Lowering Expectations � Submitting Cards to PSA

JollyElm · #1 04-12-2023, 04:08 PM

There has been an incredibly marked increase in the number of 'lower' graded cards on display and up for sale at the shows I've been to recently. The vast majority of the PSA cards fit into the 'Frontsixer' category, where they were graded very recently (as seen by cert numbers beginning with a 6). Harshness definitely abounds!!

745. �Four is the New Seven� (adage)
As old cards are regularly being hammered by the new brutality of the TPGs, lower slab numbers are not only the order of the day, but are now more acceptable to collectors than ever before.

Republicaninmass · #2 04-12-2023, 04:50 PM

Always thought keeping a large quality of cash in mid grade commons was a fools errand.

Touch'EmAll · #3 04-12-2023, 06:18 PM

I have been involved with grading for many years, since soon after PSA even started.

Recently I had a '69 Aaron, looked a lock for an 8 and closer to a 9 than a 7. Near perfect centering, no tilt, very nice color focus & gloss, super clean back, 4 corners sharp front & back. Came back a 7. Very disappointed.

And I just picked up a 1973/4 Cassius Clay SGC 7. Compared it up against my PSA 8. Holy cow! The SGC 7 appears honest to goodness MINT 9. If it were in a 9 holder I wouldn't bat an eye - yes, most deservedly so, and would have been very happy with the card even knowing I paid a 9 price.

Then there is always the I didn't see something the graders caught.

BobbyStrawberry · #4 04-12-2023, 07:37 PM

2-3 grade reduction seems to be the norm these days. Just wait until they change their label and start the whole process over again! 1 will be the new 7.

Touch'EmAll · #5 04-12-2023, 08:26 PM

It has been mentioned that the very old certs don't quite get the higher prices of new certs.

Ok, but my old cert T206 Cobb is in a PSA 5 holder. If I submitted for grading now, lets say it comes back a PSA 4. Then wouldn't my older cert 5 be worth more than a new cert 4 ?

donmuth · #6 04-12-2023, 09:15 PM

They should take current 8's, 9's, and 10's and just call them all 10's and then re-distribute things below that like they should be. The so-called grading standards they are using are NOT consistent with what long time collectors know to be the standards.

Bigdaddy · #7 04-12-2023, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donmuth

They should take current 8's, 9's, and 10's and just call them all 10's and then re-distribute things below that like they should be. The so-called grading standards they are using are NOT consistent with what long time collectors know to be the standards.

I completely agree, but just like your algebra teacher, they grade on a bell curve. This ensures that the quantity of the higher grades decrease exponentially, which translates to exponentially higher prices and a generally higher demand for cards to be re-subbed at higher price levels. It just wouldn't make $$ sense for the graders to lump together all those cards that you and I can't tell apart without magnification and different light sources.

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