks don't lighten/darken after drying.

It's not hard to mix the color to match. And even easier of you have access to one of the color matching devices. Some paint stores have them, scans the supplied chip and gives what to mix to get an exact match. They probably exist for printing too.

On the scans I've seen, the match wouldn't even have to be all that good. A nice high res scan is almost as good as having the card in hand.

[Republicaninmass]

Plus, if he is able to remove the gloss, or a portion of it, then wax or buff the surface, it would make it less noticeable. I'll reiterate, when the areas are pointed out, it's very obvious in some cases

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Plus, if he is able to remove the gloss, or a portion of it, then wax or buff the surface, it would make it less noticeable. I'll reiterate, when the areas are pointed out, it's very obvious in some cases

Been saying the same thing....it’s blatant