Should PSA go to half grades ??

ezyshooter

Well i thought about it. I think PSA should go to half grades. 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 You know what i mean. I don't see why they don't. I couldn't care less for the subgrades at all. But some cards that feel just short of a 8 or a 9 for that matter should be graded 7.5 or 8.5 to show that the card is better then most 7's and 8's. Any thought to this? I would really like to know if i am one of the few who agree that PSA should go to half grades. Joe (Orlando) if you read this, has PSA thought of doing this in the future ? Personally i think it would be a great money maker for PSA so that people can either break out the cards to try and get a half grade higher or PSA could run a deal for people wanting to send in there already graded cards to get regraded to see if there card meets the extra .5 of a grade. The set registry would be higher and people of course would pay more for a cards graded just shy of the next grade. This is especially true for older cards. Let's face it some cards say worth 500.00 dollars in a 7 but worth 2,000.00 in a 8. I feel if a card graded inbetween should be worth 1,000.00. But without the half grade it is still only a 7.
Well what do you think ???

Lothar52

oh boy..........................here we go again!!!!!

ezyshooter

NOT SUBGRADES !! Just half grades. Telling me you would rather have a PSA 7 instead of a 7.5 or a 8 instead of a 8.5 etc... ?

A761506

I have long been opposed to half grades until recently, when I've realized that there is just far too much variance in the cards within a particular grade, especially the PSA 8. I've seen high end PSA 8's that look a lot like low-end PSA 9's, and I've seen low end PSA 8's that could easily qualify under 7, perhaps even 6 based on the centering. Half-grades could help this. I think half-grades would be a viable alternative to qualifiers, which seem to really clobber the value of a card.

What they could do is offer members a free review on a certain number of cards, based on volume of previous submissions, with a minimum of 6 free reviews for any member. (Members pay shipping & insurance just like a regular submission.) If they deemed a card to be upgradable, they could crack it and regrade it and change the population report, or if the card had been previously qualified, the qualifier would be removed in exchange for a non-qualified grade. However, they would also have to make it so people aren't just sending every card they own, so if they deemed a card was overgraded, they could also lower the grade to correct it. And if someone wanted to submit more previously graded cards for review, the cost would be $1 or 2 a card.

Axtell

This topic seems to get revisited every month or so.

If you want half grades, there are companies that do that sort of thing. If you want subgrades, there are companies that do that sort of thing.

If your card has a certain grade, you know why it go it. No need to muck up a great system with gimmicks like subgrades and half grades.

ezyshooter

I agree with the qualifier as well. Half grades would be great. It also depends on the qualifier though. If a card has a stain i still would like to know before purchasing it.

goudeygold

I agree with axtell. At the high end 9-10, you have to buy the card especially considering centering issues.

GG

ezyshooter

I know there's other companies that do this. Maybe it si time for PSA to start doing this. If you are so dead against change why do you have a computer ?? If majority of the people want this then do it. That is what i am getting at. Times change for this we know. If business's don't keep up with the changes then they go belly up. I'm not saying that PSA will go belly up but it would definely bring them more business. If you were in business to make many then why wouldn't you? Especially if the majority wants it. Maybe i should repost and have people vote yes to half grades or no to half grades without comments. Just to see how many ya's and na's we have out there.

Axtell

Buy the card not the holder has been adviced given on this board over and over.

PSA obviously doesn't feel the need to gimmick up their cards with half grades of subgrades (and I thank them for that).

CollectorChris

No. Drop it.

yawie99

I'm not opposed to half-grades per se, but I am very much opposed to PSA changing the rules of the grading game - or at least their variation of it - millions of cards into the game. In fact, if they were to make the change, I'd very seriously consider changing my grading allegiance to another company, most likely SGC. Of course, I'm just a very small fish in the big hobby pond, and such a move could be great for PSA's bottom line - if for no other reason than people would be even more likely to spin the crack-and-resubmit roulette wheel.

