Corners with "Bat Ears" and PSA Grading - My 122nd post, that will surely not rub most the

OcTrAdInG

Is it possible to get a PSA 9 for a card that has 1 or multiple "bat ear" corners, assuming evidence of trim has been ruled out? I just purchased a really nice PSA 8 (with an old flip), but in my experience, I don't think it would ever bump to an 8.5/9 because of the corners. Currently, in my collection, I have no PSA 8.5's/9's having this characteristic.

Thank you in advance.

JoeBanzai

A scan would help.

You can always send it in for a review.

Joe

OcTrAdInG

Just wanting to know, in general, how PSA views the flaw, if you want to call it that. I've had SGC 96's (with bat ears) that crossed to PSA 8's, and I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the presence of the bat ears contributed to the downgrade. These cards were submitted to PSA raw, without any other signs of trim.

...And I'm referring to vintage cards, in particular, if that matters.

OcTrAdInG

I think I just heard a pin drop.

Anybody?????

OcTrAdInG

Can someone please chime in with an answer to my question? Is it necessary to post a scan to illustrate? If so, I will do that when I receive the card.

hammered

I think the silence might be due to a lack of clarification
If by bat ear corners, you mean corners that flare out slightly, then I believe PSA views these negatively. If trimming has been ruled out, it is viewed as a corner flaw. But as with everything else, it is a matter of degree

OcTrAdInG

Thank you much, hammered.

Yes, by "bat ears" I mean the flared corners. I think I picked up the term in reading discussions about evidence of trim. In any event, I guess I will post an image of the card I purchased and maybe a few others in the near future.

'52 BOWMAN LOCKMAN

edited to add link. Bottom 2 corners on the Lockman card look flared.

PaulMaul

Is this a bat ear? I was concerned it would be penalized, but this card received a PSA 9.

OcTrAdInG

PaulMaul,

I'd say that is ever, ever so slight, if indeed that even is a "bat ear". The flared corners to which I'm referring are more a result of the cut than any bend in the cardboard (as a result of processing/packaging). The condition can be relatively common on cards that have been trimmed.

Thank you for the example nonetheless.

PaulMaul

The slight flare on the card I showed is the result of the original cutting process. I don't know if this holds for all releases, but such flaring is very common
with wacky packages when the card is on the edge of the sheet. I'll post some other examples.

PaulMaul

This particular title almost always has this flaw. It and the card I posted above both occur at one edge of their uncut sheets:

OcTrAdInG

PaulMaul,

Did you ever submit the card above or one like it to PSA for grading? It's that sort of exaggerated cut that I'm most interested in.

If we take that card, perhaps with better centering, corners with no wear, and no surface issues, is it a PSA 9/10? Or does the cut automatically cap the grade (from my experience, I'd suggest an 8 at the highest)?

And I really do appreciate your feedback.

PaulMaul

I haven't submitted anything that bad, but my guess is it would depend on degree. Anything as bad as the above I would doubt it would even get an 8, even
with everything else being nice. The Lavirus (the one I originally posted) is an instance of the same phenomenon, but much less severe, and it got a 9.