Declared values and potential effect on grading

chadridge

I am wondering if any of the vets out there have found that declared values can have an effect on grading. For example, you suspect that a card is a PSA7, book 75, but it might be an PSA8, book 200. If you submit this as part of a 50 card $5 special, are your chances of getting that 8 decreased?

The most pronounced effect, if this indeed happens, would probably be on modern cards, where a PSA9 is $35 and a PSA10 is $250. If this card were sent in as part of a $5 special, and you were hoping for that 10, would you be less likely to get it? Would you personally spend the extra $10 on the submission in hopes that it is a 10?

Thanks in advance for sharing any experiences you may have had.

Chad

vladguerrero

look at it more like what would you consider a fair value if it gets lost/damaged, if you send in a gem mint $600 card on a $5 special and it gets damaged at PSA or lost in the mail enjoy your $50 declared value credit.

as for the declared value affecting the grade i would look more towards service levels doing that.

chadridge

Thanks, I suppose I kinda combined those two thoughts. The question should read: Will lowering the delcared value of card to get to a lower service level potentially affect its grading? In other words, if I pay the $15 Regular service fee, does that modern card have a better shot at getting the GEM-MT 10 than if I sent it in as part of a bulk order? Anyone ever send in cards as a bulk order and get one back that graded higher than expected, with a book value >> $100?

Thanks again.
Chad

mike22y2k

I've built my whole set of 264 cards with the specials that PSA has offered. I think only once I've sent in 2 Gretzky's with the declared value what the card would be worth if it graded as high as I expected. you should only price it at what you would need to replace it if it got lost. sent a card with a declared value of $15 but as a 10 it's worth >$500. I don't think the grader has any knowledge of what you're declaring anyways.

mrpeanut39

I had concerns about this too. However, on my last bulk sub of 83 Topps, I listed a declared value of a PSA 8 from the SMR across the board. For all the unlisted cards (your Porfi Altimiranos and Juan Tyrone Eichelberger IIIs) I declared $1 and for the Sandberg I declared I think $12 or $15. The Sandberg did indeed come back a PSA 10.

fkw

Declare the value as a raw card... or like others said "what ($) you have in it"

In other words, Not what it potentially might be worth if some foolish registry kook pays 100+X the high book value for it just because he wants to brag he has the best one.