Start 2023 with more PSA Gem Mint 10s!! AVOID these 4 BIG mistakes!! 

There's definitely truth to that. But, I think doing our due diligence with what we can control can only be helpful.

That means a lot. I really appreciate the positive feedback. I’m trying to post videos that are helpful for other collectors, so when I hear that they are, it feels great. Thank you.

Totally correct. Where the card is printed has a major effect on this too. The Chinese printers dont change their blades until its way too late. The Japanese and European printers tend to do a much better job.

@@gabriels1163 I agree. Where I worked I operated a Polar cutter (Germany) and used Japanese steel blades that got changed according to the type of paper being cut. Sometimes as frequently as 5x a week. BTW the first few cuts were absolutely beautiful. You could barely hear the stock being cut. That's where the Gem Mint or Pristine 10s are born.

You make good points and there's definitely a lot of potential human error to the whole process, regardless of which company you prefer. But, all we can control are the variables that are directly under our control. My hope, in creating this video, is that it would help people make the best decision possible for the variables within our power to ensure the best results for our submissions. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments and agree with many of your points. Thanks!

Thanks for the kind words. Appreciate it!!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. :-)

Agreed!! We have to use the same equipment that graders are using if we want to get top tier grades!!

Great tip. I’ve seen other people do that too. Catching an edge is brutal and that’s a great way to prevent it. Appreciate it!!

@@MidLifeCards nothing worse than having a mint card that you ruin while trying to protect it!

Awesome. Glad it helped!!

Thanks for watching! I noticed that finger print afterwards too. The card wasn't sent in, it was just for a demo, with the main point being to demonstrate the pull tab and using a microfiber cloth to prep cards to present well. Good eye!!

Thanks so much. I appreciate the positive response. Hopefully this helps you moving forward!!

Glad it was helpful! I appreciate the feedback. :-)

I appreciate the kind words and positive feedback.

I’ve not heard that but I always have submitted with card saver I, as that’s what they recommend. Because cardsaver I are bigger, it’s much easier getting cards in and out, so I could see how cardsaver II could cause issues.

I know, right?

Totally agree. I've seen several "reveal videos" where people realized for the first time that a card had a crease. Not sure how they could submit and not know that.

Very true!

The magnification is probably a bit more key on modern cards. One of the biggest issues that the cards seem to have that leads to disappointing grades are surface issues.

I really appreciate the positive feedback. Thanks for watching!!

I've heard mixed reviews on this. In the past, some were suggesting pull tabs. Now, it sounds like PSA would prefer not to have cards have them. I've heard they cut the cards out of card savers. So, who knows. It's part of why we all wish PSA had more transparency.

AIXPI Magnifying Glass with Light, 30X Handheld Large Magnifying Glass 12 LED Illuminated Lighted Magnifier

This is the Amazon description for the one I use. I hope it helps.

@@MidLifeCards thank you!

Thanks.

That's a really good question, and there are a lot of variables that would affect the way I'd answer. I also believe there is no one right answer to this question, but I will take you through my thought process if I were in that situation: In regards to "declared value", I'd list the highest value in the range of the lowest submission price. For example, if I had other cards to submit and could submit it in a bulk submission (currently $15-$18) it allows a declared value up to $199. I would list the declared value at $199. If the card gets a PSA 10 grade, they will still grade it. They will contact you and tell you that there will be an additional fee because the card doesn't qualify as a "bulk submission" because it's more than the declared value. They would then charge you the $30 cost (an additional $12-15) of a "value" submission. So, they will grade your card either way, but they will contact you and ask for more money for the submission type that the value qualifies for. So, don't let the "declared value" necessarily affect which submission level to use. Let "how long you're willing to wait for it to be graded" be the main deciding factor. In regards to the other question... It's a tough call, but you're basically going to risk about $20, and hope it gets a PSA 10. The "added value" from the raw card (most raw cards of MODERN cards are worth about the same as a PSA 9) to being a PSA 10, brings the card from about a $60 card to a $400 card. So, You're risking about $20 with the hopes of adding $340 in value. So, here's what I do: If I think there is a 1 in 17 chance of getting a PSA 10, then I'd submit it. Because, the "added value" is 17 times the cost of the grading by PSA in this example. If you submitted 17 cards with the identical situation, and one got a PSA 10 and the others got PSA 9s, you'd break even. So for me, the "gamble" of submitting this card is basically a question of Math and Probability. I'd be happy to clarify if any of this is hard to follow. I'm not suggesting my philosophy is the ONLY right answer, but that's the way that I make decisions on what to submit. I posted a video earlier today about comparing PSA card values to SGC. Check it out, as I use mostly math and data in making a lot of my decisions on what to do. You may consider submitting to SGC instead of PSA after watching the video, but again, it kind of depends on the situation. I hope this helps.

