Question about centering

tribeman

Does anybody know how detailed psa gets when they measure a card for centering. For example do they look at in terms of 1/64 of an inch or 1/32 or 1/16? When cards are close to the 70-30 or 65-35 mark, it can make a difference if it is actually measured by the 64th or if it is just measured by the 16th, as it can leave a lot of guess work if you don't use very small increments.

Thanks

scottsusor

For any card that appears to be close to their 65/35 minimum, I measure it in centimeters at what appears to be the worst point of centering prior to deciding whether or not to submit. How PSA does it, I don't know for sure, but I'd imagine they also use a centimeter measurement. 70/30 is definitely going to get an OC qualifier (unless of course you ask for "No Qualifiers" ARGHHHH!). Incidentally, I also use this type of measurement on scans on eBay by copying off the scan, increasing the size with Windows Paint, then holding my clear measuring device up against the monitor. Hope this helps.

Scott

highend

scott- i have to say you are truly one of the well informed and an asset to these boards . your method is on the money.

Fuzz

While I am not sure of the specifics, I suspect they are using micrometers or fine calipers. Down to 1/64 of an inch is no where near fine enough to provide a real measurement. My tools estimate down to about 1/160 of inch or so and still that is no guarentee.
Rule of thumb, "If you think it might be o/c, then it probably is".
Fuzz

scottsusor

Highend -- Thank you so much for the nice compliment. I also find your posts to be insightful and educational. I've learned a lot here, and I've hopefully provided some good information for others.

Fuzz -- Great observation with "If you think it might be o/c, then it probably is." Very true. I sort of doubt that the PSA graders use calipers. It would be nice but I'd think it would slow down the process more than just laying a clear plastic measuring tool over the card. I don't know for sure though.

Scott

jimtb

Scott,
thanks for tips on measuring centering. That is perfect info that I needed.
Jim

Fuzz

Scott,
Now that you mention it, wasn't there a thread about this a few weeks ago? I think at that time someone said that they use a clear pyramid magnifier of some sort which is clear and would lay over the card. It would be faster. I just remembered that they had a device that takes this centering thing way seriously.
Fuzz

scottsusor

You're welcome Jim!

What you really need is a clear plastic type of centimeter measuring device. Mine is from my high school drafting class (yeh, I still have it 27 years later!). For anybody who needs one, you'd probably need to go to a drafting supply store, or maybe an art store, or of course you can look for one on good old eBay. They're priceless when it comes to measuring card centering.

Scott

jimtb

Hi Scott,
I'm heading to Office Max in the morning to find a clear ruler of some kind. I'm working with the 1978 Burger King Tigers that are notoriously off-center. I need a better grasp of the standards and not just my eyeballin' the card.
Jim

scottsusor

I forgot about Office Max -- they may have something -- but make sure its a clear one and not an opaque one. You have to be able to lay it over the card itself to get a truly accurate read. If they don't have a clear one, try a drafting supply store, like I said. I think you'll have quite an epiphany the first time you use this method of checking the centering. Let us know how it works out.

Scott

jimtb

Thanks Scott,
I'll let you know how it work out. I seem to have a good eye for cards and I use a loupe for the corners, but I seem to be overly critical on centering. I see a lot of cards on ebay that are graded straight 8's and 9's that are to my eye, are off-center. I'm trying to better understand what PSA considers OC.
Jim