I'm shocked that no one on youtube ever come up with this video until now. Loved it! This will give me an entire new perspective of looking at my slab collection as well when I buy any new slabs.
Great topic video . I thought there were only 5 versions of PSA, who knew, but you. Thanks for all of the great information! Most times, you never cease to amaze me. Keep up the great content.
That means a lot. Thank you. To be honest, I've always been curious myself, and to me, the "older" grades are much more "friendly" than the "newer" grades. So, I feel it is important to know (or approximate) when a card was graded. So, I just started researching the topic. Read a bunch of articles and blogs and community forums. Couldn't find anything on RUclips, so I figured, I'd make something because I thought it would be helpful for other collectors. :-)
I'm new to graded cards so this was helpful to me. I had noticed subtle differences in shopping and buying. Going forward I'm sure I will use this video again to help my decisions.
Very interesting and informative analysis. A lot of time and effort involved. As a collector 0f 1950s baseball in various PSA grades I can confirm that my anecdotal evidence based my own collection supports your conclusions.
One of your best videos! This is becoming very relevant in the market today. I thought there were 7 different slabs so this was informative. Thanks and keep up the great videos!
While I may question some grades for older slabs, at some point you have to accept the grade given - either all slabs grades are valid and acceptable or none of them are. At the end of the day, buy the card, not the slab
I think you nailed it by saying to buy the card not the grade. Some people buy grades, assuming the card matches that. One of the main points of this video is to try and educate people that the grade is helpful, but not always the law.
Great informative video. I just had a customer ask me about the age of a PSA 7 1954 Warren Spahn I have listed and was able to confidently answer that it's in a Generation 7 holder thanks to this video!
Very relevant topic today in the hobby. Well done bringing exposure to this issue. One thing I would caution you and your viewers about...be careful not to make a general statement that the grading standards gradually get more strict over time. I don't necessarily think it's that simple. For example, In my experience looking at 1000s of PSA graded cards, I think it's more likely a case where each generation of labels is inconsistent with their grading standards. With that said, in my observation some of the worst over graded cards and most off-centered cards getting high grades, are the prior generation of PSA labels. Those are the ones characterized by the silver hologram PSA sticker on the front...the ones from about 5 or 6 years ago, just before the new lighthouse label.
I hear what you’re saying….but some of the older grades have some of the most over graded cards I’ve ever seen. A psa 6 or 7 now is a really really nice card. It’s an interesting topic. But ultimately, humans are grading and people make mistakes. Just like refs and umpires.
What makes this the most helpful is to determine if your slab is legit. I know that the grading process is getting harsher but there will always be 10s that don’t deserve it and 8s that should be 9s or 10s. This is why I collect 8s. Great video and very helpful.
Another great video! Thank you for the work you put into these videos. You explain the differences very clearly and have great video editing to show the differences, the qualities of an excellent teacher. Your background shines through 👍🏻. I have noticed on the 10th gen PSA slabs there is a colored PSA on the front bottom which I didn’t see in your sample photo. I took a picture but don’t know how to add it here. ? 11th gen.
First of all, thank you so much for the kind words. Truly, that means more than you know. I think I have an explanation for what you're seeing on some cards, and it's not an 11th generation. One of the PSA slab "sleeves" out there, has the red and blue psa "logo" on the sleeve. When people list cards online or show them, if the slab is in one of those sleeves, it looks as if the logo is on the slab itself. But, in reality, it's just a logo on the sleeve, outside of the slab. The manufacturer of those PSA slab sleeves is called "cardboard gold." If you google their "perfect fit psa sleeves", you'll see what I mean. :-) If/when PSA comes out with an 11th generation, I'll make sure to have an update for everyone. Once again, I appreciate your kind words very much. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@MidLifeCards Thank you for replying and again explaining what I was seeing with that PSA logo on the front bottom. I am learning a lot from your channel as I get back into the hobby after collecting as a kid in the 70’s and early 80’s. Trying to learn as much as possible about grading and may submit my first cards for grading soon. After checking out your videos, I will probably go with SGC. Thanks for a great education in a hobby that I am loving all over again! Jerry
Glad it was helpful. Whenever I learn something new that I think could be beneficial for others, I will continue to try to pass the information along to others. At the end of the day, we're a community and we've gotta look out for each other.
