PSA Photograde™ Online

SportsModerator2 · February 25, 2010 4:26AM

This section will provide a general, visual illustration of the differences between each PSA grade. Of course, in reality, there are so many variables when it comes to card characteristics and defects that no two PSA EX 5s, for example, look exactly the same. That said; the purpose of this section is to help educate collectors about what the basic differences look like. Like the PSA Grading Standards themselves, this is by no means all-inclusive (listing every possible combination of potential defects) but it will provide some general guidelines.

PSA Photograde

Carol

jeffcbay · February 25, 2010 4:36AM

Wow, that's pretty awesome! I like the high-res photos! The only thing I'm afraid of is the un-blocked cert numbers. Wonder how long it will be until these cards will turn up in fake/scam auctions. Really cool idea though!

bbuckner22 · February 25, 2010 4:38AM

I don't remember giving them permission to use all of my Mantles as examples. Very good info and visuals in that post.

hammered · February 25, 2010 4:38AM

Could be a useful tool

Perhaps it will reduce the # of "What Will This Grade?" threads

EchoCanyon · February 25, 2010 4:38AM

what about the .5 grades?

epatmythes · February 25, 2010 4:39AM

Very nice Carol... one question though... those are real cards (I'm assuming they're not all belonging to PSA)... so do you really want the actual cert numbers shown on the images? Free pass to counterfieters delight (worse case)

SportsModerator2 · February 25, 2010 4:42AM

I've passed on the comments of the cert numbers showing.

I'm not sure if there is a plan to add any .5 images and descriptions at this time but I will pass that along as well.

jeffcbay · February 25, 2010 4:47AM

I can't imagine the logistics that went into collecting all of these cards to be scanned by the same scanner at the same resolution.

It's really cool to see the differences in point grades, and to see what flies and what doesn't. Like the 9 that has the tilt, but a clean surface, and the 8 that has great centering but a dirtier surface.

I'm impressed.

SportsModerator2 · February 25, 2010 4:49AM

We have great customers who send in their items for us to scan when we have projects such as this so our thanks really go out to them!

YogiBerraFan · February 25, 2010 4:50AM

Very cool. I would love to see .5 photos and descriptions. It would probably require more work than the original project though.

jeffcbay · February 25, 2010 4:52AM

<< We have great customers who send in their items for us to scan when we have projects such as this so our thanks really go out to them! >>

If I were the owner of one of those high-grade Mantles, I think I would have to personally fly it in with the card strapped to my chest... lol

Boopotts · February 25, 2010 4:54AM

<< Could be a useful tool

Perhaps it will reduce the # of "What Will This Grade?" threads >>

I'll take 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA' for $1000, Alex.

bking · February 25, 2010 4:54AM

This is great!! After years of dealing with the subtleties of "slightest fraying", "slight fraying " and "slightly graduated fraying ", it's nice to get some pictures that are worth the "1000 words".

What would be helpful IMO is to add a brief critique of each card, pointing out the things that led to each grade. As Jeff mentioned, a brief mention of that tilt in the 9, the surface of the 8, etc.

bking · February 25, 2010 4:55AM

<< 

<< We have great customers who send in their items for us to scan when we have projects such as this so our thanks really go out to them! >>

If I were the owner of one of those high-grade Mantles, I think I would have to personally fly it in with the card strapped to my chest... lol >>

I can see it now - you get it back 9 (SS) "Sweat stains"

SportsModerator2 · February 25, 2010 5:13AM

<< This is great!! After years of dealing with the subtleties of "slightest fraying", "slight fraying " and "slightly graduated fraying ", it's nice to get some pictures that are worth the "1000 words".

What would be helpful IMO is to add a brief critique of each card, pointing out the things that led to each grade. As Jeff mentioned, a brief mention of that tilt in the 9, the surface of the 8, etc. >>

I've read most of the descriptions and I notice that there are specific comments about the card shown.

example on the 5

This card, in comparison to the card in the previous illustration (PSA EX-MT 6) exhibits very slight advances in overall wear and it has started to lose slight luster in the eye-appeal department. You will notice a slightly duller look to the card here, including the white borders (which have now started to become slightly toned or off-white). You will also notice slightly advanced "rubbing" to the corners. In particular, the bottom right corner contains a few light wrinkles as a result of a bend. The card remains free of any major creasing or severe eye-appeal issues.