@@MidLifeCards Great response - I understand completely. I guess it still comes down to being able to assess the cards myself and do some risk/reward calculations to determine what level to submit at. An interesting card is the 1992 Topps Gold Shaquille O'Neal #362 rookie. An 8 sells for around $50, a 9 at $125 and a 10 at $1000-$1200. Even though I could submit them at bulk or value - I kinda feel like if I do that - I'd be suggestiong there's no chance its a 10 - and I'd never get that grade - then again, if I'd submit at higher level and list the value at $999 for top of economy level - and get a 9, its kind of devastating. Not too many cards with a 10x difference between a 9-10, but there are some. Thanks again!

Good point and well said.

I've heard that and considered revising the video, but figured it can't "hurt" to still do a pull tab, so I've left it up because I feel some of the other suggestions are still useful. That said, I appreciate the heads up. Thanks!!

@@MidLifeCards yeah I don't see how it could hurt. The fact they're taking scissors to within an inch or two of these cards were sending in is just wild 🤦

That's true. How closely do people look, before submitting...that's part of it.

Appreciate you watching and commenting.

You're ahead of the curve!! I'm finding that things that some of us do a lot, others aren't doing at all. I hope to always share any new information that may be helpful to others. :-)

Golden ROFL!!! Ahh that's great.

It’s definitely tough when their own guidelines aren’t followed and the amount of inconsistency in the grading. There is a big “human error” element for sure.

@@MidLifeCards Yeah, that's seems to be true. I wonder if AI technology will be the future for grading cards. Baseball seems to be going that way possibly, with the robot umps...if true not sure how to feel about it. There's a human error, so I get it some bad calls are part of the game.

@@ACD1994 no doubt. I think grading technology will be computerized sooner rather than later. I know there are a couple already. I could see a bigger brand buying their technology.

Rumors are sometimes they cut the cards out, but not really sure. Hopefully recycle them.

That does seem impossible. More than anything, I wish PSA would give us insight into their grading process like SGC has done.

@@MidLifeCards Now that would take time and time is money. So that would never happen

This is definitely where the grading companies needs way more transparency. They need to be way more upfront with their processes...there's no reason for them not to be. It shouldn't be a big mystery and it shouldn't feel like a big crap shoot when we send cards in.

@@Kbunk_Youth_Football_Wrestling 1000% agree. I hate the card savers to begin with however my understanding was the cut them to get cards out & that’s why I don’t return them or anything.. I know at one point the allowed top loaders and they weren’t cutting them. Not sure what they do now haha

Good point. PSA really seems to lack transparency, but they are the gold standard of grading companies. I'm curious to see where things go over the next few years.

@@MidLifeCardsdid anyone find out a true answer to this? Do they cut card savers or pull cards out?

@@joeymak2000 I’ve heard they do and heard they don’t. I’ve also heard they say pull tabs are helpful and then recently I’ve heard they say not to. Everything is fluid. If they cut the card savers I don’t think it can hurt to still put in a pull tab, so I still do it.

That's a great question, and my answer isn't great...it depends. Personally, I like the look of SGC better. I like the speed of return from SGC better. I like the transparency of the process of SGC better. As far as PSA- the higher end grades are higher in PSA, but for lower end grades, they're about the same. A lot of people feel SGC is more consistent with grading, but I've better predicted the grades from my own submission better with PSA. Most of my collection is PSA, because I'm kind of OCD and having a variety of different cases drives me crazy. So- I think both have pros and cons, and I think SGC has a LOT of pros. But, most of my collection is PSA, because I've been collecting long enough that SGC wasn't a real competitor of PSA's until recently. I hope that answers the question, but I know I wasn't definitive.

It feels like guidance and advice is constantly changing from PSA. It's hard to keep track. The main point is that you want to make sure your cards are cared for and present well when PSA receives them, and there's a human element to the process. As long as the pull tag is on the sleeve, I don't see how it could hurt, yet it could help. I appreciate your input and sharing that information!! Thanks!

I know a lot of collectors are moving away from PSA and towards SGC. Personally, I like that we have several options to choose from.

Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment.

Grading is not for everyone. I totally get it.