Wow. That's super nice of you to say. Appreciate it a lot. I feel this is an important topic for collectors. Especially people that are "new" to the hobby, may not realize that there's quite a difference between older and more recent grades. I wanted to make sure others were aware of the differences so they could be sure to pay especially close attention to the "card" and not just the "grade". :-)
Another informative gem. I only buy slabs these days (Up to 6 years ago , I'd break them out of the slabs on GP until i realized I was lighting money on fire, Duh...). It's so clear the new PSA slabs are graded much tougher and I try to buy the QR code slabs for exactly that reason....
My Dad did the same thing. He prefered cards raw, but now I think he also realized he was wasting money doing that. The 10th generation labels are definitely graded hardest. My video that comes out Monday looks into exactly that topic, whether they're grading harder now than they used to. :-)
Very interesting... and you made me look! I bought a '79 Tom Seaver PSA 9 last weekend. It was priced at $40, and most comps had it in that range. I'd bought from this particular dealer before, so when I offered $30, he accepted. Looking at the card's condition, other than the centering, it really doesn't wow me - I just thought it was a good price on a player I like. Having watched this video, I see it was in a generation 10, so I feel better that it was (in theory) a tougher grading process.
I genuinely believe almost every generation of grading by psa has gotten slightly tougher. The only exception is generation 8. I believe many of those are the TOUGHEST grades that PSA has had. But, that's just my two cents. And hey, keep in mind...it costs $25 to get a card graded, so at $30, you paid $5 for the card and $25 for the authenticity/plastic. From that perspective, it's a SMOKING deal!!
Great Video !!!!! I am always looking at PSA Graded Cards very carefully with an Older Slab. Absolutely, no question, in general they grade much harder as the times go on to slabs graded more recently. Thus, when I am looking to purchase some higher graded Vintage Baseball slabs - more times than not, I do not purchase it because if they were graded today, they would not get the same graded and be graded lower (in my opinion).
Wow. More information that I never knew. I thought there were maybe 3 different holders but not 10 generations. When I saw slabs with the gen 1 font, I used to think they were fake. As always great work.
Appreciate the kind words. I'm going to start contacting PSA and ask if they will start to show us behind the curtain of what goes on in their facility and grading process. Obviously, I don't expect them to grant me any access, but I do plan on starting to ask on a regular basis.
I totally agree. They're slowly releasing a new slab that looks the same, but the slab itself is heavier and has better UV protection. But, the only way to know it's the new one is to weigh it.
Another great vid with awesome info. Had to watch it again today. I have only delved into the grading scene since last March and felt instantly that it was a scam, money grab and a joke.... yet a necessary evil for valuation and if I were ever to sell any of my collection they would need to be graded. Sad but true. I wish I had graded these cards 10 years ago!! I always thought cards starting with 0 were the oldest, but it seems when they changed slabs they possibly started with 0's again?? The 0's with the slash are the most egregiously overgraded cards and should all be sent back in to be graded like they are today!
Of all the videos that I've created (about 100)...in my opinion, this is the most valuable one for most collectors. It's so important to know which generation holder your card is in when buying it.
@@MidLifeCards Amen to that. I 100% agree that the grading has gotten tougher, yet the vast majority of people still buy the grade. My '71 Munson PSA/SGC 6 looks better than any 8 I've seen listed. I cracked it out of the PSA slab and SGC agreed it was a 6. I've since learned we all think our cards are better than they are, especially when they have a sentimental value. Again, I really appreciate your content and noticed a golf flag out the window in one of your more recent vids... do you have 5 acres on a golf course like JACKASS Ken Goldin?? Haha! 🤫
Love the information and breakdown of slabs over time - been looking for an in-depth categorization of this for a while. A thought I had, is there a skew to higher grades in older slabs compared to today especially for popular pre-2000 cards because a lot of grade-worthy cards from these periods were rushed to be graded in prior years. Leaving mostly lower grade cards in RAW form being graded currently? Could partially help explain claim that PSA is grading stricter now (aside from 9 vs 10 arguments for popular cards)
@@MidLifeCards look forward to it, but I'm still of the view that not every PSA 10 from previous years/generations is an invalid PSA 10 - there are tons of cards is older slabs that are in Gem Mint condition. Some are of opinion that an old PSA 10 is a PSA 7 today or something ridiculous. Again use your eyes, brain, and knowledge to judge for yourself. At the end of the day, TPG is just an educated opinion.
