I just found out that PSA thinks Incomplete Holo errors are reproducible and no longer grades them. Does anyone have any insight into how this would happen? Or proof that it has happened? I can’t fathom how you would remove the stars from a card…
Here’s an example photo:
Not sure how, outside of using acetone or something, but I got the same response from them when trying to have my Magneton recased with the updated label.
Acetone doesn’t alter the holo layer as far as I know (people use it to get blank galaxy foils by removing the ink above).
Maybe its just something they feel theyd rather not deal with later on. I know CGC has graded multiple errors on their part, and a little bit of it can really hurt their reputation when they get something wrong. If I was PSA I would probably be super strict on what Im grading. As veterans of the company leave it also tends to make it easier on those people too since one day everyone will have to rely on certs/wiki to identify things from times bygone.
I suppose there may be a method to damage the holofoil layer and remove some of its pattern. But I think that’s actually not the true concern at all.
In my opinion, they stopped grading incomplete holo errors because they exist on a spectrum and it is tough to stay consistent. I have noted this previously on the error thread, showing that some errors are more mild than others. I own mild and major versions of the incomplete holo, and the main (but minute) difference comes down to the vibrancy of the shimmer holo under LED light. In normal light, they look identical.
Edit: For context, I am referring to WoTC vintage foils with the starlight pattern, not other varieties like the corocoro shining mew.
What I find interesting about this directive is that because PSA believes incomplete holo errors are reproducible, they are implying that they cannot differentiate between incomplete holo errors from manufacturing and incomplete holos due to alterations….yet they can still assign a grade to these cards?
I scoured the country last year looking at every Shining Mew I could find for an incomplete holo error, and when I finally found one, PSA decided to assign it a near mint condition, even though they believe alterations could result in the incomplete holo.
Are they just grading these cards as if the foiling difference does not exist, and whether or not it could actually be altered, they will grade them like altering does not exist?
cpbog1
It seems that they grade them regardless and don’t turn away cards without the holo pattern.
Is the Shining Mew card like this FireRed LeafGreen Moltres where the second holo layer is a literal layer of the card that can be removed?
I only ask since, if I remember right, the Shining Mew has a sparkle holo on the whole card and a cosmos holo being part of the actual card stock, under all the ink.
There’s been a broader trend toward placing the burden of error provenance on collectors rather than grading companies. Grading error cards carries real liability. Even if an error is only 1% reproducible, it’s better for collectors to verify provenance themselves rather than blindly relying on a grading company, which can quickly become a slippery slope, as recent cases have shown.
People may blindly trust grading companies, but provenance built and vetted by the collecting community is ultimately more bulletproof and should be the path forward anyways.
