PSA Knowledge gaps

[Kook]

Here is a 1st series tan Lavirus per PSA...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-TOPPS-WACKY-PACKS-LAVIRUS-MOUTHWASH-TAN-BACK-1st-SERIES-PSA-7-NM-/290658868609?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ac9e5d81

I can understand where the copyrights and diecuts are identical, but there is no excuse for misclassifying a known diecut variation. Has anyone else had similar issues with PSA & wonderbread or other obscure titles?

[Paul_Maul]

They do this all the time. PSA has no understanding of anything specific to wackys that is not completely elementary.  I believe for the most part they go by the submitter's information. Which is obviously ridiculous.

The situation is worse with packs and GAI. I would still love someone to submit a 2nd series pack and describe it as 1st series and see what would happen.

It's an unfortunate situation, but PSA is the only semi-reliable company left, so I guess we just have to beware as buyers.

[Dr Popper]

Here is a 1st series tan Lavirus per PSA...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-TOPPS-WACKY-PACKS-LAVIRUS-MOUTHWASH-TAN-BACK-1st-SERIES-PSA-7-NM-/290658868609?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ac9e5d81

I can understand where the copyrights and diecuts are identical, but there is no excuse for misclassifying a known diecut variation. Has anyone else had similar issues with PSA & wonderbread or other obscure titles?

I've seen that same issue with the Wonderbread Lavirus several times.  I had a hard time seeing this one because it's hard to see the die-line, but once I brightened it I could tell it has the squared off top cut.

[Go_Bum]

I was bidding on this, not anymore.

[Dr Popper]

I was bidding on this, not anymore.

See, being on the forum is saving you money already!!

[Paul_Maul]

Here's another example of PSA's wacky pack cluelessness:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Topps-Wacky-Packs-Spills-Bros-Coffee-Series-6-PSA-NMMT-8-4507-/251021938293?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item3a7212ce75

The grader took a quick reckoning of the centering and found it to be within guidelines for a PSA 8. Unfortunately, the way
the uncut sheet is laid out, part of the neighboring Bar-Kist's border is actually present on the right edge:



So we've got part of a second sticker present on the card without even an OC qualifier, no less a miscut qualifier. Anyone OK with this? In a way, I sympathize with PSA because on many wackys it's unclear how to even measure the centering consistently. On the other hand, if I bought this sight unseen as an unqualified 8 I'd be pretty upset.

[Paul_Maul]

PSA needs to straighten out its priorities when it comes to grading wackys. On the one hand, severe toning doesn't impact the grade at all. I've seen PSA 9's with completely brown borders. They don't penalize severe diamond cuts like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wacky-Packages-1973-Series-1-HOSTAGE-CUPCAKES-PSA-8-/230744633772?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b973b1ac

And yet, they apparently refuse to grade a sticker if there's any evidence of the die cut imprint showing through the back of
the sticker, and are extremely hard on certain common production flaws like roller marks.

Am I the only one who thinks these grading priorities are way out of whack?

[Dr Popper]

PSA needs to straighten out its priorities when it comes to grading wackys. On the one hand, severe toning doesn't impact the grade at all. I've seen PSA 9's with completely brown borders. They don't penalize severe diamond cuts like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wacky-Packages-1973-Series-1-HOSTAGE-CUPCAKES-PSA-8-/230744633772?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b973b1ac

And yet, they apparently refuse to grade a sticker if there's any evidence of the die cut imprint showing through the back of
the sticker, and are extremely hard on certain common production flaws like roller marks.

Am I the only one who thinks these grading priorities are way out of whack?

The thing that bugs me the most is when they don't deduct for bad tanning, and to me that's a major grade reducer.  That Hostage isn't even cut straight.  It looks crooked to me. 

[BumChex]

The thing that bugs me the most is when they don't deduct for bad tanning, and to me that's a major grade reducer.  That Hostage isn't even cut straight.  It looks crooked to me. 

