I bought this ninetales just now. Wondering your opinions on how much of the imperfections on the card are the case vs on the card itself.
I think its well centered for a base set card and the front is very clean
I believe if this was submitted in 2024 with a 9 cert it would be a psa8 due to the level of whitening present on the back
Its hard to tell about the entirety of that left side being case vs card.
It looks like the entirety of the back left is whitened and makes it hard to believe it would get a 9 but then again its a 2cert so very possible still
The corners for sure are card and not case
Front looks fantastic tho nice pickup
Looks like a 9 to me. Who cares about the cert, the scans are of higher priority.
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I wouldn’t consider the left side of the card on the back to be whitening, at least by my standards. Typical early set card edges brought to you by the dull blades of 1999 WoTC sheet cutters.
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Looks like a nice card to me, congrats!
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Looks like a fair 9 and a better 9 for an older cert, scans can hide print lines and surface issues quite well though - so be warned.
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You guys just trying to be nice to OP ? Or will you actually give him a real analysis
This is elevated whitening and psa is very hard now regarding so much as a speckle on the back of vintage
Always very carefully evaluate old certs like this
It happens to be a hot take but idc, old certs have inflated scores. I always get a premium when i sell new certs.
That said i still think this is a strong sample. Very nice pickup and congratulations!
I think its a very nice looking card regardless of the cert. Id love having this in my collection. I always buy for the card vs the grade though. This ninetales doesnt appear that bad. Most scans are super bright and detailed, but in person look way better.
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They aren’t trying to be nice. The card is a fair 9, it is pack fresh with a spec or two on the right side. Completely accurate grade.
You frankly don’t know what you are talking about. It isn’t terrible whitening, it is how the large majority of WOTC edges look fresh out of the pack. On a good and accurate day of grading, an average grader would know this. 15 years ago or today, they would know this.
It isn’t hilarious, there is no double standard. You just need to learn more about vintage pokemon card condition. The gyarados you posted has actual wear all around the card, hence why people were commenting that you should expect a 7.
When you look at the corners of your card, you can see wear. When you look at the surface, you can see wear. It is not a mint card.
That right there is not a pack fresh card.
Also there isn’t a hive mind here. Not everyone here agrees on card grade, but when it comes to the people here with in depth experience with condition, they would all agree that that ninetales is a standard mint card.
Also as soon as everyone came and delivered you facts, you edited your post. You said something very different, including “horrible whitening” and “it’s hilarious the double standard the forum gives compared to my worn card I posted prior”.
Embrace your original statement, learn and move on.
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I’d say its a fair 9 considering Base is known for duller blade cuts.
I see something on the front, but it seems to be just the front case.
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That really isn’t what I would classify as whitening and i reckon alot of other collectors wouldnt either. Most, if not all, WoTC era set cards have varying degrees of excess card stock fuzzies around the edges on the back. Now modern doesnt really have that issue. Its a tale of two eras.
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It’s just a rough cut WOTC card. The card you’re upset about clearly wasn’t a pack fresh card. You seem to get pretty emotional on here when we don’t give you the answers you’re wanting.
Also, and I know the cert debate has been beaten into the ground, but every old cert was a new cert at one point. Six months ago were you saying 8 certs only? A year ago 7 certs only? Two years ago 6 certs only? Etc…
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Your absolutely correct
Its a tale of two eras
Now try telling that to psa
Looks like a normal 9 to me. Base Set Ninetales seems to usually have bad centering and so this one looks mostly well centered. Holo/surfaces look really clean. Some very minor bits of whitening on the corners, a little more on some of the edges. I think it’s in line with most WOTC era holo 9s, I’ve seen worse 9s at times. A lot of times people judge the back harshly, but then overlook the centering or holo/surface condition. If you want all of this to be near perfect you need to buy a 10, plain and simple.
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A fair point. What isnt a big deal to me, is a big deal to you, and vice versa. Certain people dont mind that back issue, while others do. I can see the arguments for both but all things considered I think thats a fair 9. I’m much more critical of holo condition.
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Ive always felt the front was way more important anyways and his card looks like its a 10 from the front.
Psa grades front and back equally. And this era didnt have any protective varnish on the back to save time and money
Japanese cards did but not the english counterparts.
So it often feels unfair. You can open a fresh pack today, send it immediately to psa, the front can be absolutely perfect and they still give you a 9 or an 8
Essentially, wear post-pack is uneven, and distributed. You don’t have that type of whitening on your ninetales, if any. I see those strange white lines on the front that I don’t see anyone else mentioning, but otherwise, if that whitening is a reflection, not wear, it’s a good 9. Maybe an 8 or 7 if those white lines are anything.
I feel better about the purchase after reading all the comments.
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This is definitely not true. Even the centering parameters are explicitly different
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It’s just a rough Shadowless cut (normal) that looks worse in scans due to the way the lighting works.
Looks like a fair 9.
(I do a lot of Shadowless cross grading)
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