Grading sports cards question

[bolrjax]

To anyone that sells sports cards here, it's probably the wrong place to ask this but I'm not sure so what the heck. I'm preparing to pick some cards out for grading and then sell on eBay and I came across a 1988 Topps Football Bo Jackson #327 RC and was very excited as it looked perfect then I noticed a tiny black dot on the bottom right corner in the white border and was really bum'd out. But I went ahead and took a look at other cards like mine that have sold here and I was happy to see that all had this defect and yet some still got  PSA 10. I know there's many sellers here that are experts on sports cards and was just curious if any of you sellers or collector's have any info, knowledge or just opinions on that particular card and that mark? Sorry for long question but will greatly appreciate any help at all.    Ty and tc, Steve B.

[wastingtime101]

I'll let others comment on that particular card/mark.

Just throwing out there for general info eBay's card condition guidelines:

https://pages.ebay.com/cardconditions/

[allstar-comics]

go look at the psa registry and see what % comes back a psa 10 and you will better understand the unlikelyhood of your given card being a 10

[eve-7712]

tiny black dot you mentioned might not necessarily affect its overall grade if the card is in excellent condition otherwise. It's worth noting that some cards with similar defects have still received a PSA 10 grade. However, it's best to consult with professional graders or experienced collectors for a more accurate assessment.

[theteamsetguy · Accepted solution]

@bolrjax ,

According to the PSA population report, there have been a little less than 12,000 1988 Topps Bo Jackson cards submitted for grading in the last 35 years. Only 560 or less than 5% of them have received a 10 versus about 4,000 or 33% of them receiving a 9. While there is a slight tolerance for centering of the card’s front AND back, there are very small technical differences between a card graded 10 or 9. In most cases it boils down to eye appeal. 

Without looking at your card, I would say the odds of your card coming back a 10 is not very good. Now consider the value of the card in a 10 or 9 versus the costs to have it graded. According to PSA, the recent average auction prices for 1988 Topps Bo Jackson 10 football card has been about $1,600 versus $55.00 for a 9. Now considering that it costs $25.00 plus shipping back and forth. I definitely would have an experienced graded card dealer or collector look at it before submitting it to PSA or any other grading company.

Here is something to think about. While I don’t considered myself an expert grader, I have been collecting and dealing for over 35 years. I sell and go thru over a quarter million cards per year and I typically submit less than 200 cards per year to PSA for grading. I collect and deal in mainly cards at least 10 years old. The percentage of cards graded 10 are much higher for modern cards produced in the last 5 to 10 years. I average about 20 to 25 percent of my cards submitting getting a 10 and the rest mostly 8 or 9.

[theteamsetguy]

@bolrjax ,

One last thing I forgot to add. The 12,000 cards that were sent to PSA have been culled from hundreds of thousands that weren’t sent in.

[bolrjax]

PESSIMIST!!

[jameshen1]

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@bolrjax wrote:

PESSIMIST!!

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Probably more of a realist than a pessimist.

[bolrjax]

OPTIMIST!  Thanks for the advice, I just did exactly that and every PSA 10 I looked at with magnification all had that same exact black dot in the same exact place. In fact all cards I looked at had that dot. I'm feeling much better with my chances at graders,😁 Obviously I'm no grader but I'll bet if that dot wasn't on all of Jackson's card it would of taken a potential 10 down to a 8 or 9 at the very best. Ty for your time and advice!!!  

[bolrjax]

Thank you for all that good info, much appreciated! That 25% are 10's stat you have sounds very impressive, well done considering how stingy it seems they are with the 10's as well they should be I guess.

[bolrjax]

In reality, probably a bit of both.

[theteamsetguy]

@bolrjax ,

I very picky on what I send in and brightly lit high power magnifier. Another piece of advice. Don’t just look at the centering and the corners of the front and back of the cards. You need to look at both surfaces for imperfections. 

[bolrjax]

Thank you, that's good solid info, appreciate your response's. I'm just and old collector who is selling my collection off one sale at a time so I'm enjoying it but **bleep** there is a lot to learn! One thing that is really frustrating to me is the grading of cards that are 30 or 40 years old. I found a card by accident that looked as perfect as any card I have and then I turned it over to the back and it was a card that was up against the bubble gum, it actually made me ill!! lol These newer cards seem a lot more forgiving. 

                                                                                                                                 Anyway thanks again, tc Steve

[bolrjax]

AMEM to that bit of advice. Like I've said many times I'm a rookie on this grading stuff but I swear some cards I get back are more a product of that grader having a bad day and taking it out on submissions as it is about  the cards appearance or condition.! lol I knew it wasn't a 10 but sure didn't expect a 7 or 8. Which brings up another beef I have in general with these cards is the amount of money  that these cards  drop from a 10 down to a 9 or even 9.5 is just insane. Most of these 9's look like a 10 unless you're really dialed in. I'm glad I'm just doing it for fun cause if it was a serious business for me I would probably go off the deep end!! lol I'm just liquidating my collection so when I check out my kids don't chuck this stuff in the trash. lol Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!              Tc, Steve

[dubsteesllc]

I am sending that exact Bo Jackson card to PSA as we speak. I use a magnifying glass to check the corners, surfaces (front and back, you don't want gum residue) and centering. You are exactly right about the value dropping down from a 10 to a 9. Yikes.

Here's something I learned myself about submitting to grading: I just opened a rack pack box of 1987 Topps Baseball. I received what I thought was a perfect 10 Gem Mint Mark McGwire. I pulled the one out that I had in my personal collection. Well guess what? The one in the rack pack had an imperfection on the green box where his name is printed, because it wasn't on the one I already had! Had I not already had the card in my collection, I wouldn't have known that because I compared both cards.

I use a website called Trading Card DB. They have an AMAZING list of values along with actual scans of the cards. It's such a great resource.

I wish you the best!!!