Need advice from forum regarding probable missgraded card (1966 Venezuela Norm Cash)

ejjiii

After waiting 14 months to get my cards graded, I recently got my ordered filled. Sadly, one of my cards seems to be massively miss-graded. While PSA claims to value transparency, I cannot get a response on why the card was graded so low. They are, however, happy to take my money (again) to have the card regarded. And of course they will have very little motivation to change the grade. And I will be without the card for another year. This just is an unacceptable policy.

I presume that many people are not happy with their grades. But this card is clearly not a PSA 1. Any advice on how to proceed?

RufussCkingston

I think they forgot a zero!

fmclaug11

Is that Paper loss on neck area?

JBrules

Looks like a pretty harsh grade. Having said that I do see some staining (I think) on the neck and the black part of the sleeve. Are there any wrinkles on the card when you tilt it in different directions in bright light?

Usually a card that looks that good has a pin hole some place. I looked it over and do not see one. I believe they are no longer issuing qualifiers (for most cards) so the staining would drop it 2 grades. If that is the case there has to be some other flaw(s) that I am not seeing for it to be a PSA 1.

Certainly a very nice looking card regardless of the grade. Hard to find a ven. that looks that nice.

I would send high resolution images to someone in customer service and have them take a look. Clearly looks like a mechanical error.

gemint

Venies often have glue stains. Did you scour the card's surfaces before sending it in? I'm not saying it isn't undergraded. It's just that these cards are usually at the low end of the grading spectrum.

vols1

I see some kind of print defect that goes from the neck to his elbow.

jayhawke

It looks like either paper loss or paper stuck near his neck.

nam812

Also shine a light behind the card and look from the front for a tiny pinhole you may not be seeing.

PROMETHIUS88

@vols1 said:
I see some kind of print defect that goes from the neck to his elbow.

Yeah, once you see it you can't unsee it

swish54

I think there has to be a very small amount of paper loss somewhere to get that low of a grade on a card that has that good of eye appeal. Perhaps a couple very small white dots in the space between his arms and one on his black undershirt on right arm. Could be dust on scanner, could be paper loss? A couple other things to look at objectively...a slight stain on top right white border would hurt the overall grade....under "C" in Cash on bottom white border there seems to be a nick or something...back is too blurry to see accurately, but under "i" in service (military service line) something, again, paper loss maybe? Also the blotch noted by posters above on his neck area. Not trying to crap all over a great looking card, just trying to look at it with a fresh set of eyes and nit pick it like a grader would.

brad31

While we can find reasons it could be a 1, given the condition of Venezuelans the grade is overly harsh. There are a lot of 3s 4s with creases, glue stains etcetera. PSA has graded these on a curve for years. If they are no longer looking at these differently 99% will be 1s. Those that collect these will look at the card more than the grade. With Cash not being a HOFer it will likely be a set collector that buys this and they are familiar with all the difficulties with finding decent cards from the set. If you sell it will go for more than a 1.

Here is an example from EBay of a typical 3.

Same type of issue on the front and visible glue issues on the back as well with corners that one with a vivid imagination can see may have been at a ninety degree angle upon issue and clear paper loss on the front.

I think they are both 1s by PSA standards but this Cash would never have been graded a 1 based on how PSA has historically graded these.

With the issues looks like at least a 6 based on the way they typically grade these.

Much like a 9 in ultra-modern is a no doubt 10 in vintage a 2-5 in Venezuelans is probably a 1 in just about anything else.

ejjiii

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I do now see some imperfection on the tops - either wax or glue residue, or paper damage. This forum was very helpful.

ejguru

I would pile on that if they are using the computer grading more now to evaluate surfaces, that likely contributed to the overall harshness of the grade, especially to those graded with human eyes in the past.

Still, you have a sweet card!