While we're at it - do these look trimmed?

Arsenal83

Putting aside the deserved prejudices against CSA, what are your guys' thoughts on the crossover PSA grades for these 2 bad boys?

Bosox1976

Carew 7
Aaron 8

Arsenal83

thanks Mike, anyone else?

storm888

7s or worse, if the are not trimmed.

Open the pix in Windows Fax and Pic Viewer.
Then blow them up a little to check the corners
and the uneven L/R margins. If the corners are
nicer than the rest of the card, it is likely trimmed.

CSA is NOT a real grading-company, IMO. Take
the cards out of the holders, if you send them to
PSA.

basestealer

I think they look suspicious-- perhaps 1/16th gone from the borders. This one above is a real one. I dunno... hard to compare. They're trimming tiny amounts off with lasers now, so I don't even think you can compare without a ruler.

Arsenal83

i've pulled out the loup in the past (albeit while the cards were slabbed) and there isn't anything suspicious about the cuts or edges. The corners don't appear disproportionately nice compared to the rest of the card. I picked these up over 10 years ago and I've heard that relatively speaking, CSA cards weren't as bad then as they are in the new holders. Am I right?

Basestealer - is that Aaron you posted slabbed? If not, how do you know that one is real? (no sarcasm intended).

Thanks for your imput guys, keep 'em coming.

Brian

basestealer

<< <i>i've pulled out the loup in the past (albeit while the cards were slabbed) and there isn't anything suspicious about the cuts or edges. The corners don't appear disproportionately nice compared to the rest of the card. I picked these up over 10 years ago and I've heard that relatively speaking, CSA cards weren't as bad then as they are in the new holders. Am I right?

Basestealer - is that Aaron you posted slabbed? If not, how do you know that one is real? (no sarcasm intended).

Thanks for your imput guys, keep 'em coming.

Brian >>


I would imagine I would know it is real the same way that PSA graders know when a card is real. None of the cards in my personal collection are slabbed, but I have dealt with plenty of them. It's not magic--it's not like magical fairies at PSA can decide without a doubt, using fairie dust, which cards are real and which ones aren't--every collector can grade and verify autenticity if they know how. Measure your cards. 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 Not 3 7/16 x 2 3/8.

Arsenal83

How about when the cards come 1/32 to 1/16" oversized from the factory? Trimming that card would bring that down to "standard" size wouldn't it? I have over 1000 68's and there are at least 50 or so cards that are at least 1/32" larger than the rest. So unless I have 950+ trimmed cards, I would say (as all "collectors" and those "magical fairies" at PSA know) that merely measuring a card is not indicative of trimming. Lord knows, PSA never lets any sliders through. (read with sarcasm)

I'm done with this banter. That's not why I posted. Anyone else with anything constructive?

basestealer

Measuring the card isn't the only thing you should do, but it's a good start. Cards that are oversized slightly from the factory aren't trimmed--trimmed implies less, not more. You can inspect the edges of a trimmed card to determine if it's a factory cut or some other "form". PSA has gotten it wrong before--believe it or not, PSA has rejected as trimmed several factory miscuts that were too short. This was a big deal at the time, and there's an article about it somewhere. I'm sorry I'm not telling you what you want to hear. The card is important, not the slab--I don't blindly trust any grading company. But if the card is short, you aren't likely to get PSA to touch it.

storm888

There is a good measurement tool (free) at

www.pixeladdiction.com

Using that tool, if you have the patience, you can make pretty conclusive
determinations regarding scans, but you must know what
the true-factory size is supposed to be.

Some of the better doctors use sandpaper. This can eliminate
both the waves and the bevels, if done "correctly."

RonBurgundy

"They're trimming tiny amounts off with lasers now, so I don't even think you can compare without a ruler."


WHOA. Lasers? I'd like to hear more about this.



Ron