PowderedH2O · February 25, 2010 5:28AM

bbuckner, they didn't use ALL of your Mantles... just enough of them to do the illustration. The rest of them are still private. Nothing to worry about.

Sam

baseballfan · February 25, 2010 5:45AM

nice idea

RonBurgundy · February 25, 2010 5:58AM

bbcemporium · February 25, 2010 6:08AM

If that PSA 10 Mantle wasn't already in a slab, I would've thought it was a reprint, beautiful card.

CubsFan41 · February 25, 2010 6:09AM

Well done.

Bosox1976 · February 25, 2010 6:16AM

I could live with the 7.

SDSportsFan · February 25, 2010 7:02AM

I like the fact that due to centering, the 8 looks better than the 9

Steve

bking · February 25, 2010 8:10AM

<< 

<< This is great!! After years of dealing with the subtleties of "slightest fraying", "slight fraying " and "slightly graduated fraying ", it's nice to get some pictures that are worth the "1000 words".

What would be helpful IMO is to add a brief critique of each card, pointing out the things that led to each grade. As Jeff mentioned, a brief mention of that tilt in the 9, the surface of the 8, etc. >>

I've read most of the descriptions and I notice that there are specific comments about the card shown.

example on the 5

This card, in comparison to the card in the previous illustration (PSA EX-MT 6) exhibits very slight advances in overall wear and it has started to lose slight luster in the eye-appeal department. You will notice a slightly duller look to the card here, including the white borders (which have now started to become slightly toned or off-white). You will also notice slightly advanced "rubbing" to the corners. In particular, the bottom right corner contains a few light wrinkles as a result of a bend. The card remains free of any major creasing or severe eye-appeal issues. >>

geez how did I miss that? It's exactly what I was looking for. thx

EDIT: because I aasumed the paragraphs were the usual standards and I dove straight into the gallery.

toothshucker · February 25, 2010 8:58AM

Thanks Psa. Good work. You finally got the message. You are the best grading company and we collectors appreciate the confidence you show in yourselves. I guess that will put an end to my "Guess the Grade" thread. SORRY members.

It would be great to include graded examples with color borders (71 Munson , 75 Brett), diamond cuts, color tone variations and qualifiers if possible. I think these are the characteristics that can be most challenging to grasp.

EAsports · February 25, 2010 9:23AM

Can you make the scans bigger? I can barely see them.

Stone193 · February 25, 2010 12:25PM

stevek · February 25, 2010 12:37PM

Excellent idea and I didn't mind at all ya using my PSA 10 1952 Mantle as an example.

jeffcbay · February 25, 2010 12:51PM

I put them all together and made them my background.

waxpack · February 25, 2010 1:59PM

If the 8 was mine I'd crack and resub

SidePocket · February 25, 2010 2:30PM

Very nicely done.

bking · February 26, 2010 1:37AM

I'm thrilled to have this visual aid, and I hope they expand it from time to time to cover a few variations better, like centering, etc.

Also, my old eyes really have a hard time seeing some of the corner issues discussed with white-bordered cards.

EDIT; yeah, what toothshucker said.

italianstallionyankees · February 26, 2010 9:50AM

Now all Psa has to do is show examples of grades 1-10 of cards from 1950-1980 and that will be awesome! I think someone needs to invent a Photograde magazine for cards of all years 1888-2010 and issue it! Anyone think this will be cool would be a great tool for issues that you are not familiar with.... Psa needs to whiteout the cert #'s for sure though

Ryan

Carew29 · February 26, 2010 12:53PM

what??? no 1/2 grade examples??

Garabaldi · February 26, 2010 11:15PM

<< I like the fact that due to centering, the 8 looks better than the 9

Steve >>

I was thinking the same thing

PSA Photograde™ Online

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