How is it best to approach PSA to persuade their price guide personnel to change ...

[brian1961]

What's the best way to approach PSA to persuade their price guide evaluation team / individual that an item should be reviewed once again and its value adjusted higher, based upon an auction result from a prominent auction house?

The card in question is not a nonentity; rather, one of PSA's selections as a "TOP 250 SPORTSCARDS". -- Brian Powell

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by brian1961

What's the best way to approach PSA to persuade their price guide evaluation team / individual that an item should be reviewed once again and its value adjusted higher, based upon an auction result from a prominent auction house?

The card in question is not a nonentity; rather, one of PSA's selections as a "TOP 250 SPORTSCARDS". -- Brian Powell

Why bother, nobody uses SMR any more, they use actual results which are also on PSA's website.

I tried many times unsuccessfully years ago with Joe on some absurdly undervalued prices they had.

[brian1961]

I suppose you're right, Peter, but collectors do look at the guide, out of whack as it is sometimes. PSA certainly seems to give some cards great attention and gracious price evaluating, whilst others get re-evaluated once in a great while, with only a token price increase.

I realize just because I think a particular card is very special does not mean PSA will also think so. Or, rather, what they consider as a more important card, and price it to "the moon", and while I agree with their price for that important card, I find it frustrating that what I think is an equally important and desirable card of the same type and caliber, with an even more intriguing background story, they seem to ho-hum it compared to the card they fancy.

Be that as it may, it will usually be tough to convince them of my case, when I'm the owner of said case.

I might as well say it. I'm referring to the July 10, 2021 Memory Lane Auction of the Dr. Thomas Newman Collection, specifically lot 491. Currently, the PSA Price Guide lists this card in Near Mint for $35,000. The result of the MLAuction ended at $68,125. The price includes the buyer's premium, which ostensibly should be factored in anyway, since the winner shan't receive the card for the hammer bid. The last time this particular card was auctioned was the fall of 2015, when it sold for $31,366. Thus, the opportunity to own it is quite infrequent.

The card PSA seems to tout a lot more is the 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams. I understand; that's a great card from a great set. It truly deserves the recognition. Whereas, the Mantle comes from a set that is extremely hard to find in high grade. Many, many more people collect the Wilson set, whilst few collect the Stahl-Meyer Franks. Be that as it may, when one considers the PSA Master Set Registry for the two players in question, there are currently 52 registrants for the Ted Williams PSA Master Set Registry, whilst the number of collectors involved in the Mickey Mantle Master Set Registry is at 173 collectors. For each registry, the sheer potential cost is staggering. Be that as it may, that is not the issue of my OP.

If you have any more thoughts, Peter, I welcome them, as well as from any of you others.

Best regards, Brian Powell

[Mark17]

The result of one auction does not establish a market price.

What you seem to be saying is, "I paid $68,xxx for a card, and now I want PSA to tell the world it is worth what I paid."

[oldjudge]

I agree with Peter. The prices in the SMR are uselsss.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

I agree with Peter. The prices in the SMR are uselsss.

Agreed. You would get a more accurate guide just looking at Ebay's completed listings over a given time frame. For rarer cards, VCP is an excellent guide.

[Johnny630]

An accurate price is usually found by not considering PWCC as a Comp.

[rjackson44]

Useless

[notfast]

I’ve never looked at SMR for a value ever. It’s almost as dated as looking at a Beckett.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by notfast

I’ve never looked at SMR for a value ever. It’s almost as dated as looking at a Beckett.

VCP is the best way to go

[cannonballsun]

I went to the Memory Lane Auction and checked out your card.
What a great card, and amazing that one could be found in that condition.
Congratulations are definitely in order.

[JimC]

APR is pretty useless these days too. The updating is spotty at best, and for whatever reason PSA is extremely reluctant to update manually. They used to do it frequent,y and appreciated the information.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by cannonballsun

I went to the Memory Lane Auction and checked out your card.
What a great card, and amazing that one could be found in that condition.
Congratulations are definitely in order.

Wayne, thanks for the kind words. I appreciated them when others seemed to flat out ignore the OP. I must have expressed myself poorly, and probably used too much vagary. In reality, the beautiful 1953 Stahl-Meyer Franks Mickey Mantle PSA 7 one of one card mentioned from the July 10, 2021 auction was not won by me. I am privileged to own a rather nice 1953 S-M Mantle, but I was not the winning bidder.

However, I take umbrage with Mark17 for the simple reason that auction results do establish new values. For instance, in 2002 Mastro Fine Sports offered the only (and still only) 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams in PSA 9 MINT. It sold for $109,638. Almost immediately, Sports Market Report adjusted their valuation to the sharply spiked $100,000 -- $125,000 level. Recently, the PSA price guide evaluation people reviewed the card, and have now valued it at $350,000. Whether they did this because of an auction sale or known private sale is unknown to me; those who use VCP, would you please let us know if such sale took place.

Going back to the $68,125 realized for the near mint '53 Stahl-Meyer Franks Mantle, considering PSA values a near mint specimen at $35,000, I still maintain a serious price guide adjustment is in order----across the board. The card is rarely transacted at the highest grades, so....

Just my hot dog carrying tray's worth. --- Brian Powell

[swarmee]

I think people aren't debating the SMR values because almost everyone knows they're worthless and always outdated. Since it's a freebie for people who buy bulk memberships, I doubt they're staffed very well to manually adjust prices for such an esoteric/thinly traded set.
If you care that much, the new CEO of the company and lead owner has an account on this board, on Blowout, and Twitter. Feel free to message him directly.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by Mark17

The result of one auction does not establish a market price.

What you seem to be saying is, "I paid $68,xxx for a card, and now I want PSA to tell the world it is worth what I paid."

It's happened