There is a lot of debate over what years each was used. I think some of the years might overlap. I didn't want to put something down as definitive unless I was certain.
Great video! Much needed, thank you! What would be great to know is the time period for each Generation. Ie I have a gen 7 case but would like to know the rough year it was graded.
I totally agree. The problem is there was a lot of overlap, especially with the cases. At times they started one new slab while they were still exhausting resources for another. For example, PSA has slowly started to roll out their latest slab, which looks the same, but is slightly heavier, more durable, and has better UV protection. The only way you can tell is that it weighs more. But, they're also using the previous slabs still.
I really enjoy your talks about vintage cards. My question is about vintage football. I purchased a magnificent collection from a relative. He had not removed them from a closet for over 60 years. I had been outbid on his massive baseball card collection, but was ecstatic to purchase his vintage football card collection. 1957 to 1963. Never have I seen such pristine cards. The 1962s are amazing. Of course, 30% to 40% of them are 90/10 or even worse. My question is will vintage football cards continue their rise in value due the scarcity of nice condition cards? They are far more difficulty to sell than baseball cards from the same era. But they seem to be rarer in high quality condition.
I love your question, and I also love vintage football cards. The 57-63 sets are some of the all time best. I'm beyond jealous that you were able to buy them. I do a segment on Wednesdays that are Q and A. To longer questions, I try to answer them in video format so I can give a detailed explanation to my opinion. I'd love to answer this question via video on an upcoming Wednesday Q and A video. Thanks for taking the time to ask!!
There are stretches when both were being used. For example, PSA just released a new plastic they're using, but the flip stayed the same. They're using both at the moment until supplies run out, so because of the overlap, I'm not aware of exact dates/years each was used.
Not seems, they are. I took a 75 Brett out of a PSA 8 slab in 2000 because I hated slabs. When I resubmitted a few years ago it came back a 6. Great investigation! I wish they graded how people in the real word would grade.
Excellent synopsis. You posted the years of the early slabs, but then did not have years associated with subsequent examples. Would like to see that information at some point.
Appreciate that. The main reason is because there is some debate of the exact years of several generations and in some cases there was even some overlap, likely due to having old supplies still in stock. There’s not an exact start and end date. I did quite a bit of research on it, and didn’t want to post in accurate dates, so instead I chose to not include the ones I couldn’t determine for sure.
Thanks for the deep dive on PSA's Slabs... PSA, I believe, has some weasel words that lets them 're-grade' when they reholder if they feel the original grade wasn't accurate...
There are lots of people who have suspicions about some of the grading companies. It's impossible to know what really goes on behind the scenes, but the valuation changes from one grade to the next is incredible.
@@MidLifeCards And the valuation changes generally make sense... My problem with grading companies is that there is a built in incentive in the business to throttle the supply of higher-grade vintage cards and they have at least a dozen different ways to accomplish that built into their system... I"m a fan of the 'audit the grading companies' idea where a small collective sends out a few dozen cards to each grading company, records the results, cracks them and then sends to the next grading company and then reports the results when every company(PSA, SGC, Beckett, CSG/CGC)has had their crack... A robust effort like that plus a universal pop report would improve things quite a bit, I think
The reason is because many of the eras overlapped, so exact start and stop dates are impossible to know, especially since serial numbers aren't all sequential.
Great information - thanks so much for the content. I wonder if years can be attached to the different generations. For example, generation 2 began in year .....
The only ones that seem definite are generation one and generation two, which I included in the video. I believe there was some overlapping years at times based on supply on hand of different labels and holograms. I didn't include the years past generation two, because my research that I was doing couldn't definitively find agreement on the years after generation two. But, it's a great question, and if anyone out there knows, I'd love to know the answer to that.
That's a good point, but do we know if FOR sure, the cert # has always gone in order? Or have they jumped around at times? I'd assume they're in order, but I don't know who to trust anymore.
I'll stick with teaching. LOL I did quite a bit of research to put the pieces of that puzzle together. It was quite a bit of work, but I hope that it's helpful to other collectors, because I sure learned a lot.
Great question. YES!! They will NOT downgrade your card, they will keep the serial number and grade. They will simply put it in a new holder with the updated label.
Appreciate that. I can definitely look into sgc’s label changes over the years and see if there is enough content for a video. The thing about psa is they’ve had so many changes and their standards seem to be getting harder, it’s super important to know when it was graded. Sgc seems to be more consistent over time.
