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Zero Serial Numbers

dcaudle68dcaudle68 Posts: 16
in PSA Set Registry Forum
If this has been discussed before i apologize as I dont keep up very well but several people when inquiring about my cards say they want to stay away from those that begin with a 0 serial number? Why would that be? Easy to open?

Dean

Comments

  • mikeschmidtmikeschmidt Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭
    Some wrongly believe that those are generously graded. Many generalizations in terms of PSA grading are often faulty....
    I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
  • BobSBobS Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    Click Here for more
  • SUPERPUNK813SUPERPUNK813 Posts: 351 ✭
    I have a bunch of PSA 8 1958 and 1963 topps baseball cards with serial numbers that begin with zero that look as good as any PSA 9 card i have.


    Paul.
    Check out my new web site: Monsters of the Gridiron
  • waitilltheytrytosellwaitilltheytrytosell Posts: 378 ✭
    When PSA goes to a 9 digit serial number the same morons will be running around saying that all 8 digit serial numbers are no good. They have only their immediate personal interest in mind, and will tell you anything to get you to buy only what they happen to be selling, or tell you anything to try to get a discount on what they want to buy. This used to go on a lot more prior to professional grading being around. They would tell you that all their stuff is better than the inferior stuff that everybody else has to offer. They would tell you something is wrong with what you were trying to sell them, but they would still take it at a reduced price. Now with professional grading putting everybody who has something to buy and sell on an even playing field, they've got to come up with some crazy angle stories in order to get you to do exactly what they want.
  • RobERobE Posts: 1,160 ✭✭
    Card starting with a 9

    My card starting with a zero


    Another card with a zero


    I bought the card from Superior thinking I'd like the centering better which is 55/45 all around and pretty much did like it by comparison to the Ryan starting with a 3 that is already in my set.On my Ryan I liked the front with brighter colors and whiter boarders much better and the front centering seemed better, as well.However,IMO the Superior card was equally as nice.I felt both were solid 9s and where one was weaker the other was stronger.

    The Superior card had slightly off white boarders,55/45 centering front and back,a little microscopic pin head like mark and 4 perfect corners.

    The one I decided to keep has brighter color, almost 50/50 or 49/51 front centering and 90/10 on the back,4 mint corners and a flawless surface.

    It was a hard decision which card to keep and which to let go of.Sure,it would have been easier to return the card to Chris maybe, but the purchase justified (in my mind) getting my superior catalog even though I lost every auction.It's a really nice catalog and or my donation to Superior for sending it to me.



    In conclusion,I think the zero cert# is a card lore myth that has grown legs but what do I know.





    Robert

    image

    My Auctions
  • RayBShotzRayBShotz Posts: 1,088
    dcaudle - my response to a previous thread:

    I have been building my 69' set for quite some time consequently I have a lot of cards in my collection with serial #'s starting with "0".
    My observations using my PSA 8 quality examples:

    1) There seems to be no visible difference in the card quality graded with serial #'s starting in "0" than other digits.

    2) I, in fact noticed while looking at my cards that cards other than those serialized "0" often have more off centering issues than those with the "0". It seems to me that PSA 8NQ cards serialized "0" really had to be close to right on center. Today PSA allows for "no qualifier" grading on invoices. My guess is that PSA 9 quality cards off center cards are ending up in PSA 8 holders. For my money; if I am looking for a nice PSA 8, I would rather have a solid NRMT/MT card on center than a MINT quality one with centering or diamond cut issues.

    3) There are good cards and bad cards all across the serial number spectrum. Buy the card. Buy what your happy with.

    4) Although PSA's graders have changed over the years it is still important to note that the formal written standards for grading at PSA have remained the same. Technically all serial numbered cards would receive the same approach under these parameters. I, for one, am extremely happy that PSA never folded to industry and collector pressure to tweak the grading system or standards in any way. It is fair to say in response that individual graders interprit written standards differently, but those interpretations take place today as well as when cards were serialized "0".

    5) Take a look at some of my 69' set scans for yourself. (I loaded the first 75 cards Saturday) I think you will find there are a lot of really nice cards for the grade of PSA 8 with "0" serial numbers. Are they universally better? No. But I think it is testimony to PSA's basic grading expertise and level of consistency. All in all you will be happy with your set as a whole in the grade you choose with PSA, regardless of serial numbers...in my humble opinion.

    RayB69Topps

    Credit BobS for the link.
    Never met a Vintage card I didn't like!
  • 7orbetter7orbetter Posts: 38
    I believe that cards that start with '0' are inferior to those that don't base on numerous examples I have had in recent years. Try to have that '0' regraded . . . it will almost always come back a grade less than previously graded. I have done it one to many times, trust me.
  • downgoesfrazierdowngoesfrazier Posts: 1,515 ✭✭
    7orbetter,
    Simply nonsense. I am sorry you bought an overgraded card but you are empirically incorrect.
    dgf

    Dean,
    Don't fear the "zero" image
  • carew4mecarew4me Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭✭


    It has nothing to do with 0.

    It is the longer bar code and old style label font that you need to stay away from.

    Better known as the David Hall era over grades.

    I think all of David Hall's sets should be removed from the All-Time finest list.

    Loves me some shiny!
  • interchangesinterchanges Posts: 864 ✭
    I would agree about removing the David Hall sets from the all time greatest. (that would move me up a notch on the Wilson set), but mostly because it looks a little shady.

    Well, I just got my big fat Mastro catalogue today.(2)! They seem to come on saturday morning a lot. Which is a great way to spend a cold, sat. morning!
    Anyway, I see a ton of great vintage PSA graded sportscards that start with zero. Lets see how the big spenders feel about those inferior numbers. Lets see how that 1952 Topps Mantle in an 8 is affected by that zero.

    Or are we just talking about 1975 Topps commons?
  • goodriddance189goodriddance189 Posts: 2,388 ✭✭


    << <i>It has nothing to do with 0.

    It is the longer bar code and old style label font that you need to stay away from.

    Better known as the David Hall era over grades.

    I think all of David Hall's sets should be removed from the All-Time finest list. >>




    i agree that the typewriter style holders are generally lower quality. and the founder of psa also being a collector seems to be a huge conflict of interest
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