I’m curious what the community here uses to examine their cards to determine if the card is PSA worthy? Do you just use the eye ball method or do you have a loupe? Does anyone here use higher end microscopes?
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Same thing PSA uses less the metal ruler and with cleaner hands.
Eyes and bare hands in good lighting.
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I usually use my phone flashlight to look for surface damage. It really helps especially since usually the room I look at cards in has pretty dim lights. It’s just a good option to easily get all the angles you need. Other than that yeah just eyeball it. I’ve thought about lining cards up on a scanner and measuring the pixels to check for centering but I’ve never done it because it seems like a huge pain in the ass so I basically just eyeball centering.
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I’m a big proponent of the iPhone flashlight for surface scratches. All my friends make fun of me when I go to vendors and raise my flashlight to cards at the vendors at Regionals but it’s how I ensure the condition of the card is in tip-top shape. I also like to keep a dark surface (clean black binder, black cardboard paper, etc.) to check for silvering or edgewear. It’s easier when there’s a contrast in the background.
Thoroughly clean your hands and use a good 150 or so lumen light. Bare hands offer better dexterity and control than any benefit from using gloves.
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Just the good old fashioned eyeball test under bright light, perhaps with a microscope to examine flaws and gauge their severity.
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My eyes
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I find it hard to determine the centering of a card by just eye-balling it.
I have to admit, I’ve taken photos of some of my cards, then enlarge them on my PC and simply calculate whether or not something falls within the 60/40 limits of a 10.
Rest of it, gloves for the handling and very bright light!
I’ve been pretty accurate with two strong LED desk lamps and a dark background. I use natural lighting just as a double check before I send cards in. Sometimes you find things you miss when you look 2,3,4 times.
A trick for centering I learn off Open Boosters on YouTube is to look at the card centering, then rotate the card 180° and look again.
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My eyes, ceiling light and natural light from window, honestly no reason for anything more. If I am REALLY unsure about centering, I will take a picture and upload it, but i’ve only done that a handful of times.
Your brain, thank me later
This is what I do, but I’m no expert:
Typically use a hammer to straighten out those pesky bends and sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges. Once that is done, I make sure to give it a nice bubblebath. Let it soak for approximately 1-2 hrs. Let it air dry in the sun. Once it’s all squeaky clean then I make sure to show it some love by spending some quality time with it. I’ll usually put it on a lanyard around my neck while I go to the park with my wife and kids.
Once you complete the above steps, then it’s time to finally finish inspecting the card for PSA. I take a 100x microscope and make sure there is no bacteria. This is important so that it won’t go into quarantine during the grading process. If there is one single flaw I see, then it goes straight to the garbage.
Rinse and repeat for all your cards and you’ll be fine:)
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