1975 Aaron #660 PSA 9 "What the Heck"

Mickey71

I just saw one on EBAY for 1200 BIN. It's atrocious. Jeepers Creepers...what's going on?

ClockworkAngel

Aaron

Atrocious may be a bit harsh but definitely on the very edge of a OC qualifier. It's a terrible scan too. Kind of hard to get a great look at the card.

But nothing's going on that hasn't been going on since PSA started. Mistakes and over grades have been out there since the beginning

grote15

Not a high end card for the grade by any means, but certainly not the worst Mint 9 card I've seen, either.

ToppsFan

Looks like a 9 to me why the hoo-hah?

swartz1

just taking his hacks...

schapko

What would make it OC? How does psa measure centering? All it would need to be is 60/40 or 65/35 if the rest of the card was nearly flawless right?

mattinglymint23

all i can say is i've had 8's better than that card
tough card - but the print flaws are ugly, the centering is at the limit.
makes me want to re-sub a lot of cards in 8 holders...

Maurice

<< <i>definitely on the very edge of a OC qualifier >>




<< <i>the centering is at the limit >>



Are we looking at the same card?

Front vertical centering is 53/47. Front horizontal centering is 56/44.

I didn't measure the back centering as it is clearly better than 75/25 in both directions.

This card's centering would be fine for a PSA 10.

Smokie

Just my opinion. The card is too far off center if I was interested in the card, but PSA says its a 9 all day long. I have him in a 9 and I paid more money than he is asking for his card, but I'm satisfied with the card I bought and what I paid for him some might think I paid to much for it but that was my choice.

Most of the guys who are trying to put this set together in 9's and 10's all have this card. I personally don't think he will get the bin price. There again JMO

Stingray

Centering does not bother me, it is the tilt that does!!

schapko

I actually think the "tilt" is not a tilt in centering but a tilt of the card in the holder.

Raulsmaster

Aside from the centering and print dots...the top left corner is not even close

Dpeck100

<< <i>Aside from the centering and print dots...the top left corner is not even close >>




The upper left corner would drive me crazy. I have more of a problem with it for the grade then the rest of the card.

I can guarantee if this card was presented raw by a board member very few if any would grade it mint.

vettfanatic

I don't think that card looks that bad. The small print spots are the biggest flaw that I see. What's the VCP on this card?

Jeff

Mickey71

Upper left corner is clearly the problem.. 7.5- 8.

ToppsFan

Joe Orlando posted an interesting article on grading that I think many of you should read:


The Importance of Grading Context


When it comes to the grading of a collectible, the ability to understand the grade in context is of serious importance. While many collectors seem to understand this concept, it has been difficult to get others to comprehend the same thing. Sometimes, there is so much focus on the assigned grade - the number - that hobbyists can lose sight of what that number actually means.

One of the benefits of third-party grading is the contribution to better standardization, of both quality and value. In other words, while no two collectibles are identical, if both items are graded with the same number, there is a better understanding of the general quality of the item. As a result, there is a better understanding of the value once the grade is assigned.

There can be trouble, however, when hobbyists don't understand how context comes into play. For example, you could have 10 different cards and they may all be graded PSA EX-MT 6, but each one of them is different. Some have better corners, while others have better centering. Some have better color, while others have whiter borders. Therefore, there are variances within every grade.

There are some cards that barely made the assigned grade and others that barely missed the next grade higher. The result is pretty simple. Some cards will sell for a premium within the same grade based on that strength in quality, while others may fall a little short of the going rate for the grade because they are perceived as a weaker example. All of this is part of the process, a product of grade interpretation and the imperfect nature of grading itself.

The good news is that this is understood by most collectors and simply a part of the human-based system. It only becomes a problem when the variance is so enormous that Mint cards look like EX-MT cards or vice versa. Services that show that kind of grading inconsistency usually don't last long in the hobby, which is one major reason so many services have come and gone over the last 20 years.

Another grading issue, one which relates to context, is one that deals with items that are known as the finest example. While the grade of an item does affect the value, they are two mutually exclusive concepts. This is an issue that some collectors struggle with. They seemingly cannot separate the difference between grade AND value when appropriate.

For example, you may come across a bat, an autograph or a card where the finest known example is a 7. Even though the grading scale for all of PSA's services goes as high as 10, that doesn't mean that a 10 exists for that category. There are many instances, in a variety of collectible fields, where the best example known might "only" grade in the mid-range.

Some collectors feel that if the item is the best one of its kind, the scale should adjust based on that fact. I couldn't disagree more. If you adjust the scale based on scarcity, then the meaning of the grade is lost. It's alright if the best example in the world is a PSA 6 or a PSA 4. The market will often adjust and consider the scarcity when determining value. It happens all the time.

So, the moral of the story is that the grade is usually of extreme importance, but make sure you understand the grade in context. It will often help answer many questions you might have as a buyer or a seller.



Never get cheated,


Joe Orlando
Editor In Chief

—
Joe Orlando has been an advanced collector of sportscards and memorabilia for over 25 years. Orlando attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where he studied communications and was the starting catcher for the baseball team. After a brief stint in the minor leagues, Orlando obtained a Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in Southern California in the spring of 1999. During the last fourteen years, Orlando has authored several collecting guides and dozens of articles for Collectors Universe, Inc. Orlando has also authored two books for Collectors Universe. Orlando's first book, The Top 200 Sportscards in the Hobby, was released in the summer of 2002. His second book, Collecting Sports Legends, was released in the summer of 2008. Orlando has appeared on several radio and television programs as a hobby expert including ESPN's award-winning program Outside the Lines and HBO's Real Sports, as the featured guest. Currently, Orlando is the President of PSA and PSA/DNA, the largest trading card and sports memorabilia authentication services in the hobby. He is also Editor of the company's nationally distributed Sports Market Report, which under Orlando's direction has developed into a leading resource in the market. Orlando also contributed the foreword and last chapter to The T206 Collection: The Players and Their Stories, a 2010 release, and to The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball's Prized Players, a 2013 release.

Stingray

<< <i>Aside from the centering and print dots...the top left corner is not even close >>



Even the top right corner is not the best.

jmmiller777

I wouldn't consider this a 9 by any means, no way. I'm not railing the guy's card, he didn't grade it, but when a card has two imperfect corners and at least 8 print dots, it just can't be a 9 every time. I think this example got a pass on this grade. Starting bid of almost $900 is awkward. I like the 7 card for a BIN of $38.50.

schapko

Well, I met the guy with the card in person this morning and now I'm the owner of the "atrocious" PSA 9 Hank Aaron. It really helped seeing the card in person. I paid less than ebay is all I'll say.