1953 Mays PSA 8 on Ebay

KendallCat

Looking at the PSA 8 Mays on Ebay ending tonight that Probstein has and this is the same one that PWCC sold back in 2012 for $11k. Centering on the card is beautiful along with the color and registry. What I cannot understand is how this this card is an 8 with the corners all showing wear , and the bottom right black corner looks chewed up. I know this is a tough card and rare issue, but if this was a John Smith card I don't think it would have gotten an 8.

KendallCat

Ended up at over $14k last night. One strange thing was a bidder with a feedback of (1) bid 12 times out of the last 20 or so bids after it stalled at $8k and $12k.

Dpeck100

1953 Mays

aconte

Nice card but a low end 8 for sure.

aconte

BaltimoreYankee

What do you mean 'low end' aconte? The title clearly states 'Super High End'

KendallCat

Zoom in on the corners on that one and tell me you would pay $14k? Awesome centering but those corners are not 8's - especially the critical lower right one. Anyone else see anything odd with the bids as well?

gemint

My experience has been that PSA seems to be more lenient on corner wear for pre-1957 cards for some reason. I see a number of 1952, 53 and especially '56 cards that have slightly rounded corners getting 8s. I can guarantee a 1960s or newer card would never get 8s with corners like that. Perhaps it has to do with some bias where they don't get many super sharp early 50s cards to handle, and therefore grade more generously using comparative grading standards (e.g., it's a nice card compared to most, so we'll give it the benefit of the doubt and bump it to the higher grade).

Dboneesq

I agree that there is NO WAY, considering the bottom right corner alone, that this should be sitting in an "8" holder.

mrmint23

Old flip..probably a reflip from early 90's..today 6.5-7 at best

Dialj

It's nice to know we have "low end", which leads to "high end", which now leads us to "super high end", which eventually leads us to "no end".

JoeBanzai

<< <i>I agree that there is NO WAY, considering the bottom right corner alone, that this should be sitting in an "8" holder. >>




+1

originalisbest

Perhaps some don't think it's an 8, but I suppose I could call it 7.5+ if that would make one feel better. It's relatively superlative for '53s in general.

I would absolutely LOVE to buy remarkably similar '53 Topps cards as "strictly graded" 6.5's, with these corners and centering. Anybody have some? (I kinda doubt it.)

MiniDuff

The card has terrific eye appeal, but I'm not sure which is more astounding; The 8 grade, or Probstein's "Super High End" proclamation...

larryallen73

3 out of 4 nice corners must = super high end!

originalisbest

<< <i>The card has terrific eye appeal, but I'm not sure which is more astounding; The 8 grade, or Probstein's "Super High End" proclamation... >>



That may just have been hutzpah, or, are consignors allowed to write their own descriptions?

Anyway, the seemingly too high grade in the eyes of some is why I love the '53s in 5 or 6 -- often times the corners look remarkably similar to higher grade examples. Near all the '53s I see have a slight rough cut to the edges, certainly compared to most '52 Topps. It's not quite OPC "feathered edge" rough cuts, but along those lines, and it hides overall wear well.

KendallCat

<< <i>Perhaps some don't think it's an 8, but I suppose I could call it 7.5+ if that would make one feel better. It's relatively superlative for '53s in general.

I would absolutely LOVE to buy remarkably similar '53 Topps cards as "strictly graded" 6.5's, with these corners and centering. Anybody have some? (I kinda doubt it.) >>



For $14k I don't think the corners should be that mangled. Like I said great centering and eye appeal, but for $10-11k less I can find a 6-6.5 just as nice and pick up several other cards to boot. One thing I have learned from the board is that the card is more important than the grade.

originalisbest

On that, I do agree with you -- there's more value/$ saved by getting an equivalent eye appeal in a lower slabbed grade. My copy is a centered VG-EX that I love. I still think the card in question is more an 8 than it is a 6.5, but that said, perhaps it's a weak 8. Or better than it appears on first take? '53s can look pretty gemmy from a scan, until you bounce light off them, and then other flaws can become more apparent.