Grading process video
onegaucho
Posts: 650 ✭
Anyone else see this video yet?
Thanks to Joe for putting it together and making it available to us. The grading room looked a lot different than I had imagined.
Only scary thing I saw was during the sealing process where the 56T Koufax (you can tell it's a reprint) was handled quite 'loosely'.
Link to watch video
Thanks to Joe for putting it together and making it available to us. The grading room looked a lot different than I had imagined.
Only scary thing I saw was during the sealing process where the 56T Koufax (you can tell it's a reprint) was handled quite 'loosely'.
Link to watch video
0
Comments
Everyone but the graders have awesome offices. Wish mine looked like that.
It did seem like there were a lot of fingers on the edges, etc. of the actual card. Hard to believe anything submitted could stay a 10 under such circumstances.
Well done video, overall. (less focus on the actual grading than I would have liked to see - but Joe O. has personally talked to me about that before....)
~ms
rw2win - It played for me on Windows Media Player. Are you using a Mac ?
Also, make sure you have your monitor turned on.
As for the video itself, I was thinking how can PSA charge so little for all this ?
"How about a little fire Scarecrow ?"
<< <i>As for the video itself, I was thinking how can PSA charge so little for all this ? >>
Probably one of the main points they were trying to get across. It's hard for us to comprehend why it costs so much to grade a card, because we're on the outside looking in, and see it as 15-30 seconds, plus a piece of plastic, plus a little data entry = $8? It doesn't add up for us because we don't have to deal with it for 40 or 50 hours a week like they do, and still have to turn a profit on top of that.
I also like how the feel of the video reminded me of ones I was forced to watch in 4th grade science class. Very informative though, and I liked being able to get a concrete feel for what the place is like instead of just seeing it as the big castle in the sky.
Edited to fix unintentional swearing!
As for fingers touching cards, I did somewhat assume that they wore protective gloves. Perhaps there's a reason why not, though.
And I still maintain to this day that an electronic grading system, in conjunction with human eyes, would be the absolute best way to accurately grade card and spot alterations. But let me deal with that patent since nobody else seems to want to!
<< <i>
As for fingers touching cards, I did somewhat assume that they wore protective gloves. Perhaps there's a reason why not, though.
>>
There's often talk on the PCGS forums about coins coming back with fingerprints. As for the electronic grading - if you PM me, I'll copy you on something I wrote on this subject. Bad, bad idea methinks.
Josh
So when the "boxes" come in one person goes and gets one box goes to their desk and records the cards. No wonder it takes so long....
As for errors....With more people checking it how would a card get mislabeled? With more people "handling" the card more of a chance for a "physical" error.
Course they call them "mechanical" errors. And will "trace" the cards path to find out what happened.
Oh well, I guess the grading process will remain a mystery to me!
Thanks for the glimpse inside the grading process Joe.
1993 Pro Set Power All-Power-Defense Gold #1
The OS9 version of Windows Media Player is very old - and even when it was new was a horrible product. Most of the helper applications (Acrobat Reader, Stuffit, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, etc) either haven't been updated in a LONG time, or will never see another update.
I played the video on my PowerBook G4 with the current version of Windows Media Player and it stopped about 1:45 into the video. I think this has more to do with the particular Airport wireless network that I'm on right now. I'll try it at home and see if I have any problem there. I also have a decent Windows XP machine at home to try it on.
Mike
Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (10.3)
Your my kinda guy! A real Mac geek! I am running OSX Panther, but my ancient WMP software is OS9... is there an OSX version out there I can get my hands on? Quick Time won't recognoze the file and I don't use Real Player.
<< <i>Reassuring to see the checks and balances involved in the grading process. Glad to see certain cards go to certain people. >>
Did I miss that?
Anyhow, I really appreciated the opportunity to see the process.
JonB;
Pardon me if I prefer operating the Rolls Royce of computers whilst the unwashed masses are operating Yugos!
FWIW. . .about twice a year I build a new Windows XP-equipped box for myself.
Con40> Go to www.versiontracker.com Make sure you select the "MacOSX" tab. In the search field, type in "windows media player". It will take you through the download. The current version for OSX is 9.0.
Mike
Thoughts:
I figured that they would use gloves in the handling of cards.
What happened to multiple people checking the card for the appropriate grade????
Hello All,
I really appreciate the kind words and support.
A couple of quick things...
Obviously, we could have made the video much, much longer but then the video would be too long to keep the attention of most. The director and editor actually felt the video was still too long even after we cut it down. We do have the extended version of text available for those who would like a slightly more detailed explanation of the process - the text is more detailed in the grading area in particular.
We just wanted to provide some insight into the process - especially for those who are new to grading. I know, as a former PSA customer, how tough it can be for some to send cards through the mail for the first time or to send cards off for grading for the first time - it's scary when you love your cards so much. I was terrified! I hope the video will help make new customers more comfortable with the process and with our company.
After 13 years, there are still a lot of cards and collectors out there that are new to grading.
One more thing - gloves have never been part of the process. There really is no advantge in using gloves when it comes to the handling of cards. It would actually make it harder to handle the cards and the card savers - the gloves, in a sense, get in the way of grip, etc. That has been our experience after many years in business.
Oh well, back to the National - please stop by and say hello if you are in town!
Take care,
Joe Orlando
PSA President
CEO, Collectors Universe, Inc.
Actually, nice work.
Can't wait for the sequel, Keeping Crabs Out of Your PSA Slabs.
Best,
S.
all kidding aside, i really appreciated the video and look forward to more of these "info-videos" i would really have liked to see more on the actual grading process.
Joe O,
Thanks for the video. In my mind I never pictured the grading process that way. VERY informative. After talking with you in Chicago and seeing this video, it's nice to see PSA listening to their customers and making the effort to keep them informed and educated about the hobby we all love.
Keep up the good work! I congratulate you and your team.
Thanks,
Glen
I too would like to see or read a little more about the graders procedures. Ive always wondered if there were templates for size or how that works.
Anyway, it was an entertaining video that I need to look at again with a larger picture.
I have to say, though, that I cringed at the speed with which the slabber slid the card into the bottom of the holder before putting the top on. It seemed very haphazard, without much regard for the integrity of the corners and bottom surface.
Of course, if I slabbed hundreds of cards every day, I'd probably be doing it pretty fast too...
Always looking for 1957 Topps BB in PSA 9!
If I send in 1000 cards, are the cards dispersed among different graders? What if I send in 10 cards? If larger orders are divided up among more graders (versus having them all graded by one grader or one pair of graders if they're scored twice), what's the cutoff point? I'd like to know that to help plan future submissions since I'd prefer having as wide an assortment of graders as possible on each submission.