Not really, common sense to me would be that if a company can upcharge because their service has changed, they can also downcharge because their service has changed. That just sounds like bad business ethics.
Which might make a shred of sense if the cost of grading was only tied to the cost/value of cards, and not speed of grading as well.
You’re onto something about upcharges though. There’s something shady about being able to be charged more based on a grade they assigned the card =\
The grading speed is all 1 business day for all 5 tiers, $500, $1000, $2000, $3000, $5000.
Their service speed is the same and they are doing the exact same encapsulation process regardless of price point.
The change in price of service is really only tied to the value of the card at these levels, not the speed. The price difference is because they need the funds to pay out the PSA price guarantee, so they need to make a % of the high card values as a sort of “insurance”.
That’s the reason I thought downgrading might exist, because they no longer have to price guarantee that graded card at that %.
I can understand logic that may have led to that, but you’ve been here long enough to have heard of all the great good guy PSA stories of how they charged people less because their card didn’t fit the value in the bracket they submit at…
They’re a business, their aim is to make money, not give it back.
It’s such a fight to get a cent out of PSA, even when they’ve fucked up and you can prove they’ve fucked up.
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What do we know about the process used by grading companies to determine a card’s final grade?
Was directed here to inquire about grading here! Just wanted to pop in to ask if this miscut on the corner will affect the grade too much if I decide to grade at PSA (i.e. is it egregious or not that egregious). Thanks for any help/insight anyone can provide!
Quick Q :
I’m sure it’s been asked before but why do you think PSA gives N9’s?
XXXX Factory Mis-Print, nonoholderwas designated as reason. I did a quick n9 search on the forum and still not sure why they are given. I can’t tell why my rayquaza is a factory misprint, albeit a lil oc.
Do you know why you get n9’s? Ie. If the card looks extra shiny, its n9?
Must have been an obscure issue…
What grade do you think this got?
Spoiler
PSA 5. I get a lot of cards graded but sometimes I am truly surprised by the results. I know that pictures aren’t everything, but I handled this card in person and thought it was at least a 7, likely an 8.
It really does seem as though PSA grades japanese vintage much harder than english vintage. Was just looking at a PSA 5 english Nidoking and the cards look quite different. A bit shocking and annoying, to say the least - but it’s the game we play
Nidoking for comparison (the back is really, really bad) www.ebay.com/itm/1st-Edition-Nidoking-Holo-11-102-PSA-5-EX-1999-Pokemon-TCG-Base-Set-WOTC/402644869637?hash=item5dbf812205:g:ktEAAOSwoNZf~23L
@serpintaxt , there must have been something else wrong with it (i.e., crease, dent). Because based on the wear in the photo it would get no lower than a 7.
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Hello! Do you know if CGC and/or PSA grades Korean cards?
yeah, I’ve been thinking the same - something I must have glossed over but not easily catchable by the eye. There’s a slight crease on the back in the middle that runs about an inch down the top, but it’s surface damage and not an actual crease in the card. I’ve had another charizard that had something similar and it got a PSA 9, broke the case, BGS 9. I’d say the edges and corners were better on that card but still. Oh well! fortunately I don’t have the world riding on this single grade 
That looks more like a scratch than a crease; if so, then yeah, that should be totally acceptable on a 7.
CGC grades Korean cards. PSA as far as I am aware doesn’t.
Is PSA’s reholder service delayed just as much as their grading service? Anyone recently reholder a slab with expedited and could give me an estimate/how long it took for them?
Thanks
I’ll make this short and sweet. I’ve just gotten back into collecting and as we all know the wait times for grading are terrible right now. Because of that, I sent in a few of my cards to CGC and I’m waiting for them to come back. I’ve never graded anything before so I’m excited but I have no plan to sell them and really I like the sub grades and all the cards will stay in my collection. But for the more experienced people here, are there any negative things with CGC that just make y’all stay away from it?
besides the PSA pedigree
@olyrral , @sparky55603 I’ve moved your posts to our dedicated grading megathread. Questions like yours must be posted here as per the rules.
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Irrespective of the grade, it’s still a beautiful card. I’d be super happy to buy a PSA 5 like that for more than a psa 8 that has a lot of holo scratches.
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Nope. Especially if you’re not selling, cgc is superior to psa in every way.