I can appreciate the logic that factory issues are more tolerable but i guess my confusion comes from the fact that most of the issues listed here (holo scratch, printline, centering, corner ding, silvering) are typically all production issues found on pack fresh cards, especially on wotc cards where silvering is mostly relevant.
Is a spec of white on the back corner really less tolerable than paint chipping off an entire front edge?
I think it might come down to different interpretations of the listed options. When I think of holo scratching and corner dings, I am not thinking about the factory ones. I agree that I would much rather have the factory corner ding than silvering if those were the options.
4.front centering
7. back centering
2.print line
5.corner dings
6.edgewear
3.silvering
1.holo scratches
Print lines 
Can holo scratches really be from the factory (not speaking of print lines=?
Absolutely! One of the reasons why a lot of English neo cards can be hard to grade
Definitely, especially on vintage cards. They were pumping out tons of cards, and the QC for some sets was pretty terrible and the holos were fragile to begin with. Thatâs why the PSA 10 pops on many vintage holos can be relatively low combined with the natural attrition that has taken place over 20 years.
I voted that silvering is acceptable but tbh I agree with this. While it can be quite minor, and also par for the course for certain sets (Jungle, Destiny, EXTRR, etc.) I also really try to avoid it when buying 10s.
I sort of accept it when collecting certain cards but if I can avoid it I will.
Kind of surprised that corner dings are more tolerable than edge wear. IMO corner dings feels like a higher degree of damage than edge wear, as the corner is actually bent.
I think the OP is referring to corner whitening, not bends. You wouldnât see a bent corner on a PSA 9 or 10.
Definitely plenty of corner dings on 9s and 10s out there. Ive got pics i can show.
Out of curiosity: If I blindly buy a PSA 9, there is obviously a certain chance to get a card with surface scratches. Comparing it with a CGC 9 (without subgrades), is the chance of having some surface scratches higher with a CGC 9 or PSA 9?
All depends on each card, unfortunately. You could have a CGC 9 with an 8.5 surface grade which could be print lines or very light scratches or some combination of surface flaws. Or you could have one with a 9.5 surface which would be minimal to almost no flaws on the holo.
The only way to get an absolute cleanest holo is to buy PSA 10, CGC/BGS 9.5+ and even then some cards will have a bit of wiggle room for a minor flaw that can only be seen under intense inspection of the card.
Basically, you need to remember that if a card is a 9 instead of a 10 or other high grade, it has an issue or 2 that made it a 9. Could be a holo/surface flaw, whitening or centering issues or a combination of these issues that made it a 9 instead of a 10 which is why a 10 can carry a significant price premium on certain cards.
Visible Edges/Corners damages on front/back always bother me the most.
If other damages that are hard to notice under normal circumstances, theyâre all tolerable.
Edge damages with no doubt. Corner damages, like whitening, for example, especially if present on all four corners, can be tolerable because at least they are âin placeâ and form a âwear patternâ. On the other hand, I feel centering is a good quality to have, because it embodies the precision of the card being cut on a whole piece. Bad centering is terrible for me, even if the rest is perfect.
Im surprised to see silvering where it is. I get it is a factory thing vs damage added through wear but I personally hate silvering. Makes the card look a lore more damaged than typical whitening imo.
This comment will get some hate, but I donât mind silvering at all on WoTC-era cards. I find that it provides character, and a vintage-unpolished look. However, I donât like silvering in the EX Era.
If the card is noticeably off-center I donât even look at the rest of the card. Even if the rest was print perfect itâs not for me. Itâs the first thing I look at and I instantly rule cards out as a result.
The biggest issue I have buying PSA 10âs is that PSA is way too forgiving with centering. It makes a lot of them uncollectable for me.
Nah, I agree. Not sure why but factory imperfections donât really bother me. Silvering, centering, etc. Edge wear, holo scratches⌠imperfections from handling the card are what drive me nuts. I want a card Iâd like to think is pack fresh and nobody really touched before it got graded.
Centering is the only factory flaw that annoys me at times, but only if itâs really bad. PSA has the widest range in centering tolerance it seems, and some 7s and 8s Iâve seen basically look OC on some cards to me. Otherwise, Iâve come to accept that many Pokemon cards are never going to be perfectly centered, especially on vintage cards.
For example, I wouldnât be as interested in a Charizard that looks like this:
Compared to my binder copy:
