Graded Card that is Overgraded - How do you Handle it?
DotStore
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Let's say you bought a card graded as a 9 for $2K. After enjoying it for a few days and looking at it about a 1,000 times, all of a sudden you are startled by what appears to be a surface wrinkle that the grader and you missed (it is extremely difficult to see, and can only be spotted under certain lighting and angles). But now that you know the surface wrinkle exists, you cannot "unsee it". The card is otherwise gorgeous and it appears to be a SOLID 9 (if the surface wrinkle did not exist). Knowing the surface wrinkle exists, you think it should be a 6 at best (but the best looking 6 you've ever seen).
What option would you take?
1) Return the card to the seller for a full refund (assume this is possible)
2) Send the card in to the TPG under their "Guarantee" Policy - assuming they will either replace the card with a card at the same grade, or regrade the card and give you the difference between the "Fair Market Value" of the original grade vs. the new assigned grade after inspection
3) Keep the card for a few years hoping that a Graded 9 for the player has greatly increased in value. Then perform Option #2 when the Fair Market Value for a 9 is much HIGHER -- this would presumably net you an accurately graded 9 if they replace the card, or if they regrade the card they would pay you the difference between the 9 and the new grade (which would probably be more than the $2K you originally paid)
Comments
1) Return to seller if he/she agrees. Could be a problem though. I don't think the TPG is going to replace the card, but that would be my first option if seller doesn't want it back.
Hard to answer #2 and #3 as it depends on the card and the TPG.
I would choose option 2 if the money was right and there was problems with returning card.. Gambling long term on a player not my style.
4) Put on your Mickey mouse cap and run down the street with guns blazing cos you're so upset.
Consign to PWCC - You’ll get the most possible for the card and can then buy the one you want.
I don’t think we should be required to check or explain a TPGs work as the seller of it. Otherwise there isn’t much of a point to grading it at all.
Look at how it goes here when some asks for a grade - the range in guesses is often 2-3 within what ends up as actual. You can re sub, review, crack and get a different grade ON THE SAME CARD!
So, for me, the card is the thing. How does the card look? And grades? Just a way for BUYERS to get awesome cards at lower prices by shopping for cards and not numbers.
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You should return it to the TPG for review and a refund. They should place it in the correct graded holder.
Spooned out creases are notorious for popping back up after grading. I had a 63 Fleer Mays PSA 8 with the same issue and it was returned to PSA.
So PSA honored their guarantee and sent you a check? Did you get the card back in a lower grade and receive the difference or did they buy it outright from you? How did you arrive at the value did they use SMR? Curious because I have not talked with anyone who has gone through this process before. Thanks for any information you can provide.
This actually happened to me recently, with a few differences.
The card I purchased was a PSA 9 that I paid about $100 for. In the scan it looked incredible. Perfect eye appeal in almost every way. When I got the card I noticed it had a very pronounced and evident bend in the upper right corner. Given the nature of the bend and it’s location it could not possibly have been damaged within the slab, and (not being color breaking) it was not evident in the scan.
I’m probably crazy, but I have a moral problem returning a card as SNAD when the seller did nothing wrong and it is the TPG’s error. If you can even really call it an error. I can’t see giving the card a 9 with the bend, but perhaps the grader felt that with everything else being so perfect it was justified. I considered approaching PSA, but even if they agree it is misgraded, I didn’t feel the reimbursement I would end up with justified what would surely be an ordeal.
I sent it to PWCC. I certainly didn’t want to “stick” anyone else with the card, but I figured with the high quality front and back scans they provide the issue would be evident and bidders could factor it in. Well, PWCC returned the card to me, saying they could not auction it because of the bend. That shocked me, and I’m still trying to figure out what to do with this card. I will probably end up offering it for sale here with a full disclosure of this issue.
They refunded the money using SMR
If you have a letter from PWCC stating they wont auction it because of the bend, I wouldn't think PSA would hassle you at all and would honor their refund program.
I actively collect Kirby Puckett. I have collections of Michael Jordan, Emmitt Smith, Roberto Clemente, Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, Errict Rhett and Evan Longoria.
Thank you.