Modern Cracked from PSA and Subbed to SGC- Results
I recently subbed a few dozen modern cards to PSA and received what I thought were low grades across the board, with some just straight up puzzling. I cracked those and a few others and sent to SGC. Here are the results:
1993 Finest Shaquille O’Neal Atlantic’s Finest Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 8
1993 Finest Shaquille O’Neal Atlantic’s Finest Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 8
1993 Finest Shaquille O’Neal Atlantic’s Finest Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 9.5 (pop 1 none higher)
1994 Finest Barry Sanders Refractor PSA 7 to SGC 9
1995 Finest Cal Ripken Jr Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 9
1996 Topps Chrome Patrick Ewing Refractor PSA 5 to SGC 9.5 (pop 1 none higher).
1996 Topps Chrome Jerry Rice Refractor PSA 7 to SGC 8.
1996 Topps Chrome Jerry Rice Refractor PSA 7 to SGC 8.5.
1997 Topps Chrome Dan Marino Refractor PSA 7 to SGC 9
1997 Topps Chrome Derek Jeter Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 8
1997 Topps Chrome Derek Jeter Refractor PSA 8 to SGC 8
I think PSA is hammering refractors that have dimples where SGC is more forgiving. The Ewing bump was insane.
Comments
There is no world where there should be that big of a difference between two grading companies. Especially on modern. That makes one of those companies lose credibility
watch some videos on youtube showing results of people cracking out of PSA and sending to SGC -- it is painfully obvious SGC is really soft when it comes to modern...clear corner touches, not so great centering, etc of many cards in SGC 9.5 folders...I couldn't believe some of the SGC grades I saw with one of the 20-card subs one guy posted (PSA crack outs sent to SGC)
Wrong, what's been painfully obvious is PSA decided to change it's grading process 2 years ago.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
There is an argument to be made that PSA used to operate under two distinct grading scales. One for vintage and one for modern. As their business grew, perhaps they have aligned those scales for grading standards at the tougher modern standard.
SGC seems to have a single standard as well, however theirs seems to align more so with vintage standards.
People in the business of cards probably have to carefully navigate this to maximize their profits but from a collecting standpoint is it even important how they grade the card? I do want high grades but I think I value consistency more and while I’ll always complain about whoever I use to grade my cards I have to admit PSA is getting more consistent overall.
bgr -- 100% -- consistency
psa trying to slow down the pop reports. the new owner wasn't involved in this but is trying to somewhat remedy the situation. used to be able to pick lots of 10 1984 topps cards. i got ripken $200 for 10 psa 10's at one purchase. the guys name was psa gems or something and he had lots of 10 of many star players. he would do weekly auctions of all psa 10's from the 1980's. reggie, glavine, ripken rose, ryan. i would win 15 at a time for less than $100.
The toughest part to take is when you see already PSA graded examples of the same card you own, and you get excited about what you have.
And when you get yours back from PSA grading, its 2 or MORE grades lower, even when it's looks better than the ones you compared it to.
Then it's usually followed by the cop out, oh, it must be a surface issue.
It's like changing the taste of Coke! It created such a big disruption and it's hard to reverse it.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
So, you're saying we're in the New Coke phase?!?
I keep hoping someone will realize they need to go back to the way it was...
Let's all just enjoy our high-fructose corn syrup and be happy.