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This 1965 Stooges Wax is PSA 8 - Seriously???
82FootballWaxMemorys
Posts: 1,296 ✭✭✭✭✭
Unless otherwise specified my posts represent only my opinion, not fact.
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82FootballWaxMemorys
Posts: 1,296 ✭✭✭✭✭
82FootballWaxMemorys
Posts: 1,296 ✭✭✭✭✭
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As per Published PSA Standards:
https://www.psacard.com/gradingstandards#packs
NM-MT
PSA 8
A PSA 8 wax and/or cello pack exhibits similar attributes to a PSA 9 but may possess one or more of the following technical imperfections upon close inspection: slight corner wear, pin-sized hole/tear, wrinkle in the surface of the wax/cellophane wrapping, slight toning or soiling on the seal, very slight toning of the wrapper itself and/or a slight centering imperfection to the wrap. The centering of the pack text and image must be 90/10 or better. In addition, the pack must be "fresh" in appearance and free of any water or mildew damage to the wrapper or gum to qualify for this grade.
_
A PSA 8 plastic and/or foil pack exhibits similar attributes to a PSA 9 but may possess one or more of the following technical imperfections upon close inspection: slight wear or bend in corners, a pin-sized hole/tear or nick on corners, slight surface scratch, edge ticks that do not break the foil, a wrinkle, roller-mark, or fin impression on the surface of the wrapping, or slight separation on the seal. The pack must be "fresh" in appearance and free of any water or mildew damage to the wrapper or gum to qualify for this grade. The centering of the pack text and image must be 90/10 or better._
3 possibilities for the pack pictured in my last post:
1) It's been tampered with. However one would think 4SC is smart enough to inspect the merchandise. They are not Probstein or PWCC after all.
2) Certain coastal based submitter's really do get preferential treatment
3) PSA is totally incompetent.
Unless otherwise specified my posts represent only my opinion, not fact.
Damage would have occurred in the holder, post grading.
This 1965 Stooges Wax is PSA 8 - Seriously???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9AuTriTmro
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
Wrapper damage from the gum after being holdered which is not uncommon with wax packs, unfortunately. It was NM-MT when it was first holdered 15 years ago.
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.
At least you know the gum is loose and dry and not welded to a card and bleeding through.
And it's only the Three Stooges with Curly or Shemp. Joe and Curly Joe were unwatchable.
I'm a Huge Shemp Fan!
I'd not even pay $40 for a horrid looking pack like that. Displays worse than a PSA2.
That’s a ripper!
Bosox1976
What Tim said. I have a few packs I submitted myself like that, though not as badly damaged. The saddest one is my 1963 wax pack. It graded MINT 9 but arrived back to me with a new tear in the lower edge of the pack which wasn't there when I submitted it.
Any recourse with the shipper by the owner if damage occured in transit during the packs return? From UPS, FedEx etc.
No, it's a product of the design of the holder, not damage that was preventable by the courier should one choose to ship. It's the risk you take. I've discounted packs that suffered tears in transit.
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.
What??? That’s what insurance is for. It’s not the owners responsibility or risk. If the product is damaged because of design then it’s the design owners fault. To say it’s a risk isn’t a fair answer. If the pack came damaged it would be covered by insurance
That sounds nice and all but it's not the reality. The alternative is to not holder wax packs at all or to completely redesign the holder so that the pack within the well is better immobilized similar to the GAI holder design. Not to say that gum tears didn't occur with GAI graded wax packs, either, but it was far less frequent an occurrence than it has been with PSA graded wax packs. Life isn't always fair, either.
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.
Has nothing to do with sounding nice, has to do with insuring the package against damage. Take your issue up with PSA you always back them anyway.
It's not my pack and I've already stated the issue at hand is with the design of the holder itself, not the courier.
Additionally, I prefer these older holders all things being equal as the newer ones also have an issue with the well within the holder not being wide enough to accommodate the width variances inherent to wax packs for which the wrapper often billows out a bit.
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.
yep...I had them force a dozen or so 1977 Star Wars packs into the latest holders and they completely f'ed up most of the backs of the packs, bunching up the edges, smooshing together the flaps, etc...to say I was irritated at those results...
At some point, maybe we should conclude that wax packs are just not well suited for encapsulation.
Correct when done in a careless haphazard slipshod manner by callous entities
I have seen this many times in the past. I would definitely not submit any pack I had for encapsulation. too risky. that pack was destroyed.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
That is a valid point..when done correctly, they look great, but it is occasionally a risky proposition due to the aforementioned issues.
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 honestly don’t think it’s carelessness, I just don’t think there is a feasible way of encapsulating wax packs with loose gum, which all nice fresh packs should have. If there were a viable solution, I think they would have hit upon it after multiple redesigns.
They do look nice if they “arrive alive.”
You say “When done correctly,” but isn’t it more likely some degree of luck? Either the gum isn’t completely loose (which without encapsulation issues I would view as a negative) or it just didn’t move around in a destructive way. But who’s to say that luck won’t run out, especially after being shipped four times to be graded?
That is true about the gum. My point above was more about the newer holders and the issue with the wells within the holders not being wide enough to properly accommodate the wax pack once holdered.
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 was fortunate to be in town for a funeral at Schererville, IN in mid February and dropped off my 1962 Topps Baseball Wax Pack GAI-7.5 1st Series with Managers’ Dream on back for authentication. It reduced the risk in half of ripping the wax wrapper by having to be shipped only from Schererville to PSA…then PSA to my house.
As has been said, it's the gum. I've purchased PSA 10 packs before where the corners were ripped open. I returned them, but am sure it was the gum sliding around.
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Might be a crazy idea, but would PSA consider offering a service whereby they confirm the pack is unopened, but then carefully open it, dispose of the gum, and then carefully reseal it.
It still gets slabbed as an unopened pack, gum removed, and hence no future damage from the gum ripping the pack or destroying the cards.
They can limit the damage caused by gum by using a mylar sleeve within the well. This is something they have done in the past but inconsistently. The sleeve would help to immobilize the gum within the holder.
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.
Couldn't you also just heat up the pack slightly, melt the gum to the top card or the wax wrapper, then no more movement?
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Successful transactions on the BST boards with rtimmer, coincoins, gerard, tincup, tjm965, MMR, mission16, dirtygoldman, AUandAG, deadmunny, thedutymon, leadoff4, Kid4HOF03, BRI2327, colebear, mcholke, rpcolettrane, rockdjrw, publius, quik, kalinefan, Allen, JackWESQ, CON40, Griffeyfan2430, blue227, Tiggs2012, ndleo, CDsNuts, ve3rules, doh, MurphDawg, tennessebanker, and gene1978.
^ wax pack baking service ?
Probably a bad idea given
Melting point of:
Cane Sugar = ~367F
Wax = ~115-195F depending on wax type and grade
It would be a welcome addition on a permanent basis to provide such a seemingly small service to immobilize the floating of the gum. Especially in light of the travel time of the pack and it's related grading expense.
Good lord, NO!!!!
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.
If everyone would just bust open the packs as they were made to do, there wouldn't be this problem. 😉