We all know that PSA 8 cards are still very nice, NM+ examples. However, there are definitely a few major factors why a particular card receives this grade and typically a combination of these.
My question and conversation starter is which flaw do you find most important when purchasing a PSA 8 (or 7) level card?
Good Centering
Back Edge and Corner Wear (whitening)
Holo/Surface Scratches
For me, I think my number 1 importance is good centering. That immediately catches my eye. Then likely prefer fewer holo issues and whitening issues are my least concern/preference of the 3 so my importance rank is:
My reasoning is as follows⌠you can have a pack fresh card grade a PSA 8 based on the centering alone. In other words, a card with zero damage or flaws can have an 8 because it is off center by a good amount. For this reason I place centering last on my list because I love when my cards have no damage. Is poor centering a flaw? Sort of, but not really. Not like edge whitening or scratches in my mind. Not to mention, if the centering is really bad, then it suddenly increases the value for some collectors. Do any other âflawsâ do that?
If itâs a holo, my preference would be to not have any noticeable damage/scratches on the holo itself (accepting that some small scratches may be visible at a choice angle).
Besides that, I would prefer a card with decent centering.
I mind a little bit of whitening on the back of the card the least.
Centering is something I never really paid much attention to, unless it was like miscut levels. So itâd be least important.
Edgewear vs holo scratches it depends on the card. Some cards like reverse holos from certain eras, the scratches really stand out (EX Ruby/Sapphire, B/W base set come to mind.)
Centering is most important in my opinion, as good centering really makes a card âpopâ for me when displaying them. I had a few PSA 9 cards in my personal collection that were noticeably off center and I had to replace them because they just bothered me when showcasing my cards.
Light holo scratches are second, as sometimes the scratches arenât normally visible except in bright light at certain angles. I actually have some PSA 9s and 10s with a single slight holo scratch which I never would have noticed until I scrupulously inspected the cards at various angles under bright light.
Least important to me is back edge and corner wear because letâs face it the front of the card is most important overall. However, I really donât like it when there is whitening along an entire edge of a card. If there is just a touch at the corners, that is acceptable as it doesnât really detract from the appeal of the card to me.
For me personally, I always check the back for any edge/corner whitening first. Then I look for a good centered card, doesnât have to be extremely perfect. Holo scratches would have to be last for me, but it doesnât mean I donât care for it. As long as there arenât any deep scratches on the holo, I can get by with light scratches since most arenât visible unless the card is under light or placed at an angle.
Scratchâs Is worst thing for me. Followed by centering and last being back whitening. Honestly I donât mind a little off center as long as itâs not one of those huge almost miscuts. I also donât mind a little back whitening as long as itâs not a ton around every edge. A few spots is nothing to me. Holo scratchâs or even scratchâs to surface of card or even on the bank really make me mad the most. I donât mind a print line as much but it still looks close to the same as a huge scratch. So Iâd honestly take a card with great front but centering and whitening issues. Iâm not nearly as picky as most people. PSa cards are great but I personally prefer bigger collection vs higher grades
The front is the only thing I care about. Anything that takes my eyes off the actual artwork is what I want to avoid (terrible centering, deep scratches).
The back can have PSA1 whitening for all I care, as long as the front looks good.
Same things I prefer in 9s and 10s. Main focus is a clean holo, second focus is front centering and overall eye appeal. Keep all the issues on the back. I have some pack fresh 8s I opened myself with cleaner fronts than other 9s and 10s I have. They just have rougher backs with 4+ bits of whitening.
Thatâs exactly how I see it. A card can leave the factory mint and still be oc. Same with print lines. Although vertical print lines bother me sometimes, but wonât make the card less mint for me.
Interesting to see just how mixed the answers are.
For what itâs worth, I used to not care about centering as much (since itâs not a part of the âconditionâ of the card) but changed my view on it over time. The yellow border on the WOTC cards is so pronounced I think it makes a huge difference visually when a card has great centering.
Yeah fascinating diversity of opinions here. I too think centering plays a huge role in my personal eye appeal of the card. Its the first I notice when glancing at a card, âoh its off way off centerâ.
Seems like at least the only consistent thing so far is everyone prefers a higher quality front rather than back, not surprising lol.
Exactly! This is what I meant when I mentioned that a card with good centering will âpopâ, as the centering just makes the card more visually appealing. A minor bit of wear on the back/edges or even minor scratches arenât as immediately detracting as that feeling when you see a card that is noticeably off center. However, others have made solid arguments for their preferences.