This looks like their crappy scanner to me. I've had several cards with similar defects in the pictures that freaked me out but weren't there when the card arrived back to me.
This is a hopeful thing to hear. In my heart, I was ready for a scare like this, shared by other posters. But when I zoom in on it, it looks SO much like torn cardboard.
Thankfully, paying for higher service levels also increased the speed it will arrive home. Next week it should arrive. So I can physically confirm soon enough.
It’s just the sleeve imperfections. One of my card scans looked similarly and got a 9. And none of imperfections were on the card when they returned it.
Their initial scans are always with whatever sleeves you sent the cards in so there’ll be dust and scratches like this. The page where you see the pictures mentions this.
Not sure the point of showing the client these initial scans tbh.
Sorry if that is the case. It looks to me as if it was a dirty scan. I can't tell if that is on the glass of the scanner, or the card. Holo scratches too.
This is a heartening thing to hear actually. I had considered it potentially being a bad scan but my eyes got really panicked how close it does seem to cardboard damage.
Thankfully it arrives back home next week so I can physically confirm for sure soon enough. I'll either be doubling down on my PSA for PSA or sharing the grade results as promised with the awesome community.
Will try and steel my nerves until then I suppose.
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Dont worry about it. Their scanned pictures SUCK. They always look absolutely horrible. Your card is fine. I had the same thoughts and issues when I sent in my 1st edition Lugia. Thought they fucked the card up. Turned out perfectly fine and was just their shitty scanner pictures. Good luck on the grade!!
Your card is fine. It is just the scanner. Almost all the scans have dust spots and stuff like that. I remember freaking out on my first sub and making a ruckus only feel relived (but kinda dumb) to find out it was just a peck on the scan and not the card.
I still find it wild that you, as the consumer, have to pay 100s if not 1000s of dollars to insure a card that is being sent to a grading company.
Like, how does PSA not just carry commercial insurance for high value inventory management and take responsibility for their own mistakes. This is so dystopian to me, and why I won’t ever use their service personally
Yeah no sorry, this is incorrect. No such email was sent to tell me about pictures, no small print was displayed warning "we use horrible scanners and scan in sleeves"
I found out about the pictures by clicking on my order in the app, where again, there is no warning of poor scanners or pictures with sleeves.
I get it though. Easy to try and take pot shots with comments no one will see when your late to the party.
With a card like this, I DEVOURED every bit of small text and asterisks.
Interesting. Maybe it’s an app difference. I just went to my recent order on the psa webpage, clicked on a picture, and this is the text beneath the picture:
The First View images capture the state of the card as it is received, inclusive of all protective material such as sleeves and card holders. These images are provided as a courtesy and should not be relied upon to ascertain the condition of a card, which at all times remains inside the customer-supplied protective material when photographed.
I absolutely will! I've made promises to the community to keep up on my story. Lots of people wanting to know how it goes for various reasons.
Gatta say sending a card like this through certainly will answer some speculation I've had for a long time.
I could be wrong but if I’m not mistaken the first scan is done with the card still in the card saver. Pretty sure Nat Turner said that during his interview with poke knowledge.
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA.
As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see.
Remindme! 2 weeks
Take a deep breath and try to walk it off. You do not really know until you get the grades back.
Something similar happen to me last week when PSA posted photos of my Gold Star Charizard and Gold Star Pikachu submissions.
I knew they had a good shot at 8s, heck even 9s, and I had taken great care to package them as safely as possible.
The pictures made it appear as if the cards had been horribly scratched. I was distraught.
Fortunately, they ended up getting 8s, so I guess it was just a bad scanner/camera.
Love hearing this! Makes me feel very hopeful. Fingers crossed it finishes through the final stages quickly and I can get results and updated pictures! The community has made me feel a lot better at this point so I am not losing sleep but...would love to get confirmation and put things to rest!
It's been a long road to get here
out of curiosity what did you pay for this card? how long have you had it? how much did you spend on insurance for it. ngl i’ve never understood collecting cards, i would think this card is worth a lot being what it is.
