Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) is considered the gold standard when it comes to third-party grading of sports cards, comic books, and trading cards. Founded in 2000, PSA has graded over 50 million collectibles and provides experts opinions on condition, authenticity and quality. Their rigorous authentication and grading process helps collectors determine the value and investment potential of their cards.
PSA uses a 1-10 point scale to grade the condition or state of preservation of a card. A PSA 10 gem mint is the highest grade and considered pristine. To achieve this rating, cards must be in mint condition without even the slightest flaw, crease, bend or wear. They must have perfectly centered artwork and sharp corners. PSA 9’s are near mint with only minor printing defects or edge wear allowed. PSA 8’s would show some minor wear or whitening along the edges but still look great visually. As the grades drop to a 7, 6 or lower, more flaws and defects are apparent which greatly diminish the value.
Submitting cards to PSA involves first requesting a submission form and shipping supplies from their website. There are costs for grading which vary based on the turnaround time selected, number of cards and value of the order. Economy bulk submission is best for common lower value cards while express services are used for rare valuable vintage gems. Cards must be packaged properly in approved holders to avoid further damage in transit. Full payment is required upfront for the grading order.
Upon receipt, PSA authenticators first examine each card under bright lighting and powerful magnifying tools to inspect for authenticity issues like alterations, forgeries or reprinted fakes. The original print run and production details are checked against PSA’s extensive database. Any concerns would result in the card being marked “Authentic” but not graded. Next, the condition assessment begins where every aspect like centering, corners, edges and surface are given individual numeric scores which are then averaged for the final grade.
Grading is not an exact science and there can be disagreement even among PSA’s team of experts. A 9 may look like an 8.5 to one grader and vise versa. To ensure consistency, problem cards are peer reviewed before a consensus grade is assigned. Slab labels then securely encapsulate each authentic card along with its new PSA grade, serial number and other details. Owners can easily verify grades online by entering the unique number. Slabs protect fragile vintage cards and allow easy resale verification of authenticity and condition.
Once the grading process is complete, owners can choose to keep their freshly graded PSA slabs for their PC collection or consign high grade vintage gems to major auction houses for sale. PSA population reports list how many of each particular card have achieved each grade level which provides collectors valuable insights into condition rarity and potential resale value. First edition Charizards that score a PSA 10 gem can sell for over $100,000 while a decent PSA 8 Mike Trout rookie may fetch a couple grand. Lower population numbers indicate harder to find mint examples.
While PSA grading implies a certain level of legitimacy and condition assessment, it should be understood that grades can still be disputed. Sometimes newly won prizes get artificially upgraded by unscrupulous dealers to fetch inflated prices. Mint cards may also wear or damage in long term storage. Slab cracking can even occur which invalidates the grade. Still, PSA authentication has overall brought much needed standardization and professionalism to the sports card marketplace. For discerning collectors who value proof of condition over raw cardboard, a card in the “slab of approval” is ideal.
In summary, PSA grading is the gold standard process for identifying authentic cards and objectively assessing their condition through conservative numerical ratings. While not foolproof, it allows collectors to easily determine value, compare cards to population reports, and buy/sell with confidence. The multi-step authentication and peer review system produces reliable condition assessments that are widely accepted in the marketplace. PSA slabs with assigned grades provide a tangible investment and verification service prized by serious vintage sports card collectors worldwide.
