PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Corner and Edge Wear Questions and Answers 1 — 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?
- Four perfectly sharp corners are required.
- Noticeable rounding on all four corners.
- Slightest fraying at one or two corners. (Correct answer)
- Accelerated rounding on three corners.
Correct answer: Slightest fraying at one or two corners.
According to PSA's official grading standards, a PSA NM-MT 8 card can exhibit the 'slightest fraying at one or two corners' upon close inspection, distinguishing it from a PSA 9 or 10.
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?
- It would not impact the grade, as 'whitening' is a common printing characteristic.
- The card would be graded as 'Authentic Altered' due to the color loss.
- It would likely prevent the card from achieving a Gem Mint 10 grade, capping it at a PSA 9 or lower. (Correct answer)
- This type of wear would immediately lower the grade to a PSA 6 or below.
Correct answer: It would likely prevent the card from achieving a Gem Mint 10 grade, capping it at a PSA 9 or lower.
For a card to receive a PSA Gem Mint 10, it must have four perfectly sharp corners. Even the tiniest bit of whitening on a corner, which is a common form of wear, can prevent a card from getting a perfect grade, typically resulting in a PSA 9 or lower. This is especially noticeable on cards with dark borders.
Question 3: Which of the following descriptions of edge wear would most likely correspond to a card graded PSA EX 5?
- Perfectly smooth and crisp edges with no imperfections.
- Slight notching may be evident.
- Minor chipping may be visible on the edges. (Correct answer)
- Edges exhibit extreme, noticeable wear.
Correct answer: Minor chipping may be visible on the edges.
The grading standard for a PSA EX 5 allows for more visible wear than higher grades. Specifically, the standard states that on PSA 5 cards, 'minor chipping on edges' may be present.
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?
- PSA 9 MINT
- PSA 7 NEAR MINT
- PSA 4 VG-EX (Correct answer)
- PSA 2 GOOD
Correct answer: PSA 4 VG-EX
The official PSA grading standard for a VG-EX 4 explicitly states that the card's corners 'may be slightly rounded.' The other characteristics mentioned, such as modest surface wear and 85/15 centering, also align perfectly with the criteria for this grade.
Question 5: What is the primary difference in corner standards between a PSA 10 GEM MINT card and a PSA 9 MINT card?
- A PSA 9 allows for slight rounding on one corner, while a PSA 10 does not.
- A PSA 10 must have four perfectly sharp corners, while a PSA 9 may have a very minor imperfection on close inspection. (Correct answer)
- A PSA 10 allows for minor 'fuzziness' from the factory cut, but a PSA 9 does not.
- There is no difference; corner standards are identical for PSA 9 and 10.
Correct answer: A PSA 10 must have four perfectly sharp corners, while a PSA 9 may have a very minor imperfection on close inspection.
A PSA 10 Gem Mint card is a virtually perfect card, and one of its key attributes is having four perfectly sharp corners. A PSA 9 Mint card is a superb condition card that can exhibit one minor flaw, which could be a very slight imperfection on a corner that prevents it from being a '10', but it would not be described as rounded.
Question 6: The term 'chipping' when referring to edge wear on a trading card describes:
- A wavy or unnatural look to the edge from trimming.
- Tiny bits of material or surface color missing from the edges. (Correct answer)
- A separation of the card's paper layers along the edge.
- Discoloration or browning along the card's border.
Correct answer: Tiny bits of material or surface color missing from the edges.
'Chipping' refers to the loss of small pieces of the card's material or surface color along its edges. This can be caused by handling, storage, or even the manufacturing process. It is a specific type of edge wear that PSA graders look for.
PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Corner and Edge Wear Questions and Answers 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?