PSA/BGS 8 (NM-MT): How Do They Look

[Mike]

This is a question for all those who have, or have seen, a PSA/BGS 8 card.

How do they look? If you had a raw card in the same condition would you warn people about it before you traded/sold it, would it be good enough to consider fine?

The reason I ask is because I'm considering expanding my graded rookie PC to include 8+, but I don't want to if the cards have some pretty serious defects. Also, I've never seen one in person so I have no idea.

Let me know what y'all think.

 

[Taliasen]

I will scan my psa 8 Henderson’s in a little bit.

 

[Indiana Jones]

The cutoff would be 8 for modern cards and 7 for older/vintage cards if you are looking for the line of flaws.
EX-MT 6 is a very collectible grade. It is the lowest grade that does not have any major flaws like a crease or a dinged edge. Only upon close inspection you can see it is slightly worn.

Here are a few 8s from different eras and from two different companies. (sorry for the poor scan quality)
PSA is well-known; SCD (red) is an older grading company from the old SCD magazine (but were there before PSA/SGC/GAI/BGS) - they no longer exist but if you can find the red circle, I would go for it if it has a card you like; DO NOT go for the SCD BLUE circle - they bought the company name and are not as articulate as the first generation of SCD red circle.

 

[Taliasen]

Looks like all of my Henderson PSA 8s are based on centering, not flaws.

 

[Taliasen]

This 8 has some foil chipping on the upper left corner.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the replies y'all. I completed a trade today for a PSA 8 and a BGS 8.5. So, I guess I'll get to see first hand what they look like soon. From what I'm gathering from y'all, though, they'll definitely be "good enough" for the ol' PC.

 

[Mike]

So, for others who have this same question, I can tell you that a PSA 8 and a BGS 8.5 are definitely good enough to be included in a PC. Honesltly, and maybe I just got a few exceptions to the rule, these things look pretty dang good.

The PSA 8 has a little ding in the back, upper left corner and also the front, buttom left corner. They're noticeable on plain view but nothing I'd throw a fit over. I mean, I probably have cards with worse damage in my PC already. At least with these I know they're not likely to get any worse. The centering is also a little off. The rest of the corners, edges, and surface all look pretty dang good to me. So, yeah, PSA 8 will definitely be acceptable to my PC just based on this single card.

The BGS 8.5 is also one that I'm saying is acceptable in my PC. I like the sub-grades because I can see what they're not liking about the card. This one has a little ding in one of the corners, so I'd definitely give that an 8.5. That said, this one also has sub-grades of 8.5 in surface and edges too. I don't see it. I've glared all around this card with a light, without a light. I can't find anything wrong with these edges, or the surface. They look great to me! In fact, the only thing I see wrong with this card is that lone corner. The centering is a 9.5, but I'm thinking maybe they got the centering and surface confused when the submitted the subs because the centering is obviously off. Regardless, though, I'm more than happy with the way the card looks. It will be staying in my PC, and any other BGS 8.5 cards I come across won't be rejected either!

 

[northicehero99]

Not a big graded card person, however, I do like the encasing of the card. Not sure I would purchase an 8 or 8.5 unless it is a super pricey card and I could not afford a better version, like a Jordan rookie or something like that. I could also see picking up pre-1970s that way as well. My biggest problem with grading is it is subjective to whomever is doing it and although there is supposed to be a standard, I think there are differences in how each grader looks at cards. I remember a dealer showing me a BGS 10 of a card that had a pencil eraser size printing spot, with no notation about the printers spot and I have heard of other issues where some cards were graded lower and then resent in and received higher grades. To each their own, but I have pretty much avoided graded cards up to this point.

 

[Taliasen]

I was expecting this to come back a 7 based on other examples of cards I submitted. I was quite surprised and pleased that it came back an 8!!!

 

[Mike]

@northicehero99, my PC being graded cards is mostly for the encasing. I like the way the cards look in the slabs. It also helps to avoid a situation where what I call acceptable condition and what someone else calls acceptable is vastly different. I've had trades before where I received a card that I thought was damaged, but when I talked to the trader not only did they know about it, they didn't think it was that bad. Since I'm fairly OCD about my card condition I like that, this way, some third party person has examined the card to determine it's condition.

Also, I'd agree that the condition of the graded cards can vary. I've seen a boatload of examples through the years of screw-ups by graders, but these guys are human.

My main reason for adding 8 and 8.5 cards to my PC comes down to cost. The 9+ cards are mostly just way more than I'd like to pay. The 8+ cost quite a bit less. So, this will allow me to add more cards, faster, to my PC. If the opportunity arises for me to "upgrade" one of the 8+ cards, though, I definitely will.

@Taliasen, other than centering, what's wrong with the card? Judging by the scan, the edges and corners all look pretty good, and I can't see anything major on the surface either. What made you think it'd be a 7?

 

[Indiana Jones]

If you do vintage (70s and earlier), PSA 6 (EX-MT) is very affordable. It's above a PSA 5 (EX) which already means no creases by default, and if it were unslabbed how can you tell it from a PSA 7 (NM)? And if you go pre-war vintage, you can find some good deals on PSA 1s with back damage. You could find fronts that could pass for PSA 5 and get a nice deal because of the damage on the back side of a card (a side that is/was never meant to be displayed).

 

[northicehero99]

@northicehero99, my PC being graded cards is mostly for the encasing. I like the way the cards look in the slabs. It also helps to avoid a situation where what I call acceptable condition and what someone else calls acceptable is vastly different. I've had trades before where I received a card that I thought was damaged, but when I talked to the trader not only did they know about it, they didn't think it was that bad. Since I'm fairly OCD about my card condition I like that, this way, some third party person has examined the card to determine it's condition.

My main reason for adding 8 and 8.5 cards to my PC comes down to cost. The 9+ cards are mostly just way more than I'd like to pay. The 8+ cost quite a bit less. So, this will allow me to add more cards, faster, to my PC. If the opportunity arises for me to "upgrade" one of the 8+ cards, though, I definitely will.

Mike, I agree trading is hard not just from the valuing, but also condition issues, some that arise just from the mailing portion alone, not from actual deception. It makes sense to want stuff graded by an independent third party, especially when dealing with older cards.

 

[Mike]

Yep, unfortunately graded cards aren't exempt from damaged in the mail. One of these cards arrived with a broken piece on the case. I doubt it was like that prior to mailing because the little piece was still in the graded card sleeve.

 

[Taliasen]

The corners, edges and surface of the Henderson minor league are all in amazing shape and very clean! Centering is why I thought it would be a 7. The centering on the back is actually worse on the front. Also weirdly while the front is off center left/right, the back is off center up/down. The text only back is horizontal like original Donruss cards. So horizontal off center left to right on the back is actually up/down centering on the front. I have read and been told that bigger named players and HOF members can get graded more harshly. Like the name and picture on the card have anything to do with the physical condition of the card.

 

[Taliasen]

Her is the back of the card to explain the centering.