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PSA Seeks Card Graders
SportsModerator2
Posts: 1,732 mod
Hello All,
A few months ago, I reached out to the boards for prospective PSA card graders. I received a ton of responses and, even though we did hire one new grader already, PSA is hoping to add more.
Business is very healthy right now and PSA is looking for new, qualified candidates. There are a few keys to remember about the position. The position requires that the person work at our Santa Ana location. The candidates are also required to test-grade in order to make sure they possess the requisite skill set for the job.
I would also consider candidates that have either vintage or modern card expertise, or a blend of both.
I appreciate all the interest shown so far and, if you think you have what it takes and would like to become a part of our team, please email me directly at joe@collectors.com.
Thanks again for your continued support of our brand,
Joe Orlando
President
A few months ago, I reached out to the boards for prospective PSA card graders. I received a ton of responses and, even though we did hire one new grader already, PSA is hoping to add more.
Business is very healthy right now and PSA is looking for new, qualified candidates. There are a few keys to remember about the position. The position requires that the person work at our Santa Ana location. The candidates are also required to test-grade in order to make sure they possess the requisite skill set for the job.
I would also consider candidates that have either vintage or modern card expertise, or a blend of both.
I appreciate all the interest shown so far and, if you think you have what it takes and would like to become a part of our team, please email me directly at joe@collectors.com.
Thanks again for your continued support of our brand,
Joe Orlando
President
0
Comments
Go Phillies
My gut feel says that it might not be enough for anyone on this board to consider changing careers, but I'd love to be wrong.
<< <i>The average salary of a PSA grader is: $73,235.32 >>
Interesting. For southern CA, that money might not go that far, though.
You can learn a lot about a job by the salary it keeps. I'm not saying card graders aren't dedicated and professional, but for this amount of salary it doesn't seem commensurate with the responsibility for accuracy that the job entails.
But, then again, what's the average wage of an air traffic controller? $100K? Either that is way too low, or the salary of a card grader is spot on.
Go Phillies
<< <i>I am on the east coast, and that would be GREAT money for out here!!! Plus the chance of holding PRICELESS cards is well worth the job!!! >>
But it's the Santa Ana location. $73K sounds reasonable, I suppose, but it could stand to be higher to attract the absolute best and most dedicated.
But, then again, PSA is the leader, so it would seem like they already are attracting the best and most dedicated.
<< <i>The average salary of a PSA grader is: $73,235.32 >>
Is this true? How do you know this?
Let's not fool ourselves here , it isn't exactly rocket science .
I'm more than certain it is all done in a controled environment as far as the weather concerned , so it definitely is not an extrememly uncomfortable job .
You get to handle and actually see some of the most desired cards anywhere .
I have to say , I look at cards as soon as I get home from my absolute back breaking job . . . { Masonry } and I study every little inch of every single card I have , If I could get 73 K a year to do that , I'd absolutely quit my job , which actually pays just a few grand more , but I'd take a cut in pay to do get paid for something I'd do for free .
I'd quit in a New York minute .
73 K isn't a bad living at all especially when you have a sweet job .
Good luck hiring your new employees Mr/Miss. Administrator, I wish I lived remotely close, not that I would qualify to begin with but .<Shrug>
P.S.
I live on the South Shore of Long Island and 73 K a year here, nobody I know is barking at that .
If you want , you can send me a couple of those Rookie Mickey Mantle's to test grade for ya . . . .
J/K
Thanks for the shot anyway . . .
I think that's a kinda classy way of hiring too . . .
Whenever you want to start a branch in Green Bay, WI, I'm your man. $73,000 in Green Bay would be big money. That would be what the office manager would make - not a grader. Graders would probably be 1/2 or less of that. I never understood why graders are regionalized (PSA, etc). I'm certain that the tooling to seal the cards is a fortune but maybe the operating costs would make up the difference in the long term.
When you look at the majority of the vintage collectors, they seem to be in the midwest. I know that Chicago is huge! Think of the shipping / handling and travel savings..... Just food for thought.