However, I'm not so sure that it would have such a positive impact on our bottom lines. To use your example, Steve, let's say under PSA's current system that a 7 of Card X typically sells for $500 and an 8 for about $2,000. A new 7.5 grade may indeed fetch $1,000-$1,200, but the demand for 7's could decrease since it would now be just the 7th highest possible grade instead of the 4th highest grade. A $500 card could suddenly become $350 card due to the change in grading guidelines. Maybe I'm a bit too Chicken Little here - and maybe I'm not even making sense - but the impact of a switch to half grades on the "value" of many collections might not necessarily be positive.

Besides, many hobbyists believe that the grading under a 10-point system is already too inconsistent. I can't see it getting any better under a 19-point system. I'd just assume let individual collectors decide what fits their criteria for "low-end" and "high-end" for a given grade rather than have PSA attempt such.

1979COLLECTOR

If your 17 and murder someone you cannot get the death pen. should it be any different if you are 17 and a half (17.5) absolutley not, your either 17 or 18.

Your card is either fair or ex, either nm or nm/mint , either mint or gem mint.

You have 2wd vehicles and then 4wd vehicles...no 3wd..

Your card is either a 9 or a 10..no in between..

no half grades - your card gets the grade it deserves.

SDSportsFan

<< <i>If your 17 and murder someone you cannot get the death pen. should it be any different if you are 17 and a half (17.5) absolutley not, your either 17 or 18.

Your card is either fair or ex, either nm or nm/mint , either mint or gem mint.

You have 2wd vehicles and then 4wd vehicles...no 3wd..

Your card is either a 9 or a 10..no in between..

no half grades - your card gets the grade it deserves. >>







Steve

ezyshooter

So what your saying if PSA started off with half grades things would be ok? Or you would stop using PSA if they went to half grades? You would find another grader who doesn't do half grades? A apple is a pear then becomes a orange? Sorry guys. I always respect peoples opinions and i never knock down a person for there opinions, but not one reason makes any sense why PSA should not do half grades.
Well maybe one. A PSA 7 may become less value or a PSA 8 may become less value because because of the half grades. Could that happen? Maybe, maybe not? For vintage cards where there are few to be had, in most cases, i don't think half grades would have any impact on the price. However for newer cards say 1972 till present i think it would have a impact.
Yes, this has been posted again and it will be posted again in the future. As for Steve's opinion about about a 17.5 year old being charged as an adult. The answer there is yes. I don't care if he/she was 14 and yes i believe in the death penalty as well.
But hay that's my opinion. Everybody has one. Sorry Steve to disagree with you on this one. You are a great guy but i think half grades would be great for PSA and the hobby.

dallasactuary

<< <i>I know there's other companies that do this. Maybe it si time for PSA to start doing this. ... If majority of the people want this then do it. >>



I think it's interesting that most other companies (all the other good ones?) use half-grades and/or sub-grades yet it is PSA that is the undisputed king of the hill. I know there are several reasons for that, but if a majority of people didn't like their system then whatever other advantages they may have had I don't think they ever could have gotten to this point, let alone stayed there for so long.

If you're keeping count, I vote "no".

Knuckles

no

Axtell

How many threads are you going to start on this same topic? I suggest next time searching the forums (you know, that SEARCH button up there?) and find out that this exact topic has been covered over and over.

NO HALF GRADES.

SDavid

Yes. Either that or subgrades.

The majority of "high end" psa 8's that are sold on-line are really just average 8's with nice centering. With the software that's out there today, you can make any card look high end if it's well centered.

Having seen a good amount of bgs cards with high subs, I think they do tell an accurate picture of a card's condition. Not perfect, but much more accurate than an ebay seller's description or scan.

yawie99

It's not really the half-grades, Steve. Like I said, I'd consider switching to a company that already has half-grades if PSA changes. The issue for me would be the changing of the grading standards after millions of cards have already been graded by PSA. Had PSA started with a 0.5 system, fine; but to change now would almost make it seem like every card graded under 10-point system had been graded by a defunct company.

boggs301012

I thought this horse died? No NO N O NO no Way to late in the grading game to change. If this happens as I have stated I will not purchase a single PSA card ever. 8,000,000 cards will need to be reholdered for free in my opinion. That is a lot of plastic and finger prints for PSA to handle.

schr1st

I wouldn't mind sub-grades, but I'd say no to half-grades.

