PSA Grading Jumping the Shark

cards651 · January 23, 2014 6:22AM

I can hear Richie Cunningham now, 'Hey everybody! You gotta see this. PSA is grading the Milton Bradley game cards! Only it's not the player cards!'

eBay - Milton Bradley

csakers · January 23, 2014 8:48AM

They seem to be willing to grade anything 4SharpCorners sends their way. Nothing against 4SharpCorners, as I have purchased more than my fair share of cards from them. However, the agreement does not appear to be fair to the rest of us.

cards651 · January 24, 2014 5:59AM

I don't begrudge 4SC on the grading. I buy way too much from them and I'm always pretty satisfied. Particularly if you collect sets, it's a great way to pick up a good chunk at a great price. I just don't understand some of the items that occasionally appear such as the Milton Bradley scrap of paper. No one collected this stuff to begin with and they certainly didn't collect this 'card'. Crazy. Here's another one that makes me laugh. The 'header' from the 1972 Sargent stamps. Yikes. What's next? The Sunoco stamp headers in an oversized holder?

1972 Sargent Header

If no one ever collected an item, should it really be graded? Random thoughts on a Friday afternoon....

longtimemetsfan · January 24, 2014 11:11PM

4SC will send in anything they can find to put a POP 1 in the title and pump up the price.

bishop · January 25, 2014 6:33AM

I am a set collector and do not collect graded cards. But if there is a header card associated with a set, I do consider it part of the set, such as this one

cuse · January 25, 2014 7:04AM

Contest cards, premium offers, game cards, inserts, etc. have long been graded. So, I kinda don't have an issue with it.

As for the term 'jump the shark', it's like wearing the collar up on your shirt. IMO, the term was stupid when it came out and is waaaaaaay dated. I probably wouldn't have publicly disagreed with you...but I just hate buzz word terminology.

bishop · January 26, 2014 12:37AM

cards651 · January 26, 2014 1:01AM

I hear you cuse. The buzzword terminology can be mind-numbing. (Hope that's not more of it.) I will agree not to use the term if the TV talking heads agree not to use it. I still occasionally hear it on TV from people who probably don't even know what Happy Days is. I just thought the graded 'card' was crazy and thought I would post a comment. The buzzword seemed to fit. I'm not starting a cause or anything. Interesting items, bishop. I just cannot save headers. '72 Sunoco headers go to the trash bin with late '80s stuff.

cards651 · January 26, 2014 1:03AM

Perhaps I should have worked in twerking to be more up-to-date....

cuse · January 26, 2014 1:59AM

Sorry for being a wise guy.

I tried to attach scans of the '57 bazooka contest card as an example too (file too large). They were on my desk when I read your thread about grading oddball stuff.

As far as twerking, I guess I would approve if the right person was doing the twerking...lol

cards651 · January 26, 2014 3:17AM

No apologies necessary cuse. I enjoy the feedback.

cards651 · February 4, 2014 1:12AM

Last night on Olbermann Live during Top 10 Reasons Not to Watch the Super Bowl - 'Super Bowl commercials have jumped the shark. I had to watch not one, but two placements of a commercial involving bull semen.'

Perhaps the most famous baseball card collector is reading the boards....

Off topic but thought it was good from same show during Orlando Magic highlights - 'Why they are not the Orlando Cepedas, I will never know.'

cougar701 · February 7, 2014 5:45PM

Olbermann is great

macboube · February 8, 2014 3:40AM

He is an arrogant *rick off the cameras and in real life.

bishop · February 8, 2014 12:28PM

But other than that.....

grote15 · February 8, 2014 12:30PM

<< He is an arrogant *rick off the cameras and in real life. >>

He definitely pushes people's buttons. Personally, I find him highly entertaining and good for the hobby, as he is a commentator who actually has knowledge and appreciation for both the sport and the hobby.

cards651 · June 2, 2014 1:04AM

Thought I would add this to a thread from a while back since it's related. Sorry but I just don't get this --

House of Kards??

Doesn't this cheapen the whole grading idea? Grading decks of cards? Perhaps I'm making it worse by discussing production but the production of playing cards was far superior to sports cards so if they are unused they are generally all 10. Can there even be an 8 or 9? A 4? Does anyone collect graded playing cards? If anyone did, wouldn't you talk them out of it? I digress.

On another note, what does it say about the whole cost of grading if someone is willing to do this? It must be about 25 cents for the graders 2 seconds of insight and another 25 cents in plastic to encapsulate? If you sell one or two, you start to see a profit?

When I see graded items like this, I question my decision to purchase graded baseball cards.

csakers · June 2, 2014 2:15PM

I agree with your thoughts, but you seem to forget it is 4SharpCorners. I have built much of my graded collection through them, so I have nothing negative to say about 4SharpCorners. However, it appears PSA is willing to grade whatever 4SharpCorners sends their way. . .no questions asked.

cards651 · June 2, 2014 2:22PM

I buy a ton from 4sc as well. That one just caught my eye.

dennis07 · June 6, 2014 11:28PM

I can't imagine trying to scuffle a deck of playing cards after they have been encapsulated!

GDM67 · June 7, 2014 10:47AM

Is there something interesting on the reverse side of those?

elsnorto · June 8, 2014 3:55AM

<< Doesn't this cheapen the whole grading idea? Grading decks of cards? Perhaps I'm making it worse by discussing production but the production of playing cards was far superior to sports cards so if they are unused they are generally all 10. >>

While I don't collect them, I view that hobby very similar to our own. Many decks throughout the ages have featured artwork of virtually all varieties (think about the non-sports segment of our hobby). They weren't intended as collectibles and weren't kept as such, just as sports cards originally. Plenty of people grade brand new sports cards, which these days don't generally have the quality control issues of the past.

<< Is there something interesting on the reverse side of those? >>

The deck has caricatures of the Kennedys (as in JFK) on the back and, for face cards, front.

Snorto~

cards651 · June 8, 2014 5:33AM

Interesting. Thanks. - Kevin

GDM67 · June 8, 2014 10:40AM

<< 

<< Is there something interesting on the reverse side of those? >>

The deck has caricatures of the Kennedys (as in JFK) on the back and, for face cards, front.

Snorto~ >>

Ah, cool. I thought it was something like that, given the name.

There are plenty of decks with interesting stuff like this on them. I can see why someone would want to collect them (although, as dennis07 noted, it's a rough go if you want to play solitaire with them...)

skrezyna23 · June 11, 2014 12:42PM

<< I can hear Richie Cunningham now, 'Hey everybody! You gotta see this. PSA is grading the Milton Bradley game cards! Only it's not the player cards!'

eBay - Milton Bradley >>

Items like this should just be authenticated. This is ridiculous. I'm wondering if I should be sending in Broders to be authenticated but I hear they might actually grade them now. That will even add more to the large Master Set I'm collecting.

PSA Grading Jumping the Shark

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