Farewell to the Board and to PSA
AANV
Posts: 362 ✭✭✭
I finally hit the breaking point. After $25,000 in submissions and not a single card that I thought was even close to a reasonable grade, I've finally had it and I'm throwing in the towel. Clearly my 20 years of experience in grading means nothing when a post-Covid Pokemon grader is handling my vintage treasures.
I can only receive so many 5s on mint cards before I finally accept the message that the company is trying to send. Congratulations to everyone who was in early enough to actually receive a pre-war grade above a 7. The pop reports are now written in stone for every card of value.
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If they are this brutal on 70s and 80s I imagine pre-war is impossible.
The game for me has now become buy those cards that previously would be 2 grades higher. If you don’t care too much about grades and aren’t a submitter, it is a glorious time to collect.
You don't have to leave the board just because of the grading. It's still a great place to see some super interesting and unique items. I haven't submitted a thing to PSA in over a year but can't stop checking what folks are throwing up here. That's enough for me.
Not only has the grading changes made me stop subbing, but I've changed the way I collect. I still like to rip the vintage, but just don't waste money grading anymore. I've also stopped buying to crack/resub. I'm still having a great time just doing that.
I'll say it again;
Regarding Vintage - Old school 1,2,3,5 and usually 5 are still the same grade but old school 7,8,9's are now 3,4,5,6 - the difference in some 3,4,5,6's can be startling, some look like do-do, some look like shiny diamonds. See my sig
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
We had our day in the sun. When we could spend 25K, or some such amount on grading with enormous confidence, knowing that even with a handful of slip-ups we couldn't possibly do that bad, right? It was an open invitation, and now it's no longer possible, or so it seems, to appreciate the hard effort put into hunting gorgeous raw cards and going through the process. Examination, plotting, submitting, more plotting, waiting, more plotting, reception for a long touchdown. Sorry this made you sad, OP. I hope, as has been mentioned, you stick around and just enjoy some cards and memorabilia. It's still a great hobby.
a shame that grading standards have changed so
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
My last submission was April 2024 and I don't plan to grade cards with PSA again. Let someone else take the beating on the grades. With that being said, I do still actively buy PSA cards that IMO are accurately or under graded. I used to be a strictly PSA 8-10 collector; but I see so many PSA 6's now that look like 8's/9's that I'll happily buy those for sometimes 25% of the price of an 8. Buy the card and not the flip.
I am concerned.
PSA was always a rather "tough" grading company. Yes, I have seen examples of 10's that don't "deserve" a 10.
From reading the results you guys have been getting. I'm VERY nervous.
I recently went through several thousand cards, all from Wax, Cello, sealed sets and primarily Rack.
Sent in 34 cards (see pic for example, sorry about the cel phone picture).
If I dont get a few 10's, I doubt I will be sending in anything to try to6 sell.
I will focus on a few sets I am working on and be happy with the grades I get.
It's amazing to me that buyers ("investors"?) refuse to buy a PSA 9 even if there are no 10's graded!
I found a few bargains just by checking the population report. With PSA refusing to give out 10's, the pops won't change much.
@JoeBanzai
I haven't sent a sub to PSA in over a year. I just dont think it is worth the risk to me anymore. I did sub through SGC and was pretty happy with the results, but it seems collectors is phasing them out and making them a boutique brand.
Beckett?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Boggs looks minsiz
Be prepared for lots of 7s and 8s with the odd surprise to the upside.
Ha ha. BIG TIME!
I bought 30?-40? sets looking for a Chipper Jones rookie. Those were horribly off center, although I ended up with 2, well 1 worth sending in.
As I was going through and setting the HOFers and rookies aside, I noticed the Boggs cards were WORSE. Not a single one better than 80/20.
Pop report showed no 9's or 10's.
I ended up contacting several sellers and found 1 that had a centered Boggs.
Thinking it might be somebody's white whale.
Regardless what the grades are I look forward to the results and mocking PSA for their insolence!
I'm hoping you become impressed with my eyesight!
Jeter too! LOL
It's a good time to look for recently graded PSA 6 and 7 cards that would have graded higher in the past. There are some deals to be had. I jumped off the grading game a long time ago. If I need a card graded, I buy it that way but I also buy ungraded cards to keep that way as well.
Plenty o'10's still being issued, however see my SIG
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
too many big time cards graded by sgc held by big time collectors. boutique means expensive, 5 - 10 days grading time. so if you want them graded fast you go through sgc? prolly at $25 each at some point? not sure what they are going to do with them, but i don't think they will go away.
Last time I sent a sub to PSA was over 15 years ago, and dont regret it one bit. I got out of the card business several years ago and now only collect tickets. It's A LOT less stressful and more fun. I have come to find out that when it comes to tickets, most ticket collectors is that they dont care that much about grades. They just want the significance of the event. So in other words, if its a ticket someone is looking for, people will fork out the bucks if its graded or not.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ohio State Buckeyes - National Champions