Pre-Grading Card Software

steelhead26

Hello, I am Joe, A collector from PA. Have been reading the board for a good while and always enjoy reading the opinions of other collectors. I am thinking of getting a PSA subscription and wanted to know if there is any pre-grading software for cards as there is for coin collectors (Coin Collectors Assistant PLUS). I am just a bit nervous and have heard that a card that looks mint is generally an 8. Just wanted to see if there is a program that you can enter your values for the grading categories and have it compute and spit out an approximate grade. I am sure that over time I will get more accurate but I figure if this exists it may help me with the learning curve. Thanks for taking the time to read.



Thanks

Joe

LarkinCollector

Welcome! This forum, learning how to post pics, and a scanner are all the software you need usually I'm not aware of any software programs that do what you're describing, though there are some tools to help measure centering at least. Jruler is great for measuring centering from scans or there's a seller in the BST that has an overlay for cards in hand. Some people like to use a loupe to check corners/edges of cards, but in general it's not necessary.

steelhead26

Thank you for taking the time to reply LarkinCollector. I do have a loupe from my coin days and have a Jruler that I picked up a few years ago for a project. I remember the first time I scanned a card a few months ago and was amazed at the detail that can be seen even at 10x. Just got a little worried when I was looking on ebay for a nice 80 topps Gary carter that looked great and only had a 5. I guess like everything there will be bumps along the way. I can only hope that the disappointments are out numbered by the surprises.



Thanks Again

Joe

LarkinCollector

No problem. The Jruler I'm referring to is a software app for measuring pixels from a scan/picture (Link). Surface issues are the thing that most people miss and/or are not apparent from a scan. In decent lighting, make sure you check for any minor wrinkles on the front and back and even gloss application (depending on card type). For a card that looks like a 10 and only grades a 5, it's usually a tiny wrinkle on the front.

steelhead26

Thanks again Larkin, Thanks for the link. I thought the J-Ruler was the carpentry tools that I had that is like a caliper that has a gauge for fine measurements. I figured that the Carter must have had a small crease or something that couldn't be seen through the auctions scan. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I appreciate it.



Joe

ugaskidawg

Originally posted by: LarkinCollector

Welcome! This forum, learning how to post pics, and a scanner are all the software you need usually I'm not aware of any software programs that do what you're describing, though there are some tools to help measure centering at least. Jruler is great for measuring centering from scans or there's a seller in the BST that has an overlay for cards in hand. Some people like to use a loupe to check corners/edges of cards, but in general it's not necessary.

+1



You'll get more feedback on this site than anywhere else. Just make sure you post any card issues that are not picked up on the scan/photo (creases, registration issues, fisheye marks, etc). Like has been said, the pics can only pick up so much, so if it is a 5, something else is really wrong.



Also, remember to always buy the card and not the grade...

steelhead26

Thanks for the reply ugaskidawg, I agree with your statement on not buying the grade. I remember seeing a topps purina Robin Yount at a card show years ago with a huge crease down the middle with a 10. No idea how you can do that to a card in a holder. Also thank you for the welcome, I will definitely be reading and hoping to learn from all of your experiences.



Thanks Again

Joe