I think everyone that is close to the business would love to be a grader. A job in the business would be a lot of fun.
John
There's a lot of knowledgeable card people that live in this area in addition to the memorabilia experts that live here too from whom you could hire new employees from this talent pool, to run this new location. The cost of living in this area isn't as high as on the west coast so you could pay the employees slightly less too. I see it as a win win for psa and it's customer base. PSA seems to be expanding, so why not expand into other areas of the country.
Another advantage would be for on-site show grading. PSA wouldn't have to lug all their grading equipment across the country for the National, Sportsfest, and Sun-Times shows since these shows would often be right in PSA's Midwest location backyard. Think of the savings involved right there.
Just some stupid thoughts of mine.
1955 Bowman Raw complete with 90% Ex-NR or better
Now seeking 1949 Eureka Sportstamps...NM condition
Working on '78 Autographed set now 99.9% complete -
Working on '89 Topps autoed set now complete
Loves me some shiny!
30-70K in the OC. I don't think that would cut it. Isn't the mean home price out there close to a million.
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means.
<< <i>Hmmmmmmmmm.
30-70K in the OC. I don't think that would cut it. Isn't the mean home price out there close to a million.
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means. >>
you should be! The average salary for a married couple in the US is what 45k? The median home price is about 200k as well. So you should be 5x the average for the US...now just try to "trim" that card budget
<< <i>Hmmmmmmmmm.
30-70K in the OC. I don't think that would cut it. Isn't the mean home price out there close to a million.
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means. >>
You can't manage money.
I am making $45,000 as a resident and another $50,000/year on cards. My wife doesn't work. We live a great life.
<< <i>
<< <i>Hmmmmmmmmm.
30-70K in the OC. I don't think that would cut it. Isn't the mean home price out there close to a million.
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means. >>
You can't manage money.
I am making $45,000 as a resident and another $50,000/year on cards. My wife doesn't work. We live a great life. >>
Do you have any kids?? Having three daughters put a crimp on things!!
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Hmmmmmmmmm.
30-70K in the OC. I don't think that would cut it. Isn't the mean home price out there close to a million.
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means. >>
You can't manage money.
I am making $45,000 as a resident and another $50,000/year on cards. My wife doesn't work. We live a great life. >>
Do you have any kids?? Having three daughters put a crimp on things!! >>
Two. They are each in private swimming lessons, gymnastics, my daughter is in ballet, and we belong to a private pool. I spoil them rotten with love.
<< <i>Funny how these threads can go so far left from their original intent sometimes...
That is the nature of the human psyche.
I think "we" manage money just fine. It's "me" that can't manage money. I mean I spend it on cardboard for petes sake. Glad I found her.
Sorry to re-hijack this thread, but thanks for listening.
*Please ignore this post*
<< <i>Please get rid of the annual fee. I have NO use for ANY of your "free" gifts including the "free submissions". Please just let me submit my cards for a normal service level so I can quit sending them to beckett. As it is only costing YOU money in the long run.
Sorry to re-hijack this thread, but thanks for listening. >>
Let me join you in crime here by agreeing with you. I'd be far more tempted to send in "impulse" submissions if I didn't have to go through the added steps of becoming a member.
When I want a Big Mac, I go get one. I don't have to worry about signing up for a McDonald's card first.
The last book they sent with membership, with a picture history of baseball cards, was a nice looking volume, too.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I would like to see some service tiers combined to make grading some cards that I don't have a lot of easier. When you only have 7 1950's cards to grade, I have to hold them for a long time until I can hit the 25 card magic bulk level to submit them for $7 each. These are mostly commons and don't warrant me paying $15 per card or $13 for 5-day service. That one change in the grading tiers would be nice once in a while.
