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PSA DNA Red Flip Registry: Please help/clarify.

If I want to start a registry for a signed set, do both, the card and the auto need to be graded? Or just an authentic card with no auto grade is fine. Does it matter?

As a collector would you rather have a PSA 8 card with 9 AUTO or a PSA 6 with a 10 AUTO? I'm trying to understand what's better, I assume the card grade is greater importance over the auto grade.

Could someone explain how they rank registry signed sets? Is it best to get the card and auto graded?

Is it worth getting an older card graded if it's not a key card, for example, a PSA 4 of a vintage signed card or just get it authentic?

Which leads me to my last question, for grading a signed card, what is better a qualifier or a lower grade with no qualifier?
Basically a 8OC, I believe would be a 6, so 8OC vs 6. Which card grade is better?

Thanks for the response. Appreciated!

Comments

  • pab1969pab1969 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello. I just created my first auto set - 1961 Topps baseball. I have a mixture of graded cards, graded autos and just authentic ones. So to answer your questions:
    1. No. As long as it is red flip the set will accept either.
    2. It doesn't matter.
    3. My preference is the signature. I have cards graded PSA 1 but the signature is a beauty. it is up to you and what you prefer.
    4. Not sure how they rank it but I would assume it is the same as a normal set. That being the higher quality card grades and auto grades would rank higher.
    5. Once again, its up to you.
    6. I prefer a centered card, lower grade but the signature is key for me.

    Hope this helps. Bottom line, it is your set. You have to decide on what is preferable for you.

  • bswhitenbswhiten Posts: 212 ✭✭✭

    Rank is based on card grade not auto.

  • rounding3rdrounding3rd Posts: 287 ✭✭✭

    I prefer card graded and am indifferent if the auto is graded or not

    Working on Baseball HOF Autograph Set Registry
  • Thanks for insight and responses.

  • Aspie_RoccoAspie_Rocco Posts: 3,259 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sorry to go off topic but I wonder How do they grade an autograph? But how nice it looks? How legible? Do Full name or initials change grade?

  • burghmanburghman Posts: 797 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 19, 2019 5:10AM

    Legibility has little to do with it. It’s primarily “how well does this autograph compare to the ‘best’ examples out there for this particular person?” Very subjective, but it does take into account missing ink (from a ball point pen, for example), fading (from age), placement, and it attempts to downgrade rushed or sloppy signatures. Here are PSA/DNA’s official rules for grading an auto:

    https://www.psacard.com/services/autographgradingstandards

    ETA - by legibility, I mean “within the signer’s norm”. Many autos nowadays are very illegible, but if the signer is consistent with the illegibility, they can still grade a 10.

    Jim

  • @burghman said:
    Legibility has little to do with it. It’s primarily “how well does this autograph compare to the ‘best’ examples out there for this particular person?” Very subjective, but it does take into account missing ink (from a ball point pen, for example), fading (from age), placement, and it attempts to downgrade rushed or sloppy signatures. Here are PSA/DNA’s official rules for grading an auto:

    https://www.psacard.com/services/autographgradingstandards

    ETA - by legibility, I mean “within the signer’s norm”. Many autos nowadays are very illegible, but if the signer is consistent with the illegibility, they can still grade a 10.

    I have to disagree. Though I will read the standards again. How can Hank Aaron auto get a 10 nowadays in his 80s, comapred to his best examples from his playing days? I cant comprehend how they grade at all, aside from ones with ink running out, or rushed that are 6s and 7s

  • MrHockeyMrHockey Posts: 555 ✭✭✭

    Most important factors:

    1 - are there 'streaks' in the auto or is it consistent on bold? Streaks are areas of whitening within the signature, or areas of spottiness, or areas where they pen was drying out or applying inconsistent ink. This is the most important item to look for that differentiates 9 and 10 autographs.

    2 - did the autograph run off of the card (or sticker)? The auto must end within the space of the card and not carry over all the way to the edge of the card, or run off of the sticker. If it does, 9 max, no 10.

    Other things like "Is this auto shaky because the player is old?", "How big is the auto?", "is there something about the auto that is slightly irregular i.e. shape of a letter, etc?" do not seem to matter at all.

  • burghmanburghman Posts: 797 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 19, 2019 7:35AM

    @Oldcardguy said:
    I have to disagree. Though I will read the standards again. How can Hank Aaron auto get a 10 nowadays in his 80s, comapred to his best examples from his playing days? I cant comprehend how they grade at all, aside from ones with ink running out, or rushed that are 6s and 7s

    Maybe I misunderstood the original use of “legibility” - I assumed he meant “Could a non-expert look at the autograph and tell you immediately who signed it”. There are a ton of “Help me out with this autograph” threads on these boards, but those could very well be graded a 10 because that’s just the way that signer signs. I was probably wrong there, though...

    I think you raise a good question, and is probably another area where subjectivity comes into play. If someone is simply getting older or has a reason for their autograph to change, does PSA/DNA take that into account? If there are enough Aaron examples to compare against in his 80s, maybe they draw an imaginary line and say “This is perfect for his 75 year+ auto so it gets a 10”? Or could post-accident Campanella’s (non-autopen) garner 10s? Not sure...

    Jim

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