Opinions Wanted
georgebailey2
Posts: 1,078 ✭✭✭
So, on the third try, I got 4 1954 Topps Hockey graded.
1st time - all EOT
2nd - all Min Size
They were fine. Examined them against other graded cards, genuine raw and a card I was fairly certain was trimmed. Edges were normal and size was spot on. PSA, I have noticed, seems to have trouble with these. Over on the Vintage Hockey Card forum, a video was posted of a 1954 pack being opened at the Toronto Expo within the last 2 years. The cards were perfect. They came back from PSA EOT. I don't know if they have been resubmitted, but they would have all been 9's minimum.
Anyhow, one was an SGC 7.5 crack-out, another a KSA 8 crack-out, and two raw. My expectations were that the crack-outs would cross, at most, a half grade lower and one raw would be a 7 and the 2nd either a 7 or 7.5 (shown below).
The crack-outs both graded 8, the 1st raw a 7.
The 2nd raw came back a 6. After comparing it to my other 6's, 7's, 7.5's and 8's, I still feel it should at least be a 7. The bottom and its corners are very sharp. The top left (back right) has a slight touch (showing worse on the back than the front) and the top right corner is pretty sharp. The centering and surface are really good. It really should be a 7.5 to an 8 based on the guidelines. It is clearly superior to my other 6's and most, if not all, of my 7's.
Do the graders handwrite the grades to be input by someone else or do they key it in directly? I say this, somewhat facetiously, as sometimes my 8's look like 6's.
So, would you send in for review or crack it out to send in with a few others?
Thank you in advance for any input and forgive the quality of the back scan. I updated the scan of the back and included the backs of 3 7.5's, The slightly rough cut of the 54's provides many opportunities for flecks of white along the edge. FYI, i have subbed about half of my graded set myself. 50 of the cards are 7 or higher.
1st time - all EOT
2nd - all Min Size
They were fine. Examined them against other graded cards, genuine raw and a card I was fairly certain was trimmed. Edges were normal and size was spot on. PSA, I have noticed, seems to have trouble with these. Over on the Vintage Hockey Card forum, a video was posted of a 1954 pack being opened at the Toronto Expo within the last 2 years. The cards were perfect. They came back from PSA EOT. I don't know if they have been resubmitted, but they would have all been 9's minimum.
Anyhow, one was an SGC 7.5 crack-out, another a KSA 8 crack-out, and two raw. My expectations were that the crack-outs would cross, at most, a half grade lower and one raw would be a 7 and the 2nd either a 7 or 7.5 (shown below).
The crack-outs both graded 8, the 1st raw a 7.
The 2nd raw came back a 6. After comparing it to my other 6's, 7's, 7.5's and 8's, I still feel it should at least be a 7. The bottom and its corners are very sharp. The top left (back right) has a slight touch (showing worse on the back than the front) and the top right corner is pretty sharp. The centering and surface are really good. It really should be a 7.5 to an 8 based on the guidelines. It is clearly superior to my other 6's and most, if not all, of my 7's.
Do the graders handwrite the grades to be input by someone else or do they key it in directly? I say this, somewhat facetiously, as sometimes my 8's look like 6's.
So, would you send in for review or crack it out to send in with a few others?
Thank you in advance for any input and forgive the quality of the back scan. I updated the scan of the back and included the backs of 3 7.5's, The slightly rough cut of the 54's provides many opportunities for flecks of white along the edge. FYI, i have subbed about half of my graded set myself. 50 of the cards are 7 or higher.
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Comments
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
P.S. I have the same questions regarding PSA's EOT/MINSIZE decisions.
Better scans! The top left corner (if you are looking at the card as if you were reading the text) on the back looks pretty bad.
P.S. I have the same questions regarding PSA's EOT/MINSIZE decisions.
Ok...my scanner sucks. I updated the scan of the back and included the backs of 3 7.5's, The slightly rough cut of the 54's provides many opportunities for flecks of white along the edge. FYI, i have subbed about half of my graded set myself. 50 of the cards are 7 or higher. I have also sold a bunch of dups ranging from 4 (surface wrinkle that I missed) to 8.
The top corner is square but has a slight fray (hence the "white"). Under PSA 8 guidelines, that is allowed. My expectation was a 7 or 7.5.
Overall, the question is not whether it deserved a 6, but, rather, in order to get the grade I believe it deserves, would I be better served by a review or cracking out?
It's just too hard to tell with those scans. Can you scan at higher resolution?
The current scans are the best I can do with what I have at home.
Regardless, if we operate under the assumption that I was born at night...but not last night and that I have enough experience submitting cards for grading (and this set in particular) to feel strongly about the current grade:
Is there too much bias by PSA to justify the original grade during a review?
My guess is, "yes" based on feedback on the boards regarding cross-overs. As a result, I have cracked out cards I felt could cross-over with the following results (all 54 Topps Hockey):
SGC 7.5 (case already cracked when I got it) = PSA 7
SGC 7.5 = PSA 7
SGC 7.5 = PSA 8
KSA 8 = PSA 8
These were all ebay purchases that I scrutinized the scans as carefully as I could. Thanks Again.