I was referred here from Reddit as they said you all were the experts!
I just acquired my first pokemon card since childhood, a 1st Edition Charizard PSA 9.
To be honest, I’m pretty content with the PSA 9 grade but the price differential between PSA 9 and 10 tells me I should at least get a second opinion. Please see the link below for some pictures.
The PSA # is quite low but the previous owner just had it re-slabbed.
Now a few questions for all of you:
Do you think it’s worth re-grading for a shot at getting a PSA 10?
If I re-submit to PSA, should I crack it out of the case or re-send in slabbed form?
How much would it cost to get re-graded? I was reading on the PSA website that you need to estimate its declared value. But PSA 9s go for $5k and PSA 10s go for $25k according to PSA price guide so which one would I put down?
Is there a different pricing structure to reviewing previously graded cards as opposed to ungraded cards?
welcome to the forum
im sorry to say but there’s no chance it will regrade to a 10 I’m affraid the corners have some wear for a start which i think will alone prevent it from grading a 10 still a great card to have in a 9 all the same
Welcome to the forum! Hope you enjoy your time here
To me that card looks like a pretty standard PSA 9. There are obvious nicks/dings on the bottom two corners but nothing too serious and those were probably there straight out of the pack. So to go through your questions:
1&3) I personally wouldn’t do it. Given the value of the card you’d be looking at the “Express” service level which would be $200 just in grading fees, and the high declared value will probably slap another $40-50 in return shipping costs onto that. I’d rather spend that $250 on other cards, but the final decision is up to you. If you do decide to resubmit I’d go with the lower declared value. PSA does have a new policy of upcharging if the market value exceeds the declared value (too many people were putting Charizards in bulk subs) but you shouldn’t give them any more money unless they ask for it.
I’d strongly advise against cracking a card that valuable. It’s not easy to break a PSA case, if you’re doing it on a $50-100 card it’s one thing, when one tiny slip can lose you thousands of dollars in value it’s quite another. The caveat to this is that if you go for an in-case review, the PSA grader will see the previously-assigned grade. I’d think when a grader sees a 9 grade they’ll go look for things to justify that 9 grade, as opposed to seeing a raw card where they have more unbiased eyes.
There is not a different pricing structure, but you cannot combine review orders and regular orders.
No, it’s not worth regrading this Charizard. Your card has obvious corner wear and edge fraying that can easily be noticed on the back. You bought a PSA 9 and that’s what you got. It has a very good eye appeal from the front and it’s a great card to have in any collection. Stick to being content and you’ll be fine.
Are you planning on selling it or would you just regrade it for your own satisfaction?
You know, whether the slab says 9 or 10, it’s the same card inside. I understand the value aspect, but you shouldn’t let PSA’s opinion determine how much you enjoy your cards.
the corners have some wear for a start which i think will alone prevent it from grading a 10 still a great card to have in a 9 all the same