Pack grading
smallstocks
Posts: 1,631 ✭✭✭✭
Two questions. Does PSA grade packs if the gum is loose in the pack? And the more important question - do you think PSA will ever reduce their pack grading fees back below $50 per to a more reasonable level like $20 to $25?
Late 60's and early to mid 70's non-sports
1
Comments
1.) Price will come down when peeps stop submitting as many as they do now at the $50 price. Took forever to get packs back when they were $25
2.) Loose gum or broken gum? When the packs were made the gum was loose. Gum sticks to the card because of age and storage conditions. Make sure to pack it well so the gum corner doesn't puncture a hole in the pack during transport.
So PSA will grade a pack if the gum is sliding around inside?
Late 60's and early to mid 70's non-sports
They sure will
IMHO should really be a "value" packs level. Many cool looking 70's,80's early 90's NON Sport wax have very cool wrappers, yet even slabbed command under $75.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Yeah I think they should drop soon on price. Maybe they just don’t value the market on this. In the end, I’d love to just have an authenticated slab w/o grade - IMHO a pack grade is really just “how the general appearance of the wrapper looks” [BBCE does the auth right now anyway]
I’ve pulled many well centered hits from 70’s packs that would have pack graded a 6 or so by PSA.
My collecting blog: http://ctcard.wordpress.com
Yes.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
BBCE owns the entire market, so they have the option to get out of their PSA contract and open up for direct wax slabbing. Seems it would be more profitable for BBCE and far less expensive for the submitter.
It's pretty simple economics, the price drops when submissions drop.
I will be submitting a 1977 OPC Star Wars pack soon. I guess it would be under the $50.00 service level.
Bob
email bcmiller7@comcast.net
This, except for the first clause, seems like wild conjecture to me. Unless you have data to back any of it up.
I doubt of I'll send anymore packs/cellos to PSA. Too many come back ungraded and I think you still get charged.
Terrible when you wait over a year and pack is not graded.
Better to send authentic packs.
They were legit; one man's opinion. Why would someone alter a pack by showing the most expensive card of the set on top of the cello?. Since the Pokemon case debacle, 1986 Fleer Basketball packs, etc, I sense that there is more of a push to not authenticate packs/cellos.
Are you kidding? You must be new to unopened collecting.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I'm three months into a two foil pack submission from 1997. Still in Research & ID. Is it still taking a year to complete pack grading?
No. Last couple of subs have come back a lot quicker than that.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I just got back 30 graded cellos and packs. 2 were marked altered. 1 I’m certain is fine ( 1977 Wax Football from an old CU Rip ) - but a portion of the wax seal is loose. So I understand that one. The second marked altered was a flier, a 79 Topps Hockey I got at a show for a low price. Had a feeling on that one.
I knew those two were borderline - and I trust their judgement 100%.
I ripped em both
- the 77 produced beautiful cards. Really had fun. The hockey one I didn’t really care, and I knew there was no way there was a Gretzky.
Long story short, been grading packs with PSA for so long, I know when I have a debatable one and I use my judgement if it should be sent in. Just wish prices would go down!
Cheers all!
My collecting blog: http://ctcard.wordpress.com
hey nendee,
kind of difficult to give you a like and an agree on the same reaction, so you get both...
FYI My two pack submission on September 11 shipped four months later on January 10
The biggest gripe of packs is they have to go to PSA, then to BBCE, then back to PSA. I had a 79 pack pop during shipping. I had it sealed in a team bag or PSA slab bag. But the came back loose with the flap popped. Not sure where it came loose, but PSA should put the same care into packs as their customers do. Especially since I had to pay for their error, and won't get recouped. I plan on opening it for my birthday in a few weeks, but it was a bummer.
That said, I will still sub some packs down the line if it's worthwhile. Whoever mentioned the value pack idea, I completely agree. I've been picking up 78 Donruss Skateboard packs, and the wrappers are super cool. Would love to get one slabbed, but packs are around 5 bucks each. I'm not spending 50 to get it slabbed.
Sorry to hear about the broken seal. I think it's tricky with these old packs.
I've noticed that in some of my already graded packs the gum has moved or broken and some of the seals have peaked back a bit.
Old packs were never designed to stay closed for 50 years lol.
They are at $30 each now- I subbed a dozen or so last week.
PC Walter Payton - Bear Down!
Yes, I was at BBCE a few weeks ago in their new shop. In reality, they don't get many packs to review from PSA, the volume is just so low.
What would be nice is if Steve became the source of the pack sends - so you would create a submission via PSA, but for packs the address is sent to Steve in Indiana. He authenticates, then sends them to PSA for the actual grade (Steve authenticates the packs, but PSA does the grading). If it's not authentic, then that pack can be sent back to you immediately with a good reason from Steve.
Anyway - just some thoughts. The folks at BBCE also thought the price for pack grading was too high, they mentioned that they told PSA, hey - why not bring down the price more, but no dice.
My collecting blog: http://ctcard.wordpress.com
That makes entirely too much sense for PSA to actually do
PC Walter Payton - Bear Down!
It appears they are taking longer than a couple of months now, but still a lot quicker than the 1-year plus backlog we had seen.
Though now with the $30 value level for packs reopened, I expect the backlog for that level at least will be significantly longer again.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I'm not sure Steve would be willing to assume the risk of higher liability.
Interesting. Steve should just void his agreement with PSA and authenticate packs directly from all collectors. He would make a lot more money and he controls all of those dice, not PSA.
He takes on much more than that already authenticating boxes. Couldn't he just use money towards insurance since PSA gets the bulk of the $$$ being charged currently?
I'm not privy to his contract with PSA.
In any event, I'm not clear that getting random packs from time to time as opposed to getting a whole tranche from PSA all at once and having PSA track them and return them to owners is worth it financially.
I'm also not sure how long his contract runs and what the "noncompete" clause is.
I know nothing of what Steve's constraints are, but these are a few things that he must be considering.
I could be wrong, but I heard that PSA flies Steve to Calif. once a month or every 2 weeks . He checks the packs and flies back. no back and forth mail.
That actually sounds easier and possibly more cost effective.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)