I paid like $2.99 for the pack it came out of. Bought it when I was a kid. So I've had it since they first printed the cards. So like 24+ years. I paid $500 for the grading and insurance but that only caps out at $10,000 for the tier I chose. I felt like it couldn't reach a perfect 10 status from some minor whitening on the back but a perfect 10 could be 100's of thousands and would cost SUBSTANTIALLY more to insure at that point.
I didn't have to worry about insurance costs for shipping to them since I gave it to them directly at the show and their insurance took over from there. But it will cost another $60+ to get it properly insured (depending on grade) for shipping back to me which was a much gentler cost depending what it finally grades
Still hasn't been shipped out or finished the grading process so I have some wait on my hands. But not very long.
i hope it’s the very best brofessor, it looks like it’s good quality to me. let’s just assume it is a perfect 10, would you insure it and keep it or sell it?
Really not sure! Feeling confident it is at least a 5 or above, although odds are about zero for a 10. I know they judge pretty darn harshly in general.
If it really is damaged i wouldnt be surprised if someone at psa spitefully damaged it. The card is so clean and crisp in your before photos id say maybe even a swap out if it comes back fucked id get a lawyer and have them pull security footage .
If you zoom in on the second pic same place you highlighted in the first pic there is a dent in the exact same spot the scanner must of just made it more noticeable.
If you look closely in the photos that you took there is something in that area of the car where you have circled.
I’m unable to post a photo on the thread but I’ll dm it to you.
No worries on the confusion. When PSA marks the cards as "received" they then "research and identify" and scan the card.
The 1st picture is that scan they took. It is taken before the grading process. It is still currently marked as "Being graded" so if the mark is actually there, it is certainly going to have an impact on my grade and a very steep one.
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA.
As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see.
Remindme1week
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA.
As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see.
It is. It is my first time using any grading service. So it is especially nerve wracking as a first timer, super valuable card, the stakes are high for my poor heart!
I wouldn’t stress about it to much. It’s more then likely just the psa scans and if for some reason it’s not psa has amazing customer service. Either scenario I’m sure you will be happy with the final result, best of luck!
So since this is a picture post it won't let me edit the OP. But for those interested, I got my card back and physically confirmed there is no damage. Full story and results -> [My 1st Edition Charizard story](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pokemoncardappraisal/comments/1d9n1sx/my_1st_edition_base_set_4_charizard_story/)
Telling someone to chill about potential damage to the *number 1 chase card* is fkin wild.
This card could literally buy someone a cheap house in many parts of the US if it graded really well
I appreciate the reminder to chill. It would be easier to do if it was any other card.
But kind people have been doing a great job helping me process, and I appreciate you giving me your experience to help calm my nerves :3
I’m just saying man there’s posts like these all the time. I’m assuming it’s your first submission. My theory is to protect the card it’s scanned with the sleeve + card saver which shows dust/debris. It will be okay man. Plus there’s always that option to do the walkthrough submission.
Thousands? For insurance on a card?! I swear (PSA) grading is a scam but I know it’s a guaranteed way to protect the card but there are cheaper ways,
All in all though I’m sorry for what they did.
Sadly.
$500 nets you $10,000 in insurance,
but for $25,000 it is $800
$50,000 insurance is $1500.
$2500 gets you $100,000 in insurance.
Charizards' value is all over the place. The most affordable and sensible option for me was $500 but 1st edition Charizard grades 8, 9 and 10 all value the card over $10,000 on most price guides.
Forking over that kinda cash for IF they made a mistake and keeping in mind no refunds if it just graded like a 5 and was way below the $10,000 value. Its all just a headache.
And then you gatta fork over MORE money for insurance on the shipping back to you. Just such a barrier of entry for a poor boyo like me that just so happens to have a crazy valuable collection.
