PSA has become the industry leader for baseball card grading services since its founding in 1986. The company helps collectors determine the condition and quality of their baseball cards through independent professional assessment. PSA assigns each card it grades a numerical grade between 1 and 10, with 10 being perfect gem mint condition. This grading system allows collectors to easily understand the condition of cards and compare similar editions. It has grown to analyzing over 15 million vintage and modern sports cards each year.
Some key details on PSA’s history and grading process:
Founded by Steve Grad and Brian Walton in 1986 as a solution to give collectors an impartial third-party authentication of card condition. They started by simply authenticating T206 tobacco cards and manually assigning grades.
In the 1990s, PSA began applying its established grading criteria to a wider range of modern cards from the 1980s and 90s. This marked the true beginning of third-party baseball card grading as a major industry segment.
In 2000, PSA started using imaging technology to more closely and accurately examine card surfaces under controlled lighting. Digital comparisons made the process more precise and consistent over time as staff changed.
Today, submitters can obtain value estimates, certified letters of authenticity, autograph verification, encapsulation and more services with PSA grading. The company has authenticated and graded billions of dollars worth of collectibles.
Potential submissions must first be sent to PSA with paperwork detailing the requested service level and value estimated by the owner. Basic grading costs around $10 per card plus return shipping fees.
Each card then undergoes a multi-step examination. Experts first check for alterations, fakes or repairs. They then grade factors like centering, corners, edges and surface under magnification against preset photographic standards.
Numerical grades factor in the condition compared to when the card was originally issued as well as the condition of similar surviving examples. Mint cards show no wear and quadruple nines grades are extremely rare for well-circulated vintage issues.
Slabbed encapsulation protects the graded card and deters tampering. The holder clearly displays the issue details, grade, unique certification number and more for easy resale reference. Unopened slabs increase collector confidence.
PSA has rigorous quality control with independent reviewers re-examining potentially questionable gradings. Statistical analysis spots inconsistent graders who must re-certify their skills. Tamper-evident security labels are also used.
The population report data PSA provides outlines how many examples of each issue have been professionally graded at each level. This indicates a given card’s relative rarity and impact on its value in high grades.
Top PSA 10 specimens regularly achieve record prices at auction. Iconic rookie cards like The Mick’s 1952 Topps in PSA 10 condition have sold for over $5.2 million. Collectors covet the highest certified grades for investment specimens.
Slabbed collectibles can be resold directly back to PSA or through third parties. The holder proves authenticity and grade history which are crucial to sustaining or increasing a card’s value over time. PSA also insures specimen integrity.
While counterfeiting and altering attempts exist, PSA authentication deters fraud. They work with law enforcement against criminal counterfeiters threatening the collectibles industry’s integrity. Holograms, special inks and security labels further foil fakers.
Other companies like Beckett, SGC and BGS have entered the card grading field, but PSA remains the top brand due to its early start and market dominance. They grade the most vintage specimens by far with the most comprehensive population data reports.
In summary, PSA established the standards for third party baseball card grading and remains the undisputed leader in the field due to its experience, strict quality control methods, services, population report data and focus on authenticity which collectors trust to verify condition and value. Whether you have modern commons or a rare vintage jackpot, PSA offers the gold standard of impartial expert analysis for your most prized pieces of sports collecting history.