DirtyHarry

No, why?

schr1st

Because if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Adding subgrades can help educate collectors as to why a certain PSA graded card ended up with the grade it did, but going to a .5 subgrade system will just add confusion to the marketplace.



<< <i>No, why? >>

DirtyHarry

PSA won't go to half grades or sub grades. It will add cost to the system. I have asked about it directly with them before. "They are looking at it." And, they are looking at you too.......

schr1st

It was something that was discussed at last year's Set Registry Luncheon at the National as well, and it seemed that everyone in attendance agreed that going to a half-point grading system was not the way that PSA should go.

Voyager

ABSOLUTELY!

PSA should have gone to half-grades a long time ago. There's too much of a disperity between 7/8 and 8/9.

Also, something I think Joe Orlando should think about is that, going to half-grades will put and end to collectors arguing with PSA about a card being one grade higher than the holder says.

calleocho

I would actually like to see just five grades in total

poor-good- excellent- near mint - mint

I think that the more you split hair, the more arguments you will have.

there are two kind of cards within a grade, A technical grade and a visual appeal grade. Bot of these cards are graded fine.The latter will be bought by those people with the good sense to maybe overpay a little for something that looks a little nicer

1977topps

No half grades.

Southsider

Half grades are over, quarter or tenth grades is the way to go. What if your card is a really nice 8.5, but not nice enough to be a 9? Then obviously it should be graded a 8.75 or a 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, etc. And if it's really, really that close to a 9, PSA could grade it 8.99. Eventually I see the need to change the flip to incorporate more decimals.

windcarver5

stormsurge

No, they should not.

jackstraw

i would be tickled pink if they just made holder sizes for kelloggs,topps stickers and donruss action all star cards! lets work on getting rid of that ugly mylar sleeve first! then maybe we can discuss the ability to register more than one card in a master set! if i have 17 nolan ryan rookies that are psa graded i should be able to list everyone in my master set. lets fix the stuff that is broken first!

envoy98

Sub grades are great, but the problem is, very few of the companies grade the same card the same grade twice. (hence the crack-resubmit theory) How are they going to get subgrades right every time? That's just another margin for error IMO. I spoke with the powers that be from "that other grading company with former ties to PSA" and asked them about sub-grades and why they chose to do half grades but not subgrades. His response was the same as mine, how can you possibly be consistent with sub-grades every time, especially with half-grade subgrades besides. Then you have to weigh a particular value to a given sub-grade to help determine the overall grade. Beckett has been doing it for years and they are still inconsistent as hell on subgrades.

What another member posted in regards to a card going down in value if they changed is all too true. Think about it, a 7 is the 4th highest possible grade right now and carries a pretty good premium in many sets... if you start adding 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 to that mix, you devalue cards on both sides of each grade in all of these existing collections. A 9 is quite a bit better than an 8 in most cases, and substantially better than most 7's. But is an 8.5 really that much better than an 8? So little premium for the 8.5, but is a 9 all that much better than an 8.5 that it should carry a substantial premium?

And what do you do with all those cards that are in a 9 holder but would now qualify only as an 8.5? How do you determine if that 9 someone is holding on to, for fear it would cross down to an 8.5, is worth any premium over an 8.5 now? Just the logistics of converting over are mind-boggling, not to mention the complete devluation of thousands of collections that might just start a small riot in Newport Beach.

I don't see it being even partially feasible to move to half-grades. Sub-grades would be a possibility, but again, consistency is going to be very difficult and now people will have 5 grades to argue about instead of just one.

Just my .02, ignore as needed.

-Josh

Coolidge

Half grades -- NO!

Sub grades -- NO!