PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Card Surface Defect Identification Questions and Answers

Question 1

A grader is evaluating a modern card that is perfect except for a single, small, circular print defect on the player's jersey, often referred to as a 'fish eye.' How does this specific type of surface defect typically impact the card's final grade?

Accepted Answer

It will likely prevent the card from achieving a GEM-MT 10 grade, but a MINT 9 is still possible depending on the defect's severity and location.

Answer

A minor printing imperfection like a 'fish eye' is a common surface defect that can prevent an otherwise perfect card from receiving a GEM-MT 10. However, if the flaw is minor and doesn't significantly detract from the overall eye appeal, the card can still qualify for a MINT 9 grade. The severity and location are key factors; a small dot on a jersey is less impactful than one on the player's face.

Question 2

Which of the following surface flaws is a result of the manufacturing and cutting process, characterized by the card's corners not forming true 90-degree angles, giving it a slightly skewed appearance?

Accepted Answer

Diamond Cut

Answer

A 'diamond cut' occurs during the factory cutting process when the blade does not cut perfectly square, resulting in a card that is a slight parallelogram rather than a true rectangle. This affects the card's geometry. While PSA may still assign a numerical grade to cards with a slight diamond cut, severe instances can result in a 'Miscut (MC)' qualifier or be returned ungraded.

Question 3

A submitter sends in a vintage card that appears NM-MT 8, but upon close inspection under angled light, a very slight 'surface wrinkle' is visible on the back. A surface wrinkle is distinct from a crease because it typically:

Accepted Answer

Is only visible on one side of the card and does not fully break the paper stock.

Answer

A surface wrinkle is a subtle indentation or ripple on the surface layer of the card stock that does not go all the way through, meaning it's typically visible on only one side. A crease, by contrast, is a more severe flaw that breaks the integrity of the cardboard and is often visible on both the front and back. A wrinkle will significantly lower the grade, often to the EX 5 or EX-MT 6 range, but it is not treated as severely as a full crease.

Question 4

A 1970s card is being evaluated. The front of the card shows a loss of its original gloss and several light scratches are visible upon close inspection. The back has a noticeable wax stain from the original packaging. Which PSA grade is most consistent with these surface defects?

Accepted Answer

EX 5

Answer

The description aligns closely with the standards for a PSA EX 5. This grade allows for more visible surface wear, loss of original gloss, and several light scratches. While minor wax staining on the reverse is permissible in higher grades like NM 7 or even MINT 9, the combination of noticeable gloss loss and multiple light scratches points to the Excellent 5 grade.

Question 5

What is the primary difference in how PSA treats a common, known print defect (e.g., a specific print dot that appears on every copy of a 1984 Topps Don Mattingly) versus a random, isolated print defect?

Accepted Answer

A common, known defect is often accepted as part of the card and may not prevent it from receiving a high grade, including GEM-MT 10.

Answer

PSA recognizes that some card issues have well-documented printing flaws that are present on every known example. In such cases, the flaw is accepted as part of the card's normal production and will not necessarily prevent it from achieving a high grade, even a GEM-MT 10. A random print defect, however, is a flaw unique to that specific card and will be judged against the grading standards, likely lowering the grade.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Card Surface Defect Identification Questions and Answers