Thanks for this video. I have a question. It appears that there is 2 versions of the lighthouse PSA label on the front. This label also has the QR code on the back (Gen 10 in this video). Anyway, I have one label that has shows PSA very discreetly going across the top of the label in the front if you hold it at an angle under light. The other one does not have this. So I assume the one that doesn't have this is older and PSA only started doing this fairly recently. Can anyone else verify this? I'm a bit worried that it also could be a fake if this is inaccurate and PSA, starting from the lighthouse/QR generation always had PSA going across the top of the label on the front side of the card. Let me know and thanks in advance.
I new about the generations of holders, but I didn’t know there were 10. I do wonder if the serial number begins with zero, if we look it up, will it give us the date the card was graded to compare.
A lot of the serial numbers are sequential, but not all of them. Because of that, we can't accurately date the grades. The fact that PSA is reholdering cards into new slabs, is an interesting decision.
Glad you liked it. I've created almost 100 videos thus far, and in my opinion, this video may contain the most important and valuable information out of any of them.
@@MidLifeCards I could not agree more. I recently got back into collecting during 2019. I collected when I was a kid with my brother and father and friends. Now I collect and buy lifetime collections from any one that wants to sell them to me. I been holding out on grading because of all the prices that where so high for grading. Now they seen to come back down to send some in. I also love the video you made of buying already graded cards for the $25-$50 range since the grading is $20-$25 with insurance and shipping. There is a lot of value there.
When they reholder an old slab to a new, do they change the serial number? I haven't paid attention to that part but just assumed they'd keep everything the same, just a new slab. Good informative video. Thanks!
The serial number stays the same. The thing I'm not sure about is whether they jump around with serial numbers. I know the first card graded was the honus wagner and famously got the 1 serial number. But, have they simply counted, or have there been times where they jump around? If they jump around, then the serial numbers don't help us date when cards were graded.
Got a question for you. If you send a card to be graded by one of the major companies, and the grade comes back lower than expected, is it ok (intentionally vague)to crack that card and sell raw?
That’s an interesting question. I’m assuming you mean “morally” speaking. I think if the card came back lower than expected because of some sort of flaw that was previously unseen, there is an obligation to disclose the flaw. Some people prefer ungraded cards, so if you think the demand for it ungraded would be higher than if would be in the slab, my first instinct is that I think that’s fine to crack it out. But I’d be interested in hearing what others think.
@@MidLifeCards I’m interested in others replies too. I struggle with this issue If I see the flaw I crack and disclose or don’t crack. If I don’t see the flaw under magnification I normally crack and don’t disclose the graders grade. But I’m not sure this is ok. Especially after the whole Rock autograph issue.
As a collector of numismatic coins, there is an entirely different way of collecting coins that has to do with the rarity of the slabs themselves. People say it’s/i’m crazy today. Only time will tell. And my massive collection of slashed zeros that I bought cheap will have been a very good call. In essence you are collecting PSA’s history. And rarity is rarity…
I commented on this not long ago on another video. I think it's absolutely insane that PSA has changed their grading standards and slabs this many times since the early 90s. It's ruined the hobby for me and has created a massive mess. Its why I have personally gotten out of cards and transitioned into other memorabilia. This should've never been a problem, but PSA made it one. Today, I see cards in the newer slabs graded a PSA6 and easily look like a PSA8 or even PSA9. This creates another problem where PSA can easily change gears and go back to grading more lenient. If that happens, you then have a massive slabbed mess of under-graded cards. PSA will still easily sell their new label to everyone with much success, though. When a slabbed card with a PSA label is the ONLY way a card is worth big money, it's when you have a massive problem. I've owned cards in PSA slabs that have sold very well. I've also sold a raw copy of the same card and it doesn't do nearly as well, even if it appears in as good or better condition. PSA has successfully manipulated the hobby and has it feeding out of their hands. While I do prefer them for photographs, I think they have destroyed the card market with their inconsistencies.
I can't disagree with any of it. If the standards were ever "changed" by PSA, they should have noted a "before the change or after the change notification." It's similar to Home Run records during the steroid era. It messed up all of the records and statistics forever. Does anyone truly believe that Sammy Sosa hit more legitimate home runs than Willie McCovey? It's sad. My hope in making this video is that collectors can stop trusting and relying on PSA so much, and use the grade simply as a guide instead of the law.
