How can such a flare qualify for PSA9? Now I really have no idea what criteria PSA is using, not eye appeal, not real centering either. I thought any flaw visible with naked eye dropped it to PSA8 and only magnifying glass and such distinguished 9's and 10's.
I’m not sure where you got these ideas. 🙂 PSA grading is largely based on centering and corner/surface wear. Most aspects of grading (with the exception of centering) are not quantifiable, and as a result, are interpreted differently by different graders.
I submitted a Soggy Babies (another edge of sheet title) that had a noticeable flare cut. The first time it came back N8 Miscut. Upon resubmission, it graded a PSA 10.
As someone generally looking to criticize PSA, you will surely see this as a sign of incompetence. But the fact is, anything that is not quantifiable is subjective. A flare cut can vary on a continuum from barely noticeable to awful. Yes, so can corner wear. All of these non-quantifiable factors are ultimately subjective, and there is really no way around that.
So while anal collectors would love it if there were a completely deterministic grading process that would yield identical results when repeated, that is unfortunately not possible. That’s why graders with experience who can be reasonably consistent are the best we can hope for, and the buyer bears some responsibility in making sure he is happy with the card no matter how it is graded.