Does a qaulifying defect always drop a card 2 grades?

lightningboy

I have read that a card that is given a PSA qualifier "drops" the grade/value 2 grades. Is this an unwritten "rule" or opinion? Or is it an absolute fact? Say you had a 1960's Hall of Fame player that is an "8" in all respects, except for a wax stain on the back. Assuming the grader sees the stain also, and you ask for NQ, is that card an automatic 6? Or due to the severity of the stain, can it end up a "5" or "7"? Thanks in advance for any and all help, Tom

skinnyjh

This is from the PSA Set Registry rules:

9Q = -2
8Q = -2
7Q = -2
6Q = -2
5Q = -2
4Q = -2
3Q = -1
2Q = -1
1Q & 1.5Q = no deduction

PaulMaul

I just bumped a thread where I asked exactly what you are asking....

DetroitSquirreL

ok, just for the dumb guy here. So a 8OC is really a 6? 7ST is a 5, etc.....

lightningboy

This is from the PSA Set Registry rules:

I understand the registry rules on qualifiers, as far as how they weigh in the overall grade of your set. However, I am more curious about the grader at PSA. Do they have some leeway to say that a PSA 8 quality card that has a print defect, can be given a PSA 7 if the defect is not terrible? Or conversely, if it is an obviously distracting print defect, could they drop it all the way to a 5?

I have a nice 1969 Namath that came back PSA 8 st. The stain wax stain is on the back and is only noticeable if you angle the card in light. If I had requested no qualifiers, would I have automatically been given a 6 or could I possibly have received a PSA 7 grade?

PaulMaul

As with centering, there should not be an automatic 2 grade drop in lieu of a qualifier. The unqualified grade depends on what defects are permissible within a given grade. If the PSA standards stated that the highest grade for which a minor wax stain is allowed is, say, PSA 7,
Then it should be possible for a qualified 8 to translate to an unqualified 7.

Whether that would actually happen in reality is a different question.

MiniDuff

value and registry rate are not necessarily linked either. While many collectors favor well centered cards, psa 9 ocs of expensive cards often sell for far more than a psa 7.

NVbaseball

it doesn't "drop" any grades. It "qualifies" the grade it does have

If an 8MC has 90/10 centering, the best it could be without a qualifier is 3