How To Handle Damage to Pele Rookie During Grading Process
DEFPOTEC
Posts: 100 ✭✭✭
Looking for some advice from folks who have been through this.
I recently submitted a hand-cut Pele rookie issue for grading. I cut it myself. While not perfect (there was a surface issue, so it was never going to come back mint) the corners were sharp. Here’s how it looked like when it left my possession:
The grade was lower-than-expected grade, but, far more troubling, there was also clear damage to all four corners that was not there when I submitted. Here are post-grading closeups of all four corners:
I don’t want to out the company, etc., yet as I know these things happen sometimes. The question is whether they make things right. Any best practices for how to approach the company? I have to assume the corner damage helps explain the lower-than-expected grade, and it probably knocks a few THOUSAND off the value.
Comments
That's incredible. It seems to be intentional almost. Honestly, how could all 4 corners accidentally be damaged? I guess it could happen but that is an extremely rare card and I simply can't believe that it did. Is this for real?
Is it even the same card?
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
Yes. It’s absolutely for real. The first scan is my own. The zoomed in closeups are courtesy of PWCC’s high-res scans for vault submissions. And, yes, it’s hard to understand how this happened. One corner, okay. It slipped and fell on the table or something. But all four? I mean, look at the bottom left. It was RAZOR sharp, then looks like someone clipped it.
I’m pissed, to say the least.
That was my first thought, even if it’s improbable given the rarity. But it’s the same card. There’s a surface issue near his left ear that gives it away. It shows up in the first image above as a bit of a smudge.
Looks to me like corners that have hit up against the edges of a PSA case that is much too large for the card inside it.
I don't blame you. That is insane. It honestly seems impossible for it not to be intentional. That is an irreplaceable card as well (the way you sent it in).
I think there is a step in the grading process that hammers corners and edges in general. Maybe it's a way to verify card size. But, I've noticed very similar on 86 Topps Baseball and 85 Topps Football that I've sent in the past. I think this is one reason it is so difficult to 10 on those black borders.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
You said the card arrived graded lower as expected, and damaged. But in the actual photos of the damaged card nothing indicated card is encapsulated , even to the black background and pictures of edges suggest damaged card is out of capsule. If not in the original capsule PSA sent , no claims .
Recut the card and send to a different company ?
Oh it’s still encapsulated. I just zoomed in because a wider shot would give away the company, which I didn’t want to do. At least not yet.
The thought’s crossed my mind.
It would be my only option. No way am I letting a card company destroy that rare of a card. Recut and reholder
so that I could enjoy my card for years in the state I knew it once was.
While not your example, I’d imagine an owner wouldn’t be too pleased at the below scenario either.
Oh dear gawd that looks rough. Yeah, I would be super frustrated. That’s going to damage the card.
@DEFPOTEC - I have notified our VP of Customer Experience of your situation. He asked that you go to the Customer Request Center and fill out a Quality Assurance Review. That will begin the process once your claim is filed. Thank you.
https://www.psacard.com/myaccount/customerrequestcenter
For the record, this isn’t a PSA slab. AFLfan, I appreciate you being proactive, though!
I call Shenanigans!
By me? I can assure you that’s not the case. Something intentional during the grading process? I hope not. Can’t imagine why anyone would do that.
All 4 corners definitely seems suspect. is this grading company trying to protect the pop numbers?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
They could do that without physically damaging the card, so I doubt that’s it. I can’t imagine why someone would do this intentionally. I suspect it was just handled roughly at some stage or kept for a period of time in something that allowed it to slide around. This “card” is actually really thin paper stock; it’s cut from a magazine cover. So it wouldn’t take much of impact to dent the corners.
Fwiw I had it in a penny sleeve inside a CS I so that it couldn’t slide around.
Also fwiw, I’d previously submitted another copy of this card (that time the full card with Garrincha) to the same grading company and there were no issues whatsoever. I was very pleased with the outcome that time.