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Card slightly loose in PSA holder
Dougielove
Posts: 5 ✭
Hi I recently got back a card in a PSA 10 slab which shifts a bit inside. I intended to sell it on eBay but I'm worried the buyer is going to have an issue with it. I'm in Canada and really don't want to go through the process of sending it to PSA again. Do they reslab them for free ( shipping included )? Thanks!
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They will re-holder it for free if they agree there is a problem when you submit documentation here:
https://www.psacard.com/myaccount/customerrequestcenter
Then again, the last time I sent them a mislabel of a Gretzky RC (labeled as Topps instead of OPC), they sent it back in the same holder and said it was fine. LOL So, they are definitely not perfect.
Thanks for the link! I will look into this.
Almost all my cards are loose in PSA holders, there's nothing abnormal or wrong with it. Even if PSA agreed to reholder your card you will find the freshly slabbed card is still loose in there, it's to do with the card manufacturer's card stock thickness.
It's not like Beckett where the card is in an internal penny sleeve fixed in place within the holder.
I agree that most of mine move around in the holders, and it doesn't seem to be an issue.
I recall a story where a dealer boxed up his slabs and stowed them in his car trunk travelling from show to show. Cards got dinged up from bouncing around.
I have a hard time believing this. Yes, they move, but I’ve never had a card get dinged up after it was slabbed.
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
Myth. I took a few cards of mine from 90s thin stock to modern thicker stock, shook the living crap out of them for a few minutes and literally nothing happened, no visible damage. Maybe if you pitched it against a wall the force from that impact could possibly dent a card's edge against the internal guard rails, but sitting in a car trunk going over normal roads, I doubt it.
amendment: I could be talked in to believing more sensitive vintage cards, especially with rough cut edges could be susceptible to edge damage, but in my experience those cards don't move around in the holder as much...
For my NBA cards, I never have had this issue except for my Pokemon card collection.
If the slab was designed to fit well for sport cards, why would it be different for Pokemon cards?
The thickness wasnt the key issue as the noise I encountered. It was when the loose card hits the inner border.
In my past 2 returns, I have received slabs with cards that fit very well and stable as well as slabs with a loose card with a bigger gap vertically. Why would there be 2 standard of sealing for the same collection like Pokemon cards?
If this is related to inner border size, then a new slab design shall be made particular for Pokemon cards.
It is like the having a permanent ink label and ink label that will fade in a yr. Neither will damage the card, but obviously customers wouldn't expect 2 various ink labels in their returns.
there is normally a little extra space inside the slab. should not be enough to cause damage though.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I did once buy a foil Topps sticker from the early 80s that arrived with a bent corner from hitting one of the inner rails in the slab. Happened in shipping. That’s the only time I’ve seen a card damaged in the slab though.
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
Is there another layer that kinda keeps the card in place?
I am unfamiliar with the mechanics of sealing the card inside the slab....it is just very strange for me to experience certain Pokemon cards being very stable and some being loose in various levels.
Event those that are well stable, there may be small tiny gap between the top of the card and the top boarder inside the slab. But yet it is still unshakable
perhaps there is a natural "bow" to some cards that creates enough tension inside the slab to keep some cards from rattling around?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I asked for clarification but did not get a direct answer.
I really do think it is a quality control/design flaw issue that shall be addressed.
I have some of those loose card slabs that cards are shifting freely both vertically and horizontally as If I placed the card inside a thick toploader.
The reholder service costs 25 dollars which is just 5 dollars apart from the lowest grading service. Financially, I do not think I can afford the reholder service for all my loose card slabs.
There used to be a video of a PSA card in a paint can shaker and nothing happened to the card. You're fine.
It is more than just about damage. Not gonna repeat talking about the whole picture.
There are people who prefer cards fit well into the slab. One standard for all cards (sports and tcg).
The youtuber "deep pocket monster' who shake the slab like 3000 times by machine in order to create a damage.
If your ultimate goal is to get a card in a holder that 100% won't move around then use a company like Beckett.
PSA puts a mylar film on the front side of the card in the holder, but I think that's only for levels above Value, maybe it starts at Economy? Anyone else notice this at certain levels only?
I had a card that had bumper damage (1991 topps). the card had the perfect curved shape of the inner bumper. sent it to PSA, they concluded there was nothing wrong with it.
I also tested this whole thing after a debate on blowout. I put a 2017 topps base card into two halves of a cracked PSA slab and taped it tight together as if it was slabbed. took numerous blows on the edge of a chair to yield severe edge damage. dropping a slabbed card from standing height could be enough though. rocking around the house, normal handling or shipping should be ok. ive only had two cards out of about 1000+ PSA cards ive owned and graded that had some kind of slab created edge damage. its not impossible, but im gonna lean towards unlikely.
as for the OP, you can request it be reholdered into a different type of holder, like the oversized mylar inner sleeve for example, but theres no guarantee they would honor the request. all standard card PSA slabs have a little wiggle room. thinner 35pt cards always slider around a bit. thicker chrome cards, especially ones that bow, hold in place without issue.
myslabs.to/smzcards
Ya thats what I have started for Dragon ball collection.
My ultimate goal was to be graded by PSA with a slab that fit well like every other products (Sport cards) and other grading companies. For my scenario,I have graded most of my valuable Pokemon collection in PSA, where they werent having that particular issue.Having all existing slabs cracked and re graded by another company would cost me couple K at minimum.
I dont think collectorS should kneel on this and not hope PSA address this. To be clear, there is no hate but LOVE to PSA. That's why it is brought up as a desire for improvement. It kinda sucks to know customer should choose a different grading company due to such slab issue which can be fixed by the top grading company.
Is asking Pokemon to have a uniform slab standard too much for the company or grading industry?
Ya, my upper deck and panini cards fits well in PSA slab.
For pokemon cards, I do see wiggle room/space in between the Pokemon card border and inner border.
But some of them remains stable in position while others are loose.
Any ideas of the mechanics behind that explain the 2 scenarios?
Are those Pokemon card that remains stabled are actually pinned down by the inner border?