<< <i>jmbkb4 - unless you do not live in So Cal, or bought your house more than 10 years ago at a low interest rate, or live happily in an apartment you cannot live very well out here on $70K. It's not a matter of telling other people they can't manage their money properly. And I cannot be convinced graders make anyhwere near that kind of cash, without a payroll stub to show otherwise. >>
That really depends on your lifestyle and how creative you can be. Granted I am not a "normal" person. I've never held a "real" job, I have never made over $50K a year, and the last four years have been brutal on me financially. Of course I also don't have a wife and family, and I went 25 years without health insurance and until last year drove a 15 year old pickup truck I paid cash for in 1991 so I have been able to ride out those ups and downs. And I don't own any real estate.
However, I live in a house in a town with one of the highest per capita incomes in Northern California, own primo Season Tickets to the San Jose Sharks, have health insurance, and now drive a new Honda Civic and am about to embark on an even worse choice of career - writer, just because I want to give it a go.
It's a matter of perspective and how you want to live. At one time I wanted all the trappings of success - house, family, etc but despite not having all that I am pretty happy with my freedom and situation. When I needed a job, no one would hire me because my experience was all self-employment and focus very broad. I learned to rely on my own skills and yes, at times I have had to be very creative. I expect I'll be working in some form until the day I drop, but I'm not sure I could ever retire in the traditional sense, anyway.
My best friend is a few years younger and went the traditional route. He makes about 70K his wife made about 50K. A few years ago they decided to start a family, moved up to a bigger house (and bigger mortgage), made $100K in improvements and then last year decided they didn't love each other any more and divorced. So now my buddy has 1/2 mortgage, $1500 rent, and child support to deal with for 16 years. Although he's happier being out of the marriage he's got no freedom to change careers now, even if he wanted to.
You wife is probably kept very busy! More than enough crime in most parts of Santa Ana
I'm in Ohio. I make 70K, my wife makes 130K, the mean home price is 200K, and we're not livin high on the hog by any means.
16/17K total a month, and you have a no frills life? Come on! Sure you didn't have to many zeros here? possibly you mean 7K and 20K.
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>I'd like a job, but just to grade my own cards. >>
I was an inventing research scientist making only $35K in the late 90's and cannot even get one of those jobs again with the excessive numbers of H1-B visa holding persons which employers love so much.
To have a no-brain job paying that much is stupendous. One can make $70K driving a bus in san francisco, driving a bart train (which basically is a no-brainer as well), or even a 1st grade teacher who obtains a PhD degree not to teach better but because the system is screwed up in that it overly compensated higher education as if it actually had a dramtic impact on the teaching effectiveness and laugh their way to the bank on all the citizens who pay too much in taxes to support their salaries.
PSA should be able to have $8/card MAX for grading if that is so, and have $3-4 special deals by cutting out the pork.
I agree that a teacher will make about the same as a bus driver.....but personally I see that as a problem, not a reference that they are overpaid. From an occupation stand point, a person would be an idiot to put themselves in debt going through college, to get a job that pays so little, then have to get recertified every year or so. Seems like it would be smarter to take a 2 week bus driving class.
I admire those that choose to be a teacher. They certainly are not the problem.
"I was an inventing research scientist making only $35K in the late 90's.."
It sounds like you took a job that paid pretty close to what McDonald's in California would have paid you.
Mark
Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
Now, after 20 years of driving a bus or teaching, who's going to have more satisfaction?
The payscale for bus drivers, trash haulers, truck drivers, is high, because that is about all they have to motivate them to go to work everyday. No real self satisfaction involved
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
73K for a card grader? come on. it's a $25K/yr job at best. college students should stop by and put in time on weekends and various other times. a high school grad who's at average intelligence should figure out what's involved with 2 hours of training.
sure it's not as perverse as million-dollar sports salaries, but we can all boycott to not let it get out of hand, it's just unfortunate too many people are so dam selfish and not wanting to correct society's ills, so the perversity continues.
Go Phillies
This is/was a thread about hiring Graders for PSA.
NOT a feel Sorry Thread for you. If your looking for Smyphaty its found between s*** and syphilis is the dictionary.
i made several comparisons to show the salary is too high.
there are many in technical professions making 1/2 as much.
sorry a few here couldn't see the theme that i adhered to and merely wanted to focus on one aspect of my writing.
a job and it's salary go hand in hand.