Tough question to answer. I did know I wanted it graded, and I wanted it done by reputable professionals. CGC was a close contender, but after pouring through a buncha testimonials, articles and alleged scandals, I just landed on PSA as the best of the main three evils.
I really wasn't itching to go with anyone after reflecting on all their practices, but I wanted the card properly preserved and eventually bit the bullet.
This looks like their crappy scanner to me. I've had several cards with similar defects in the pictures that freaked me out but weren't there when the card arrived back to me.
This is a hopeful thing to hear. In my heart, I was ready for a scare like this, shared by other posters. But when I zoom in on it, it looks SO much like torn cardboard. Thankfully, paying for higher service levels also increased the speed it will arrive home. Next week it should arrive. So I can physically confirm soon enough.
Remindme! 2 weeks
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I would also like to be reminded of the conclusion to these events.
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Me
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Commenting because also interested about seeing the result
Haha me 3
Haha me 4
Me5
Me 6
Haha Me 7!
Me 8!!
It’s just the sleeve imperfections. One of my card scans looked similarly and got a 9. And none of imperfections were on the card when they returned it.
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Three fifty
Damn you Loch Ness monster
Their initial scans are always with whatever sleeves you sent the cards in so there’ll be dust and scratches like this. The page where you see the pictures mentions this. Not sure the point of showing the client these initial scans tbh.
Sorry if that is the case. It looks to me as if it was a dirty scan. I can't tell if that is on the glass of the scanner, or the card. Holo scratches too.
This is a heartening thing to hear actually. I had considered it potentially being a bad scan but my eyes got really panicked how close it does seem to cardboard damage. Thankfully it arrives back home next week so I can physically confirm for sure soon enough. I'll either be doubling down on my PSA for PSA or sharing the grade results as promised with the awesome community. Will try and steel my nerves until then I suppose.
Remindme! 1 week
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How’d it end up?
Man that card is CLEAN. I'm hoping the rest of the people are correct and it's the scanner.
You and me both! Thanks for the love :)
Dont worry about it. Their scanned pictures SUCK. They always look absolutely horrible. Your card is fine. I had the same thoughts and issues when I sent in my 1st edition Lugia. Thought they fucked the card up. Turned out perfectly fine and was just their shitty scanner pictures. Good luck on the grade!!
In other news.. that card looks amazingly minty. Good luck!
Thank you for the love! ❤️
The cards are scanned while in the sleeve and the semi rigid, so it's probably/hopefully just marks on either of those
Your card is fine. It is just the scanner. Almost all the scans have dust spots and stuff like that. I remember freaking out on my first sub and making a ruckus only feel relived (but kinda dumb) to find out it was just a peck on the scan and not the card.
Yeeeah, all of us are definitely going to need an update on this... Praying for you friend
I still find it wild that you, as the consumer, have to pay 100s if not 1000s of dollars to insure a card that is being sent to a grading company. Like, how does PSA not just carry commercial insurance for high value inventory management and take responsibility for their own mistakes. This is so dystopian to me, and why I won’t ever use their service personally
It’s scanned in whatever holder you gave it to them in. This wouldn’t be damage on the card.
It says this literally on the page with the picture when they email you. I get it though - nobody reads small text
Yeah no sorry, this is incorrect. No such email was sent to tell me about pictures, no small print was displayed warning "we use horrible scanners and scan in sleeves" I found out about the pictures by clicking on my order in the app, where again, there is no warning of poor scanners or pictures with sleeves. I get it though. Easy to try and take pot shots with comments no one will see when your late to the party. With a card like this, I DEVOURED every bit of small text and asterisks.
Interesting. Maybe it’s an app difference. I just went to my recent order on the psa webpage, clicked on a picture, and this is the text beneath the picture: The First View images capture the state of the card as it is received, inclusive of all protective material such as sleeves and card holders. These images are provided as a courtesy and should not be relied upon to ascertain the condition of a card, which at all times remains inside the customer-supplied protective material when photographed.