@@MidLifeCards PSA only cares about the money and nothing else. They'll only start caring for the service they're providing if they ever begin losing business. They only get away with their inconsistencies, because we (the customers) allow them to do so.
@@MidLifeCards A prime example of this just happened today. I finished selling off some Mays vintage cards in PSA slabs. The same buyer bought them both, so I offered him several others I had in raw condition. Keep in mind, these were the SAME card in as good or better condition as the slabbed ones. He decided to pass on the cards and only buy PSA slabs. It's just so sad that the hobby has gotten so bad that raw cards are extremely inferior and almost worthless in raw condition.
Good question. There aren't exact dates on when any ended and the other started. PSA tends to phase in changes. That said, it has been several years now.
Going to agree and disagree with you in one fell swoop here. Specifically in regards to old slabs and re-holdering. In general, I do factor in a slightly lower value for older slabs, so I do agree on that. However, I think it's dangerous to over-generalize, especially about being cautious about buying older slabs. That is when you really need to look into the card itself. I have seen plenty of old slabs with PSA 8's in them that look better than PSA 8's graded in the last 1-3 years. Not always, but sometimes a card gets a specific grade for a technical reason and may have worse eye appeal than one with poorer attributes (softer corners, centering, etc.). Generally you can look at the PSA # and know if a card in a new slab has been re-holdered. Generally! The one issue I have is apparently PSA withheld and used different, non-sequential #s for cards graded at the National over the years. I constantly find cards with higher #s in old slabs than #s I received in the newer slabs just a few years ago. For example, I had a lot of cards graded in 20176-7 and the #s on the slabs starts with 27 or 28. Yet, I've seen cards beginning with 3s and 4s that were graded in very old slabs. What I've been told is that those #s were used for grading submitted at the National. So now, if you reholder one of those cards, it will appear it was graded closer to 2018-2020. To me that's more of a problem. I'm rambling here, but I thought that is worth pointing out and just to add not to be afraid to buy a card in an older slab just because "they graded easier" back then. And no, I didn't know there were that many versions of labels! I pretty much go by 3, old, 2nd Gen and new Lighthouse. Had no idea there were that many variations, especially within the older gen slabs! :)
I always welcome a candid "debate" and cordial disagreement on a topic. Appreciate your response. Obviously, there are some "older" grades that still hold up today. But, I will say that there is a disproportionate number of first, second, and third generation slabs that are "sloppy." When PSA gives a 7 nowadays, the card is generally VERY nice. In the first few generations, some of those cards are pretty weak. But, I will say, that is certainly a generalization. I'm certainly NOT saying that a card in an older grade is automatically a dog. Not at all. The main premise is that we can't rely on the GRADE ONLY. Ultimately, we need to use our own eyes and determine what a card's condition is REALLY worth to us. To many people simply "go with the grade." I think that is lazy and a bad idea. I have a video coming out next week, that compares two cards of the same grade. It makes it pretty obvious to me, that not all grades of the same number are created equal. Then, I show off a handful of cards, and ask people to try and "guess the grade." I'll be honest, I think you'll be surprised by some of the grade. Now, it obviously won't be a "perfect" experience, because Sports Cards are three dimensional objects and pictures are two dimensional. But, I think you'll see what I mean. The main point is NOT to bash PSA and it's NOT to say that all older grades are wrong. The point I'm trying to make is that we can't simply be lazy and RELY on a human being and grading company to determine for us, whether the card is NM or not. We have to do our own evaluation. So, instead of thinking that I'm bombing on the grading companies, what I'm actually ATTEMPTING to do, is encourage people to buy the CARD they like, and not the GRADE they like. I think we agree on more than we disagree on this topic. :-)
@@MidLifeCards I definitely think we agree more than disagree. But everything you said in your last response can be applies to strictly current slabs too. Not all are created equal. So we are 100% agreement that you need to look at the card closely and not just buy the grade. That said, I have a T206 that is a PSA 2 and has a wrinkle almost impossible to see with the naked eye. It looks better than EVERY PSA 3 or 4 of the same card I've seen, yet, I'll never get someone to ignore the grade and pay me "4" money. Unless I crack it out and don't disclose the wrinkle. Which I won't do because I didn't see the wrinkle when I bought it. So there is a limit to the reality of buy the card not the grade too. Now I'm just whining. LOL Sorry!