I'm surprised they slabbed it.

[Paul_Maul]

I'm surprised they slabbed it.

You shouldn't be, they do it all the time. If it fits in the PSA holder, they generally don't penalize the card for being diamond cut. To me, this kind of defect is huge. The card is even uglier in the holder than it is raw, because it draws attention to the diamond cut.

[Alexeirex]

You shouldn't be, they do it all the time. If it fits in the PSA holder, they generally don't penalize the card for being diamond cut. To me, this kind of defect is huge. The card is even uglier in the holder than it is raw, because it draws attention to the diamond cut.

What exactly is a diamond cut? A not perfectly square card?
And are all tan back series 1 stickers actually from the wonderbread series?
I've got a bunch of OS stickers with parts of other stickers showing on the borders - these are considered defects?

[Dr Popper]

What exactly is a diamond cut? A not perfectly square card?
And are all tan back series 1 stickers actually from the wonderbread series?
I've got a bunch of OS stickers with parts of other stickers showing on the borders - these are considered defects?

I think it refers to when the angles aren't perfectly 90 degrees but are still parallel.  Here is an exaggerated image...........



And there is a complete set of tanback series 1's you could collect that are not Wonderbreads, although some of them are only discernible by the die-cut pattern.  The legit series 1 tanbacks are quire a bit rarer than the Wonderbreads. 

The cards with other images showing on the sides are cutting defects, so unfortunately the grades would be negatively affected.

 

[Alexeirex]

I think it refers to when the angles aren't perfectly 90 degrees but are still parallel.  Here is an exaggerated image...........



And there is a complete set of tanback series 1's you could collect that are not Wonderbreads, although some of them are only discernible by the die-cut pattern.  The legit series 1 tanbacks are quire a bit rarer than the Wonderbreads. 

The cards with other images showing on the sides are cutting defects, so unfortunately the grades would be negatively affected.

 

Is there a reference work which shows the diecut differences between the Wonderbread and Series One and Two stickers? Or should I just compare the whiteback and tan backs to see if there is is a diecut difference? I only have an old Roxanne Toser Wacky book from the 90s and the Wonderbread list was not thought to be complete - here is a pic of two early tanbacks I have, next to a white back Minute Lice on the far left - they look almost identical except for the blue shading on the tanback is deeper -



Alex

[Dr Popper]

Is there a reference work which shows the diecut differences between the Wonderbread and Series One and Two stickers? Or should I just compare the whiteback and tan backs to see if there is is a diecut difference? I only have an old Roxanne Toser Wacky book from the 90s and the Wonderbread list was not thought to be complete - here is a pic of two early tanbacks I have, next to a white back Minute Lice on the far left - they look almost identical except for the blue shading on the tanback is deeper -

(Image removed from quote.)

Alex

Alex, there are only three series 1 tanback titles that could be Wonderbreads and that have the same copyright so that they can only be distinguishable with their die-lines.  Greg Grant's site has a Wonderbread page with scans that may be helpful to you..........

http://www.wackypacks.com/stickers/wonderbread/index.html


.....and Rusty's Lost Wacky site has a nice page on them as well..............

http://www.wacky-packages.net/wackypackages/Wonderbread/ 

[bandaches]

My grading guide has scans of just about every flaw you might find

http://www.wackypackage.com/Wacky%20Packs/GradingGuide/Centering/centering.html

[Alexeirex]

Alex, there are only three series 1 tanback titles that could be Wonderbreads and that have the same copyright so that they can only be distinguishable with their die-lines.  Greg Grant's site has a Wonderbread page with scans that may be helpful to you..........

http://www.wackypacks.com/stickers/wonderbread/index.html


.....and Rusty's Lost Wacky site has a nice page on them as well..............

http://www.wacky-packages.net/wackypackages/Wonderbread/ 

Thanks Dr Popper - am bookmarking those 2 sites!
Also printed out Bandache's comments on centering -
Alex