Ladies and Gents;

I need your advice. Recently I submitted a number of cards to PSA. Included in the group was a '56 Topps Yankee team card, in ex-mt condition. The card was returned as having been "altered," in some way, though not "trimmed."

Problem: Since the day I pulled it from the pack, the card has been in my possession. About ten years ago I put it in a plastic sheet with the other '56s, and there it has remained until I removed it to send to PSA.

How could such a card ever be understood as "altered?" What is PSA looking for? In over fifty years I barely touched the thing.

And what's my next move? GAI? SGC? I have (and had) no intention of selling it, and at this point I just want some expert eye to tell me what the PSA graders think they found.

Thanks for any advice you may offer, and happy collecting!

Bob

As far as I can tell PSA is insanely conservative in their grading right now. I have no idea why.

Send the card to SGC. Eric, is correct PSA is very conservative.

It sounds like PSA is so conservative they can't tell it wasn't altered. I would send it to SGC, at least they will tell you the issue, if there is one.

I had a similar issue a few years ago. I pulled a '56 Ted Williams out of a 1 cent pack and PSA rejected it as "trimmed left edge". I sent it to SGC and they said the same thing. I never could figure out what they were seeing on it.

That's because we're not experts!

If the issue isn't trimming, then I wonder if the plastic pages may have had some PVC type derivative thus causing a bleaching effect. Other possibilities could be the appearance of rubbing or pressing the card. You can always re-submit it.

I don,t want to knock PSA but I only use SCG. Just my opinion. CN

i had a problem years ago with sgc- my cards were returned with "pressed corners"..excuse me but before the current graded plastic sandwich did 'we' used to use screw downs for our nice cards...when sgc got enough "are you kidding me's" they wised up to the crowd...with other grading co's out there i dont see a problem, psa probably sent you a voucher for another card, use that and never use them again if that is how strong you feel. if i was you i would send the same card in again with the voucher. wouldnt it be funny if it got graded this time..

Any initials or writing on the card at one time and later erased?
Any chance you can post a scan.

This is why I love 3rd party grading! Send it in again to PSA and it will get slabbed. Unless some employee at the Topps factory in 1956 added color to it before it went into the pack.