PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Corner and Edge Wear Questions and Answers

Question 1

A PSA NM-MT 8 card appears to be Mint 9 at first glance. Upon closer inspection, which of the following corner imperfections is permissible for the PSA 8 grade?

Accepted Answer

Slightest fraying at one or two corners.

Answer

Four perfectly sharp corners are required.

Answer

Noticeable rounding on all four corners.

Answer

Accelerated rounding on three corners.

Question 2

A collector submits a modern card with a dark border. The card has a flawless surface and perfect centering, but two corners show minute white specks, often referred to as 'whitening.' How would this specific type of corner wear likely impact the final grade?

Accepted Answer

It would likely prevent the card from achieving a Gem Mint 10 grade, capping it at a PSA 9 or lower.

Answer

It would not impact the grade, as 'whitening' is a common printing characteristic.

Answer

The card would be graded as 'Authentic Altered' due to the color loss.

Answer

This type of wear would immediately lower the grade to a PSA 6 or below.

Question 3

Which of the following descriptions of edge wear would most likely correspond to a card graded PSA EX 5?

Accepted Answer

Minor chipping may be visible on the edges.

Answer

Perfectly smooth and crisp edges with no imperfections.

Answer

Slight notching may be evident.

Answer

Edges exhibit extreme, noticeable wear.

Question 4

A grader is evaluating a vintage card and notes that the corners are 'slightly rounded.' The rest of the card has modest surface wear and is centered 85/15. Which PSA grade is the most likely for this card based on the corner description?

Accepted Answer

PSA 4 VG-EX

Answer

PSA 9 MINT

Answer

PSA 7 NEAR MINT

Answer

PSA 2 GOOD

Question 5

What is the primary difference in corner standards between a PSA 10 GEM MINT card and a PSA 9 MINT card?

Accepted Answer

A PSA 10 must have four perfectly sharp corners, while a PSA 9 may have a very minor imperfection on close inspection.

Answer

A PSA 9 allows for slight rounding on one corner, while a PSA 10 does not.

Answer

A PSA 10 allows for minor 'fuzziness' from the factory cut, but a PSA 9 does not.

Answer

There is no difference; corner standards are identical for PSA 9 and 10.

Question 6

The term 'chipping' when referring to edge wear on a trading card describes:

Accepted Answer

Tiny bits of material or surface color missing from the edges.

Answer

A wavy or unnatural look to the edge from trimming.

Answer

A separation of the card's paper layers along the edge.

Answer

Discoloration or browning along the card's border.