(Santa Ana, California) – The grade or condition of sports or other trading cards is a crucial factor in determining their value. PSA Photograde™ Online, a free, new online service from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), helps hobbyists gain a better understanding of the PSA Grading Standards and how they apply to their cards by providing a visual tour. It is easily accessed from the PSA home page, www.psacard.com.
This new online resource uses high-resolution images from the PSA digital archives and succinct descriptions of the criteria for each grade in the industry-standard PSA ten-point grading scale. You can then check the current issue of Sports Market Report (SMR) monthly magazine or the SMR online price guide at www.PSAcard.com/SMRPriceGuide to determine the approximate retail value for many types of PSA-certified sports cards.
To illustrate cards in grades PR 1 (Poor) to GEM-MT 10 (Gem Mint), PSA Photograde Online uses high-resolution photos of ten different examples of one of the most famous of all baseball cards, the iconic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. Each photo can be enlarged dramatically to get a closer look at the characteristics of each card. In addition to the illustrations, concise written descriptions are provided to identify the characteristics and details that determine the grade of each of the ten cards.
"While it's not a substitute for certification of authenticity and grade by PSA experts, it will enhance and enrich the card collecting experience by clearly illustrating the sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle differences between grades. Differences between a card graded PSA 3 and one graded PSA 9 are usually obvious but that is not the case between each grade. PSA Photograde Online also shows you the subtle distinctions between, for example, a PSA 8 and PSA 9," Orlando explained.
Professional Sports Authenticator (www.psacard.com) of Santa Ana, California, is the world's largest sports and trading cards authentication and grading
company and a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT).
For additional information, contact PSA by phone at (800) 325-1121 or by email at [email protected].
