PSA Relaxing on Centering Standards?

BRDSR

Someone mentioned this in another thread recently, but I couldn't find it. That person said he thought PSA might be relaxing on centering recently. I sort of thought I agreed with him when I read the post, but then I saw this card up for auction and thought he had to be right:

edit: ugh, I suck at computers. Link to auction.

That sure doesn't look 70/30 to me, but if it is, then 70/30 l/r shouldn't be graded PSA 8. Maybe t/b, when it's offcenter to the bottom...at least to my eye, that doesn't take much away from the appeal of the card.

In any case, if PSA really is relaxing the standards, it might be a good thing for the discerning collector. At least some collectors buy the holder as much or more so than the card, and centering is obviously the easiest aspect of the card to identify from a photograph. If many people are willing to pay the same for any PSA 8, the premium to get a well-centered example may not be too great.

celesterussell

I had brought it up, in fact in my limited view on ebay, they seem to be concentrated on certain sellers which may mean certain graders.

I have and have seen amy psa 7's that are sharper than recent psa 8's. for example a 65 oliva and a 73 Yaz which were recently sold on ebay were to off center to be an 8........... The quality is just not the same. plain and simple.

Mickey71

Certain sellers.........no comment. I think this has been a problem for a long time. ---I commented didn't I.

Boopotts

<< <i>I had brought it up, in fact in my limited view on ebay, they seem to be concentrated on certain sellers which may mean certain graders.

I have and have seen amy psa 7's that are sharper than recent psa 8's. for example a 65 oliva and a 73 Yaz which were recently sold on ebay were to off center to be an 8........... The quality is just not the same. plain and simple. >>



Then buy the 7's and feel good about it. And this card does, in fact, feature 70/30 centering. Whether it's an '8' according to the graders at PSA shouldn't matter- what SHOULD matter is whether it's an 8 to you. If it isn't, then just pass.

digicat

<< <i>That sure doesn't look 70/30 to me >>



The card is exactly 65/35.

So, what do you think a card centered 70/30 look like?

jeffcbay

The submitter may have requested NQs... in fact that is very likely. Nothing has changed with PSA's standards. Remember, buy the card, not the slab.

BRDSR

<< <i>

<< <i>That sure doesn't look 70/30 to me >>



The card is exactly 65/35.

So, what do you think a card centered 70/30 look like? >>



Well, since you asked, I blew it up and got 71/29. 91 pixels on one side, 37 on the other. Obviously a lot closer to 70/30 than my less scientific glance suggested, but still.

Ultimately, of course, Boo is right.

cardexpert1980

that card is centered nasty i wouldnt buy that in a PSA 6

digicat

<< <i>Well, since you asked, I blew it up and got 71/29. 91 pixels on one side, 37 on the other. Obviously a lot closer to 70/30 than my less scientific glance suggested, but still. >>



You made an error in your pixel counting. It's not worse than 70/30.

With the larger pic at 1000% magnification (provided by the web browser), JRuler measurements of the upper half (worst centered part) are as so:

Left border = 117
Right border = 56

That's aprox 68/32

Until they get a robot to do the grading, eye appeal will ALWAYS be subject to the grader's opinion.

Yeah, it's on the low end of the 8 scale, and if you tried to sell it it'd fetch a lower price than most other 8s. I'm guessing the card has strong qualities in the other grading categories.

cardexpert1980

I dont care what that card measures. it looks like dog poop

MULLINS5

The card looks like an 8 to me.

It is also a good candidate for someone to fill a player/company registry until a higher end 8 is available to them.

celesterussell

as my mother says, you can stamp your feet, clutch your heart and pull your hair.......

But that "aint no eight"

bobbyw8469

the label says it is....

vladguerrero

<< <i>as my mother says, you can stamp your feet, clutch your heart and pull your hair.......

But that "aint no eight" >>



your mother collects cards?

jeffcbay

Typically when you request NO QUALIFIERS on a card, and the centering is off, then they will knock the numeral grade down one or two spots. So a card that is a 9(OC) would be a PSA 7, or maybe a PSA 8 depending on how severe the centering is, and if the rest of the card's attributes are considered "GEM".

celesterussell

only between 10am and 11am every Tuesday

celesterussell

<< as my mother says, you can stamp your feet, clutch your heart and pull your hair.......

But that "aint no eight" >>



your mother collects cards?

only between 10am and 11am every Tuesday

cardexpert1980

and that ant no 70/30 centering either more like 80/20 or 85/15. who ever graded that card at PSA needs a to go see a eye doctor

digicat

<< <i>and that ant no 70/30 centering either more like 80/20 or 85/15. who ever graded that card at PSA needs a to go see a eye doctor >>



Lets all just toss out actual physical measurements and go with wild-ass guesses from now on.

That stack of 8 quarters doesn't look like $2 to me. It should be higher.

gemint

Eye appeal is always most important. I think most will agree that card has the appearance of a card too O/C to warrant an 8. Another card like a 1972 Topps baseball card with the same 70-30 centering, but top to bottom instead of side-to-side, would most likely look fine to most people. The curved top border of the 72s can mask off centered cards so they appear to be better centered than they really are. Same goes for 1971s. With only team letters at the top and no border, a card can appear better centered top-to-bottom than it really is.

Just use your best judgement on what your eyes tell you and you'll always be fine. That Yaz card would likely usually sell at the low end of the VCP range and rightfully so.

johnny1976

I guess that is why people say buy the card not the holder?