Advice please on strategy for submitting to PSA

Constantine

Hi, I am putting together a set of 99 cards and hoping to eventually get all 10s. I don't care to name the set because I am still buying wax, but it doesn't really matter anyway. The fun on my part is ripping and looking for high grades. I totally understand that grading is subjective so I know that I will likely get back many that are not 10 etc. However, my question is what do you suggest to do regarding my submitting of the cards? I have opened a lot of wax and have at least 2 candidates for each card that I believe to be high grade. I don't want to submit them all at once because I want to get a feel for my grading, as well as the possibility that for whatever reason, I could get a grader(s) that weren't dolling out the 10s that day. No conspiracy theory, just my thought that grading is subjective and there are variances due to human nature.



So if I have two cards for each of the 99 in the set (198 total), then submit 1 of each for 99 submitted? That would be then me getting back a complete set graded. OR both of each for the first 50 in the set (100 total)? I would then get half the set graded but two examples of each card.



Do you know if graders view examples of the same card together and perhaps give one a higher grade than the other? i.e. one gets a 10 and the other an 8 or whatever?



Your thoughts are appreciated! I know the answer likely could be it doesn't matter because the grade will be the grade, however, I do believe that there could be a method that helps to smooth out any human subjectivity when it comes to grading, especially since we all know that the difference between a 9 and 10 can be a gray area at times.



Thanks

MULLINS5

Split it up. No more than 10 per sub. Keep front and back centering consistent. Best of luck.

Constantine

Thanks for the advice. I will likely split it up but at least 25 for bulk.

1954

I was going to do this exact same thing with a set that I want to begin. My first thought would be to take the best two cards of every card and submit hoping to get a ten. However I can save some of that money by submitting groups of 25 different cards at a time. Once the first 1-25 cards come back I don't have to submit perhaps 3-5 cards from the second invoice because I now have a 10 in those cards. I hope this makes some sort of sense but I don't think submitting 2 of each in one submission.

MULLINS5

Originally posted by: Constantine

Thanks for the advice. I will likely split it up but at least 25 for bulk.

I would recommend piggy-backing 10 here and there on other's subs and occasionally sending in a 25 bulk of your own. I've had much better results going this route.

slum22

Between the two options you presented initially, I think it makes much more sense to grade one each at a time rather than two of the same card. If you get a 10 after the first card then you don't have to sub the other one. Unless of course you can get another 10 and sell the second as well. If the goal is to get the set in the most efficient way possible then doing the first batch 1-99 then the second batch with cards that didn't get a 10 on the first go round is the way to go. As others have said, there may be some benefit in spreading the risk around multiple subs vs just one or two large subs. I usually piggyback on other people's group subs and the grades have usually been pretty consistent. However, out of ten or so subs I have participated in there have been two sub that produced grades an average of a full grade lower than comparable grades from the other subs. I believe people refer to this as hitting the Grader or Death. I don't necessarily subscribe to the theory of blaming the G.O.D. when I get tough grades but as you know grading is subjective and dependent on the mood and skill of another human being.

Good luck with whatever you decide and post some results when you are done or when you feel comfortable sharing.