The Value of the 8.5 Grade--One of My Largest Trades Ever

[Davalillo]

Just to correct a couple of things that I think Barry said:

1)Most PSA 8s have been submitted for bumps. I have sent in 8200 and have about 20,700
To go.

2)Reza will pull the card out of the holder if he believes it is altered.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Most alterations are subtle and are not going to be obvious in the holder especially if one is not looking hard for them. I seriously doubt many cards have been pulled by Reza or anyone else at PSA, or by any other grading company for that matter, in a resubmission process.

[barrysloate]

Jim- I am very glad to hear that they won't reholder an altered card. That's great.

Regarding your point that you have 20,000+ 8's and have only sent in about 8,000...well, most people don't have nearly that many.

[botn]

Certainly is one way to accumulate cards but I am glad I am not beholden to the high grade flip. I am also very skeptical that Reza has PSA buy back much of anything but especially anything material.

When the half grade was initially introduced PSA gave written assurance that the card either bumped or it was returned in the holder it was submitted. Those were the only two options. The assumption was that everything they had graded was either right on or too conservative.

[Leon]

First of all, congrats to Jim for what looks to be a great trade he made. I always am happy when other collectors get excited about collecting. That is, to me, what collecting is all about.

As for the PSA half grade debate. Anyone with half a brain can see it was a money grab, pure and simple. More great marketing by PSA if you ask me. Kudo's to Joe and gang for that. Honestly, when that money grab peters out I wouldn't be surprised to see some other great revelation in their grading. I am thinking that if they could go to .25 of a grade, they will make even more money!! The possibilities are really almost limitless.

[Jewish-collector]

Why doesn't PSA just go to a 1-100 grade scale ?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

Why doesn't PSA just go to a 1-100 grade scale ?

You mean like SGC? Where there is a 20 point gap between EX and EX/MT, and a 4 point gap between NM and NM/MT?

[bbeck]

Originally Posted by Davalillo

Just to correct a couple of things that I think Barry said:

1)Most PSA 8s have been submitted for bumps. I have sent in 8200 and have about 20,700
To go.

2)Reza will pull the card out of the holder if he believes it is altered.

I attempted a bump submission on a PSA 8 1966 Topps Pete Rose from my own 1966 Topps set registry that looked like an easy PSA 9. The card was centered with no corner wear. It came back in the PSA 8 holder (3 cards were bumped from the 20 card submission) I decided to crack the card out and submit in a regular submission. It came back trimmed. I attempted once more a month later and it came back trimmed again. Must have been a fairly obvious trim job to two different graders, I guess Reza missed that one.

[Peter_Spaeth]

The ultimate act of courage would be cracking out a large number of PSA, or SGC, 8s or 9s.

[Davalillo]

BBeck,

Or else the card was graded in the pre-Reza era. Although I think Mike Baker is an excellent gradfer, things were so frantic in this era I think a number of altered cards slipped through.

Howard38,

There are dramatically fewer vintage 10s than 9s. There are dramaticaLly fewer 8s than 9s. So it would stand to reason that there are a lot more 8 to 8.49s than 8.50s to 8.99s.

[botn]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The ultimate act of courage would be cracking out a large number of PSA, or SGC, 8s or 9s.

That is almost as funny as Jim's comment to BBeck:

Or else the card was graded in the pre-Reza era. Although I think Mike Baker is an excellent gradfer, things were so frantic in this era I think a number of altered cards slipped through.

[Davalillo]

Greg,

Just so I can be in on the joke do you not think Mike Baker is an excellent grader?

Or do you think as many cards slip through under Reza?

You know I respect your views and you are a tell it like it is guy so please elaborate.

Jim

[WhenItWasAHobby]

Jim,

You've state that you've sent in 8,000 card for review and that Reza will remove any cards from their holders that he believes to be altered.

So my question is this. How many cards out of your 8,000 have been returned as altered?

[calvindog]

Jim, I think what Greg was trying to say is that there are an extraordinary amount of trimmed cards that get by PSA yesterday, today and tomorrow. There are many people who earn a great living trimming cards and getting them past PSA yesterday, today and tomorrow.

[HercDriver]

If I have a really nice trimmed card, as opposed to a beater, would they consider an "A.5" grade? Or would it be an "Aa" instead?

Cheers,
Geno

[shimozukawa]

.