Is PSA having staffing issues?
Old_Collector
Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
The last time that I sent in balls for autos they were relatively quick, last summer.
I sent 13 in on Nov 1 and nary a word since. Granted they are mostly team balls, but that does seem like a relatively long period of time. Are they that busy or is it a staffing issue? Should I expect them by this summer?
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"Expect", from PSA?
PSA gets around to things when they feel like it. I noticed this several years ago. I had a few cards I was anxious to get graded quickly, and a bunch I wasn't worried about.
Spent extra money to get the few graded quickly and sent the others in "bulk".
The bulk submission was done in a couple weeks and the other sub not for several months.
Right then, I realized (and PSA says it right on the submission form) they do things when they want.
Hope yours get done soon! Don't hold your breath.
Who are you going to use?! Beckett?? Hahahahahaha
SGC if you're a collector and not a seller
either way Collector's Universe is happy.
^ I meant for cards
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
I just had a card order from mid-December go into grading now with expected results for the end of March. At one point last year, my cards were going into grading within a week of receipt. It's a waiting game now.
Well, it seems that whining here helped a tiny bit.
I just got a notice that 5 of balls that I sent in 2 weeks after the lot of 13 are on their way. No choice but PSA, as this is at the buyer request and he is paying the fees (once I actually send them to him).
The 5 that are done are the least impressive and cheapest of the bunch though; 1965 Orioles team (AQ08296), 1971 Orioles team (AQ08297), a grade 10 Yaz auto, one that PSA called baseball greats, which is a decent one (AQ08295), and a Zolio, so I need to wait to send them with the main lot to the buyer. The other 13 are all the nice team balls back to the 1945 Boston Braves that includes Medwick.
Well, if you look at the collectors.com website under Careers you will see that they have openings for PSA graders in California and New Jersey, and have had those listed for some time. It is interesting to note the job requirements as well as the level of pay.
PSA got all backed up in December. It took them a month to open packages - my order was sent Dec 17 and mid January was opened, right now its in the Assembly stage. I had sent a email mid January when my package was sent Dec 17 and not received:
PSA answer mid January - we are processing mail received on 12/16/24.
I read one of the positions and requirements of basically working in a sweat shop for a starting pay of $17 an hour and they expect industry experience. I really hope some new person is not in the autograph ID job.
edit: and I had to just laugh after reading, thanks!
I have 2 orders in Assembly for 26 and 19 days
The highest pay rate of $32/hour equates to about $66,000 a year. Pretty tough to make it on that salary in Southern California, where a 500-600 square foot studio apartment rents for about $2000 a month.
This is a real thing? And for Southern California?
That explains a lot about weird returns and things I’ve seen recently. You’d think with the grading numbers they’ve been publicly releasing they’d be able to pay better to attract more people.
No mystery why the grading is so sketchy. The experts are all here, unpaid and posting in the forum.
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This is also an interesting peek behind the curtain. Among other things, it says PSA employs about 100 graders, each card likely receives about a minute of time by the grader (in addition to other quality control and processing), graders often work a ten-hour shift, and they must pass months-long process to become a grader.
https://cardhoundvintage.com/behind-the-scenes-at-psa-the-card-grading-process/
That is the entry level pay for a new hire who will then undergo training. Still, clearly not a living wage for an adult in Southern California.
Yup, when the 13 pending auto balls come back, no more -- over 3 months for $150 a ball is unacceptable. They will have to feed the hedge fund that owns them off someone else's dime. PCGS is too cheap to fix their photo department and now PSA cannot keep up as it seems all the workers flee.
It won't go much further in New Jersey. Which BTW had high state income taxes than NY
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
They’re obviously independently wealthy and doing it for the love of the hobby.
My recent submission was estimated to complete by 02/28 but was completed on 02/07.
email bcmiller7@comcast.net
I had that happen last summer, when I sent a Pete Rose Topps rookie in for grading, got it back well ahead of schedule and they did pretty well on some nice auto jerseys, but they are killing me on the expensive team balls, which I paid for verification three months ago -- almost 2k tied up until I can send them to my buyer.
My recent order of about 20 cards was sent December 10 and is estimated for to be finished March 27. With it sitting at assembly it should be done early. Still going to be almost 3 months. I think they believe we will be happy if it gets finished before the estimated finish date.
I think SGC says 5-10 days. I sent my first order there and it arrived Feb 3 so will see when it drops. But worth trying them for the $12 special 1970-1989 cards. I sent my secondary level of cards and hoping for some 7-9 grades where PSA might of been 5-6 so not worth my money to send there
Don't count on it being early. A recent submission of mine was in Assembly for 2 months.
The submission I mentioned above went to assembly on 01/02 and completed on 02/07.
email bcmiller7@comcast.net
Ah yes the ol' I'm very wealthy and still desire to work 50-60 hours a week and be treated worse and with less respect than a rented mule.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Let's be honest. How many of you have the ability to authenticate 12 plus signatures within a small 3-D space that shows only about 3 signatures at a time? Then how many want to do it. I'm guessing whomever does the authentication put those balls on the back burner for as long as they could.
I'd guess that PSA does not get too many team-signed balls for authentication due to the authentication cost outweighing what most are worth - so most likely put on the back burner for sure as mentioned above.
An authenticator can knock out a ton of single-signed items in the time it takes to authenticate one team-signed ball, so they probably focus on single-signed items first. And save the multi-signed items for a slow day.