Newb question...

jamesryanbell

Hey there all. I have a few questions about PSA. (And please don't tell me to "search"....of course I tried that first, but didn't get exactly what I wanted).

1) When someone's selling a PSA graded card on eBay and says something like "This card is one of only 5 graded PSA 9 or higher", where do they find that info? Can I see that information somewhere WITHOUT being a PSA customer? Can anyone tell me exactly where to go to see this? (or what I have to do to be able to see this)

2) I've heard more nightmares than I care to entertain about people sending in cards in amazing condition, only to receive them back flawed in some way (by the graders). There seem to be countless threads about this. I have a 1960 and 1966 Topps Mantles that are the best I've ever seen. They are a literally shoe-ins for a 9. I don't like the idea of "chancing" something regarding the condition of these two cards. Is there only one location for the grading to take place? Is there anywhere to drop them off and literally watch them grade the cards (do they have multiple locations, etc)? It's just too flawed seemingly to just take a chance on cards I couldn't ever replace. Anyone have any insight here? What do you do with your most prized cards? I'm just scared to send in things like a '33 Goudey Ruth, these Mantles, my 52 Bowman Mantle, etc without a little assurance. For goodness sake, there seems to be no "big brother" at all if you just send 'em in and hope. The cards could be accidentally switched, etc. What assurances are there at all other than "that wouldn't be right"....that doesn't help me. haha.

3) What sort of "guarantee" do they provide in case the cards are damaged in any way? How can you prevent being "screwed" over if it happens (to where you can prove the card was in said shape before you sent it, etc? And lastly, how do you send it securely?

Thanks a ton for your time. I sincerely appreciate it.

-- Ryan

Wondo

1) To get a pop Report", you must be a member of PSA. You can join from the PSA home page.

2) All PSA grading is done in Newport Beach, California. You cannot watch them grade or "follow" you card.

3) If you want to have the card graded by PSA, you must follow their submission rules. I am assuming that they're chain of evidence is pretty tight, but mistakes, mishandling and theft does occur.

Perhaps someone can enlighten us on handling guarantees provided by PSA.

mikeschmidt

Ryan-

Answer 1: You have to be a paying member to get the PSA Population Report. You can do it either by being a member of PSA (~$99/year), or you can access the Report for $5/month. Alternatively, if there are specific cards you are looking to research, if you look at PSA Set Registry sets, that may show you how many of a card in a particular grade are graded, as well as how many higher.

Answer 2: Some services offer on-site grading of cards. But even then, the grading company may have it for a few hours, minimum, if not overnight. They tend to be at the bigger card shows, etc. The grading fees are much more exorbitant to do in person, but it is an available option. In general, I think there is relatively little chance of your card being damaged (if you ship correctly) and of your card being switched. PSA has graded over 10 million cards. It is a leap of faith for new customers, surely. But I don't know what sort of 'better system' there might be. If you take ample evidence of the condition of what you are submitting -- it seems hard to think that a company with a strong reputation (PSA or SGC) will "be out to get you".

Answer 3: There are no guarantees. If you ship the card correctly, damage should not incur. There are some insurance provisions, I know, and I would recommend you review a submission form for that legal language. But if you ship it right, damage should not occur. There are additionally some articles on PSA's website about how to best safely and securely send a submission.

~marc

Fuzz

Another Answer 1 - Go to the set registry page. Find the set you are interested in. Try opening a few of the top sets that will let you open them. They will show you the card grade in that set and the number higher. If you open a few differenet ones, you should be able to piece together the info you wnat at no cost.
Fuzz

jdip9

2) I would hope that the actual number of cards damaged by PSA is on the order of 1:25,000 (or higher). If they did damage more frequently than that, they'd have a tough time maintaining their place at the top of the market. Be sure to scan your cards before you submit, at least then you'll have some proof of the condition of the cards you sent.

jradke4

well you can always take pictures of the cards before you send them in. other than that how can they know that what they sent to you wasnt what you sent to them. the old he said she said arguement. I have never run into this problem with PSA. I have sent in nearly 1000 cards to be graded and havent seen any horrors when I got them back.

as for watching them grade the card. that wont happen, unless you are trying to grade and large sum card (ie a T206 wagner in PSA8), I would assume then they might let you watch. the closest that you can get is to take the card to a show that PSA is at where they will grade on-site. it will cost you though for that option. if my memory serves its nearly $100 a card for fast walk-through grading at shows. I would recommend if you have the chance to do a drop off at a show though. if you dont want the cards graded there the cost is the same as if you mail them, but you dont have to pay the drop postage, just the return. you will also get a chance to chat with a rep, have questions asked etc.