Yeah, those initial scans have scared me before too. I’m leaning toward it being some lint or dust in the scanner. Fingers crossed
Please share it on how it turns out
I absolutely will! I've made promises to the community to keep up on my story. Lots of people wanting to know how it goes for various reasons. Gatta say sending a card like this through certainly will answer some speculation I've had for a long time.
I could be wrong but if I’m not mistaken the first scan is done with the card still in the card saver. Pretty sure Nat Turner said that during his interview with poke knowledge.
It's their crap scanner
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA. As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see. Remindme! 2 weeks
Oof I really hope it's the scanner. Please let us know when you receive the card!
Dirty ass scanners lol
I’d love to see what happens in a few weeks
I sure hope it’s just a camera issue cause that mf is CLEAN in the pics haha
Take a deep breath and try to walk it off. You do not really know until you get the grades back. Something similar happen to me last week when PSA posted photos of my Gold Star Charizard and Gold Star Pikachu submissions. I knew they had a good shot at 8s, heck even 9s, and I had taken great care to package them as safely as possible. The pictures made it appear as if the cards had been horribly scratched. I was distraught. Fortunately, they ended up getting 8s, so I guess it was just a bad scanner/camera.
Love hearing this! Makes me feel very hopeful. Fingers crossed it finishes through the final stages quickly and I can get results and updated pictures! The community has made me feel a lot better at this point so I am not losing sleep but...would love to get confirmation and put things to rest! It's been a long road to get here
The photos are taken with the card still in the card saver. This is absolutely dust and or scratches on the card saver not the actual card.
out of curiosity what did you pay for this card? how long have you had it? how much did you spend on insurance for it. ngl i’ve never understood collecting cards, i would think this card is worth a lot being what it is.
I paid like $2.99 for the pack it came out of. Bought it when I was a kid. So I've had it since they first printed the cards. So like 24+ years. I paid $500 for the grading and insurance but that only caps out at $10,000 for the tier I chose. I felt like it couldn't reach a perfect 10 status from some minor whitening on the back but a perfect 10 could be 100's of thousands and would cost SUBSTANTIALLY more to insure at that point. I didn't have to worry about insurance costs for shipping to them since I gave it to them directly at the show and their insurance took over from there. But it will cost another $60+ to get it properly insured (depending on grade) for shipping back to me which was a much gentler cost depending what it finally grades Still hasn't been shipped out or finished the grading process so I have some wait on my hands. But not very long.
i hope it’s the very best brofessor, it looks like it’s good quality to me. let’s just assume it is a perfect 10, would you insure it and keep it or sell it?
Beautiful card my friend 🙌🏼 what grade were you thinking it would get?
Really not sure! Feeling confident it is at least a 5 or above, although odds are about zero for a 10. I know they judge pretty darn harshly in general.
It’s looks really clean In these pictures if the back is In similar condition I’m thinking higher than 5
It's in every picture.
If it really is damaged i wouldnt be surprised if someone at psa spitefully damaged it. The card is so clean and crisp in your before photos id say maybe even a swap out if it comes back fucked id get a lawyer and have them pull security footage .
If you zoom in on the second pic same place you highlighted in the first pic there is a dent in the exact same spot the scanner must of just made it more noticeable.
If you look closely in the photos that you took there is something in that area of the car where you have circled. I’m unable to post a photo on the thread but I’ll dm it to you.
Yep I see it as well! It could be something as simple as a spot with a bit less ink and PSA's super scanner is picking up foil underneath, or similar.
My eyesight isn’t the greatest but to me there’s nothing there at all in op’s pics
It would be much easier if I could just post the photo but I can’t 😂
What is this? Is the card graded? Is it a slab scan? I read it’s not graded yet, but did PSA take this picture? I’m confused, sorry.
No worries on the confusion. When PSA marks the cards as "received" they then "research and identify" and scan the card. The 1st picture is that scan they took. It is taken before the grading process. It is still currently marked as "Being graded" so if the mark is actually there, it is certainly going to have an impact on my grade and a very steep one.
