How exactly does one become a card grader

Zach Wheat · #1 12-18-2011, 10:24 AM

Alex,

Thanks for the link to PSA Grading posted on Youtube. Answers a lot of things I had not realized about PSA. It is a more involved process than I first imagined.

Z Wheat

Runscott · #2 12-18-2011, 10:34 AM

I would be surprised if they didn't have graders assigned to specific card-types - I can't imagine that the same guy who does 1988 Donruss also does Old Judge. If I got a job as a grader, I would expect them to use my pre-war expertise to put me primarily on tobacco and caramel cards. These are more valuable cards - it only makes sense that they would use someone with the correct background to grade them.

chaddurbin · #3 12-18-2011, 11:08 AM

just because you're a prewar collector doesn't mean you get to jump right into grading 4fig+ ts and ojs...there's probably a process and progression. from what kevin saucier had posted psa was interested in hiring him, but they wanted to train him first at a lower grading position whereas he felt with his experience he should've been at least senior position...which PSA declined.

erik--would've been cool if you had applied. i saw that psa was hiring also and thought would've been cool 10 years ago if i was still in school...would've applied for a summer or something (the dark room don't look very enticing tho)

Runscott · #4 12-18-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaddurbin

just because you're a prewar collector doesn't mean you get to jump right into grading 4fig+ ts and ojs...there's probably a process and progression. from what kevin saucier had posted psa was interested in hiring him, but they wanted to train him first at a lower grading position whereas he felt with his experience he should've been at least senior position...which PSA declined.

erik--would've been cool if you had applied. i saw that psa was hiring also and thought would've been cool 10 years ago if i was still in school...would've applied for a summer or something (the dark room don't look very enticing tho)

That's a shame, and partially explains some of their problems.

Has nothing to do with '4fig + ts and ojs', and has everything to do with having the appropriate expertise on each card. You grade a $20 VG T206 the same way you grade a $1,000 VG T206, and the expertise is the same. The expertise for grading a $20 VG T206 is NOT the same as what't required to grade a $20 NM modern card.

Forget the dollar value - skill is the issue here.

kmac32 · #5 12-18-2011, 12:38 PM

Rick, I need your snail mail address to send you $100.00 in Monopoly money

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