PSA stands for Professional Sports Authenticator. It's a company that authenticates and grades sports cards and memorabilia, such as jerseys and autographs. It was launched by David Hall back in July 1991. Hall is also the owner of PCGS or Professional Coin Grading Service, a coin grading company. The main purpose of the PSA is to be a 3rd party card authenticator or grader.
Brief History Of PSA
The PSA had a rough start from the beginning because of the low demand from collectors having their cards graded or authenticated. Fortunately, the tides changed and there was suddenly a demand for cards to undergo authentication process especially when there have been reports of dishonest transactions during trade shows.
Having a 3rd party like PSA with no hidden agenda or financial gain to grade cards made sense among avid card collectors. A graded card from PSA can give collectors that much-needed peace of mind knowing that they are going to make a transaction with confidence.
The Importance Of Having Cards Graded By PSA
- PSA means that the card has been authenticated by the company and that it meets certain criteria: it's original, has no damage, and is not a copy or reproduction of any kind.
- In other words, if you buy a card with the PSA logo on it, you can be sure that it is an authentic card that was created by the manufacturer at the time of release.
- It will also have a grade attached to it from one of four different tiers: Mint 9.5 (M9), Mint 9 (M8), Mint 8 (M7), and Mint 7 (M6). These grades on psa cards indicate how much wear or damage is present on the card itself; if there's no damage at all, it'll be given an M9 grade.
How Does PSA Grade The Cards?
- The grading is performed by experts who are trained to spot fake signatures, check for any defects in the card, and even look at the way it was signed (e.g., if the signature looks rushed, then it might be fake). They also have access to databases of known collectors' signatures so they can compare them with those on your card.
- The company uses a 10-point scale to measure the condition of each item, along with a letter grade to indicate what level of condition it is in. The 10-point scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest quality and 10 being the highest. “1” signifies an item in poor condition, while “10” signifies an item in pristine condition.
Why You Need To Have Your Cards Graded
The main reason to get your cards PSA certified is because it's a reliable way of knowing whether or not the card is real and isn't counterfeit. Getting your cards PSA certified is especially important if you're trying to sell them—it will give you a sense of how much they're worth on the open market, which is useful if you have a rare card that you'd like to sell.