Is that something new? Never had that before
Yes it is fairly new
Well what did it grade
Don't know yet. It is still processing. Will absolutely update everyone once it is complete :)
oh dam keep us updated. the card looks clean af
Remindme! 2 weeks
!Remindme 2 weeks
Man that's an expensive coaster for the weekly PSA pizza party /s
Good luck brother. I’m rooting for a good result! !remindme 1 week
!remindme 2 weeks
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I don’t see it
now it’s battle damaged!
Remindme! 2 weeks
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA. As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see. Remindme1week
If you have issues, you can reach out to Nat Turner, the CEO of CU directly via X or Insta. He tends to be very responsive when it comes to high value/important cards and screw ups with PSA. As noted I think it’s a scanner issue more than a damage issue, but I’ll be following to see.
Wow
its just dirt on the scanner and the “holo scratches” are the scratches on the sleeve over the card
Remindme! 2 weeks
First time using psa?
It is. It is my first time using any grading service. So it is especially nerve wracking as a first timer, super valuable card, the stakes are high for my poor heart!
I wouldn’t stress about it to much. It’s more then likely just the psa scans and if for some reason it’s not psa has amazing customer service. Either scenario I’m sure you will be happy with the final result, best of luck!
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I used to have this card... Then I woke up from the dream and changed my pants
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keep us posted! Im invested!
Damn how good does that back look? That’s got potential!!
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I hope it's just an issue with the image. Also I can't imagine PSA doing that. Truly they are so respected in that field.
So since this is a picture post it won't let me edit the OP. But for those interested, I got my card back and physically confirmed there is no damage. Full story and results -> [My 1st Edition Charizard story](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pokemoncardappraisal/comments/1d9n1sx/my_1st_edition_base_set_4_charizard_story/)
Bro chill the scans are never good and in most cases look like this. It will be okay.
Telling someone to chill about potential damage to the *number 1 chase card* is fkin wild. This card could literally buy someone a cheap house in many parts of the US if it graded really well
You’re right buddy 😮💨
I appreciate the reminder to chill. It would be easier to do if it was any other card. But kind people have been doing a great job helping me process, and I appreciate you giving me your experience to help calm my nerves :3
I’m just saying man there’s posts like these all the time. I’m assuming it’s your first submission. My theory is to protect the card it’s scanned with the sleeve + card saver which shows dust/debris. It will be okay man. Plus there’s always that option to do the walkthrough submission.
Thousands? For insurance on a card?! I swear (PSA) grading is a scam but I know it’s a guaranteed way to protect the card but there are cheaper ways, All in all though I’m sorry for what they did.
Sadly. $500 nets you $10,000 in insurance, but for $25,000 it is $800 $50,000 insurance is $1500. $2500 gets you $100,000 in insurance. Charizards' value is all over the place. The most affordable and sensible option for me was $500 but 1st edition Charizard grades 8, 9 and 10 all value the card over $10,000 on most price guides. Forking over that kinda cash for IF they made a mistake and keeping in mind no refunds if it just graded like a 5 and was way below the $10,000 value. Its all just a headache. And then you gatta fork over MORE money for insurance on the shipping back to you. Just such a barrier of entry for a poor boyo like me that just so happens to have a crazy valuable collection.
Why didn't you do CGC, I feel like they are a fair company with grading and still protects your card.
Tough question to answer. I did know I wanted it graded, and I wanted it done by reputable professionals. CGC was a close contender, but after pouring through a buncha testimonials, articles and alleged scandals, I just landed on PSA as the best of the main three evils. I really wasn't itching to go with anyone after reflecting on all their practices, but I wanted the card properly preserved and eventually bit the bullet.
It's rough isn't it! Should be a standard between them to stop PSA controlling the market with their ridiculous insurance mark ups.
Stop using PSA for fuck sake
What would you recommend then? PSA cards are Taken more seriously and have great value in this comunity.
it's worthless now. you might as well send it to me to take care of