Goldin Gem MT Ryan rookie

[Jim65]

So a 10 can have 75/25 centering on the back, what grade do they give an identical card but with 50/50 centering? An 11? I mean one card would clearly be nicer but they get the same exact grade. Why do people buy into this crap?

[swarmee]

Well, remember. Here are your options nowadays with the three major graders:
Mint 9: PSA, BGS, and SGC (old 96)
Mint+ 9.5: SGC
Gem Mint 9.5: BGS
Gem Mint 10: SGC (old 98), PSA
Pristine 10: SGC (old 100), BGS
Pristine Black Label 10 (all four subgrades are 10s): BGS

And that's not counting all the trimmed and altered cards (scratches on chrome cards buffed out with car wax) "earning" all of these Mint grades.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Well, remember. Here are your options nowadays with the three major graders:
Mint 9: PSA, BGS, and SGC (old 96)
Mint+ 9.5: SGC
Gem Mint 9.5: BGS
Gem Mint 10: SGC (old 98), PSA
Pristine 10: SGC (old 100), BGS
Pristine Black Label 10 (all four subgrades are 10s): BGS

And that's not counting all the trimmed and altered cards (scratches on chrome cards buffed out with car wax) "earning" all of these Mint grades.

So the Pristine Black Label 10 would be a perfect card or does that allow minor O/C as well?

[swarmee]

Pristine black label requires a 10 centering which is supposedly defined as 50/50 both ways on the front, and like 52/48 one way on the back, as far as I remember. So pretty darn close.

But there's a recent picture of a 2019 Panini Prizm Black Label Zion Williamson card show on Blowout that has like 60/40 left-right centering on the front. So even when they have rules, they don't follow them. And I remember seeing a Mahomes last year that had similar immediately noticeable centering issues that got a 10 centering subgrade.

Neither company seems to grade "borderless"/full-bleed cards with much consistency, relying on the eyeball test rather than actually measuring.

[puckpaul]

And then I get really confused by Nm-MT 8 (oc) grades. If centering helps determine the grade, than just give a grade and not a qualifier!?

[JollyElm]

Coming soon to theaters, PSA, in association with Warner Bros. Pictures, presents...

"10 OC"

boderek10oc.jpg

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by puckpaul

And then I get really confused by Nm-MT 8 (oc) grades. If centering helps determine the grade, than just give a grade and not a qualifier!?

So a card can be 90/10 on the front and PSA claims they would give a card that off-centered a 3.
https://www.psacard.com/resources/gr...andards/#cards

However, the card could be in wonderful shape and that is the only major flaw. So PSA says the card is effectively NM-MT except for the issue of it being off-centered. Those vintage cards that are in great shape (pack fresh!) aren't really as bad as VG 3 which normally would have a crease and some rounding of the corners. As such, they award it 8(OC) and it counts as a PSA 6 equivalent for a registry set, and normally sells for a PSA 5 to PSA 6 price.

The link above also talks about the other items that PSA considers qualifiers: OF, MK, MC, etc.