Today I come with a question regarding my Shining Celebi PSA 10. This card was not graded by me, I purchased off eBay some months ago and I like it very much.
When I received this card in the mail, I quickly notice that something was wrong with a bottom corner. Even though it doesn’t bother me much, made me question if it is consider a dent of some kind, since it’s not on the surface of the card, but rather on the length of it (I don’t know if i can explain myself, but the pictures speak for me). That type of damage, at first glance seems like it is whitening, however it is not, it seems it happened when the card fell or was “banged” in that particular corner. Some little microscopic waves can be seen on the pictures also, you cal also see the bruised corner.
My question to you all with more experience than me, and with a larger collection than me, is what do you think would happen if I send in for review?
Would PSA knock it down? If so, to which grade do you think?
Would PSA leave it as a 10?
By knocking it down, how would I be compensated for the downgrade? Would I still get my card in a new slab with a new grade?
I have seen several topics in the forum regarding PSA grading system and what is bad with it. I truly don’t want this thread to become a discussion like the others, but rather have a clear picture of what would happen when reviewing, since I have no idea.
I think if you sent it in for review and mention the corner they would downgrade it. To what I don’t really know. I wanna say an automatic 7 but that bend (which is what I would call it) is so minor I really don’t know what they consider it. Probably differs between graders.
I actually think if you mention the corner they would knock it down to a 9 cause I’ve seen plenty of 9’s with some whitening like that it’s not a bend it’s a slight fold IMO.
Overgrades often happen due to the grader missing damage. That, or the damage occurred after the grading process. Either way, get it reviewed and PSA will compensate you if it gets downgraded…which is possible.
IMO (and in my experience) if you are questioning whether or not they will downgrade then they will not downgrade it. They can easily say this is a “manufacturing defect” that falls within the lines of a PSA 10 still.
Honestly I think it should be a lower grade but I can’t say that it definitively is a lower grade. In the past when trying to regrade cards such as these I have had very little success in getting the card regraded in a lower graded and re-encased. The only luck I have had were clear misgrades that 9/10 or more people would instantly spot and agree on. My rule of thumb is that unless I know for a fact that a card is 2 or more grades off I will not send it back for review. It sucks when I have a PSA 10 that multiple customers turn down or send back due to them not agreeing with it being a GEM MINT 10 card and then PSA reviews it and decides it is a 10 again.
To address compensation it varies case by case. Larger claims will go through their insurance and be paid via check, lower claims could very likely be done through vouchers. Market value is determined by them based on a combination of things potentially including your purchase/sale price, ebay sales, ebay listings, smr price guide etc.