Anyone familliar with KSA grading company?

Galveston

A friend is offering me a card graded by this Canadian firm. Are they comparable with PSA?

spacktrack

From what I have heard, KSA is a Canadian company primarily specializing in the hockey cards and widely used in Canada as an alternative to the high shipping rates and grading fees of PSA and other American companies. I have heard KSA holders trimmed cards (I believe this was discussed in one of the many crossover threads on these forums). I have no experience with them, so perhaps someone else can be more helpful.

dstudeba

The only time I heard of them is there has been a KSA 5 Wilson Franks Williams up on eBay a few times recently. Hasn't met the buyers reserve (which I think is about 1500) in 3 or 4 auctions. The reason it hasn't is because the card is more of a parallelogram than a rectangle. I have looked long and hard at it, and can't figure out how the factory couls cut it so poorly. The only other explaination is that it was trimmed....poorly. I would steer clear of it without a promise that it would cross over or your money back.

Believe me if it was a PSA 5 Williams a bunch of us would be fighting over it for more than 1500.......and I am afraid I would still lose.

-------------------------

Buying your Wilson Franks as a favor to you since no one else wants them.

aro13

Galveston-I have bought and sold some KSA cards. They are from Kitchener, Ontario and are very nice people to deal with. However, their grades are usually one to two grades higher than PSA would give the same card. I also believe they are not great at detecting altered and trimmed cards. I think they can pick up the obvious ones. If you are being offered a post 1950 hockey card I would think you would be okay.

RedHeart54

<< <i>If you are being offered a post 1950 hockey card I would think you would be okay. >>




Mmmm, I'd say more of a post 1990 card. A great number of 70s and 80s OPC have made it to the hobby freshly cut from a sheet. KSA is essentially like BGS. Their modern cards are probably legit but stay away from anything pre '89 or so.

mikeschmidt

I trust them most with OPC, Leaf and similar Canadian issues -- as many collectors up there utilize KSA's services because of the double-customs annoying thing that happens when they try to attempt to get their cards graded by PSA.

One to two overgrades is probably about right -- but I've seen some that are fairly graded.

MickeyC

For what it's worth, I flipped a KSA 9 1971 Topps Ted Williams to a PSA 8. Not bad for $40.

Mark

waitilltheytrytosell

Regarding crossovers like the 1971 Williams, why not just buy a PSA Williams card in the first place - Williams Auction
Most of the time you will be burned trying to crossover cards from these fringe grading companies.
It doesn't seem to me to be worth the huge risk.

MickeyC

<< <i>Regarding crossovers like the 1971 Williams, why not just buy a PSA Williams card in the first place - Williams Auction
Most of the time you will be burned trying to crossover cards from these fringe grading companies.
It doesn't seem to me to be worth the huge risk. >>



For higher priced cards, it isn't worth the risk. But I got the Williams for $42 and used a free grading coupon, and included it in a shipment to PSA that I had already put together, so I felt it wasn't much of a risk.

There is some value to what we learn from trying to flip from one holder to another.

Mark