MorrellMan

<< <i>I have a 1960 and 1966 Topps Mantles that are the best I've ever seen. They are a literally show-ins for a 9, and possible even a 10. >>



Less than one percent of all '60 Mantles and slightly more than one percent of all '66 Mantles have graded 9; there are currently zero 10s for either card.

Griffins

I don't know of anyone that has not been bitterly disappointed with the results of their first submission, even accusing the grading company of damaging or switching the card at times. The reality is that until you've handled a lot of graded cards you won't really have a feel for the grade. I suspect your 9 or 10's will come back as 7's.
PSA and SGC wouldn't stay in business very long if they were switching cards out and damaging submissions- and they handle things a lot rarer than '33 Ruths and '66 Mantles.
You'll be fine.

dontippet

A 9 has near perfect centering top to bottom and left to right. A 9 card has nearly perfect corners with the naked eye. It is only under 10x magnification that you can see some corner damage. If you scanned your cards, we would help in determining what we thought the grades might be.

jamesryanbell

<< <i>A 9 has near perfect centering top to bottom and left to right. A 9 card has nearly perfect corners with the naked eye. It is only under 10x magnification that you can see some corner damage. If you scanned your cards, we would help in determining what we thought the grades might be. >>



These are both that good.

jamesryanbell

<< <i>I don't know of anyone that has not been bitterly disappointed with the results of their first submission, even accusing the grading company of damaging or switching the card at times. The reality is that until you've handled a lot of graded cards you won't really have a feel for the grade. I suspect your 9 or 10's will come back as 7's.
>>



Tough to say that though...you haven't seen these.

MorrellMan

Ryan - Griffins statement was really meant to share some of all of our collective experience with you. Of course he hasn't seen your particular card, nor can we tell if a card is a 9 from a scan. We can tell if it's NOT a 9, but the differences between a 7/8 and a 9/10 are really difficult to see with the naked eye. Don's description of a 9 isn't literal; almost all of us submitted the most gorgeous cards we had in our collection with our first submission, expecting 9s and 10s and receiving 6s, 7s and 8s. PSA doesn't (and shouldn't) give out "mint" grades carelessly or easily. Read the standards below carefully and understand that the minimal corner wear that separates an 8 from a 9 is not discernible to most naked eyes. You'll see that the highest grade a card with ANY wear to the corners is an 8, and that wear is really imperceptible without a 10X loupe. Most of us learned the hard way; that tiny little itty bitty dot that's almost impossible to see is why my potential 8 came back a 5. Most of us learned to look at our cards trying to find any kind of flaw - if we can see it or sense, you can be guaranteed PSA will catch it. Just as an example - I recently took cards out of a 1961 pack, put them in holders and sent them in. They had been untouched for 45 years. They all came back as 8s. You'll get a lot of disappointment if you grade with your heart and not your eyes. We're trying to give you the straight poop, because, from the sound of your post, we're surmissing that you like your cards too much to be truly objective. We've all been there. That being said, may your life be full of 9s and 10s, and that you see every hidden wrinkle.


A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card. The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front, and 75/25 percent on the reverse.
MINT 9: Mint.

A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
NM-MT 8: Near Mint-Mint.

A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse, slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
NM 7: Near Mint.

A PSA NM 7 is a card with just a slight surface wear visible upon close inspection. There may be slight fraying on some corners. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. A minor printing blemish is acceptable. Slight wax staining is acceptable on the back of the card only. Most of the original gloss is retained. Centering must be approximately 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.
EX-MT 6: Excellent-Mint.

A PSA EX-MT 6 card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect which does not detract from its overall appeal. A very light scratch may be detected only upon close inspection. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may show some loss of original gloss, may have minor wax stain on reverse, may exhibit very slight notching on edges and may also show some off-whiteness on borders. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

jamesryanbell

Fair enough. Thanks for the info. Based on that info, with what I see, those Mantles I have seem like they would fit in the 8-9 range (rather than the 9-10 range I originally stated). They're in the safety deposit box, or I'd scan 'em. I really wish I could do that. If I do, i'll post pics.

Thanks again for all the help you guys...much appreciated.

-- Ryan