@@VintageBaseballCorner No doubt about it that current slabs also have "human error." That's the nature of the beast, and quite frankly, it gives us something to talk about. Some people think the play in the Super Bowl was pass interference. Others think it was "ticky tack"...but it gives guys on Sports Talk Radio something to talk about. It's fun to hear different opinions. Ultimately, I 100% agree that there will always be human error and difference of opinion. Let me ask you this... Pictures by PSA show PSA graders using a loupe when grading cards. Do you think they were using a loupe back in the middle 90s when they first got started? My guess is not. I've also seen the video of SGC showing their grading process where a card is scanned and picks up wrinkles that are not seen by the naked eye. That technology wasn't being used either. So, for me, I do believe the technology being used now means they are grading harder now. Not always,....but generically speaking. Just my two cents. But, we could go round and round forever on this one. 🙂
I agree that the majority of grades hold up. But many people believe the standards have gotten tougher as technology has started being used by the big grading companies. But, in regards to 10s...yes, I tend to agree that the overwhelming majority hold up.
I'm shocked that no one on youtube ever come up with this video until now. Loved it! This will give me an entire new perspective of looking at my slab collection as well when I buy any new slabs.
Awesome. Glad it will be helpful for you!!
Was this content helpful? Let me know in the comments below.
Great topic video . I thought there were only 5 versions of PSA, who knew, but you. Thanks for all of the great information! Most times, you never cease to amaze me. Keep up the great content.
That means a lot. Thank you. To be honest, I've always been curious myself, and to me, the "older" grades are much more "friendly" than the "newer" grades. So, I feel it is important to know (or approximate) when a card was graded. So, I just started researching the topic. Read a bunch of articles and blogs and community forums. Couldn't find anything on RUclips, so I figured, I'd make something because I thought it would be helpful for other collectors. :-)
I'm new to graded cards so this was helpful to me. I had noticed subtle differences in shopping and buying. Going forward I'm sure I will use this video again to help my decisions.
Glad it was useful!!
Very interesting and informative analysis. A lot of time and effort involved. As a collector 0f 1950s baseball in various PSA grades I can confirm that my anecdotal evidence based my own collection supports your conclusions.
One of your best videos! This is becoming very relevant in the market today. I thought there were 7 different slabs so this was informative. Thanks and keep up the great videos!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate that. Glad it was helpful.
While I may question some grades for older slabs, at some point you have to accept the grade given - either all slabs grades are valid and acceptable or none of them are. At the end of the day, buy the card, not the slab
I think you nailed it by saying to buy the card not the grade. Some people buy grades, assuming the card matches that. One of the main points of this video is to try and educate people that the grade is helpful, but not always the law.
Great informative video. I just had a customer ask me about the age of a PSA 7 1954 Warren Spahn I have listed and was able to confidently answer that it's in a Generation 7 holder thanks to this video!
That's awesome. Thanks for sharing!!
Very relevant topic today in the hobby. Well done bringing exposure to this issue. One thing I would caution you and your viewers about...be careful not to make a general statement that the grading standards gradually get more strict over time. I don't necessarily think it's that simple. For example, In my experience looking at 1000s of PSA graded cards, I think it's more likely a case where each generation of labels is inconsistent with their grading standards. With that said, in my observation some of the worst over graded cards and most off-centered cards getting high grades, are the prior generation of PSA labels. Those are the ones characterized by the silver hologram PSA sticker on the front...the ones from about 5 or 6 years ago, just before the new lighthouse label.
I hear what you’re saying….but some of the older grades have some of the most over graded cards I’ve ever seen. A psa 6 or 7 now is a really really nice card. It’s an interesting topic. But ultimately, humans are grading and people make mistakes. Just like refs and umpires.
What makes this the most helpful is to determine if your slab is legit. I know that the grading process is getting harsher but there will always be 10s that don’t deserve it and 8s that should be 9s or 10s. This is why I collect 8s. Great video and very helpful.
Appreciate that. I agree, as I was making the video, it can also be used for authenticity purposes of a PSA slab. :-)
Have been looking for this information for awhile. Nice job of condensing the information. :)
Glad it was helpful!!
Another great video! Thank you for the work you put into these videos. You explain the differences very clearly and have great video editing to show the differences, the qualities of an excellent teacher. Your background shines through 👍🏻. I have noticed on the 10th gen PSA slabs there is a colored PSA on the front bottom which I didn’t see in your sample photo. I took a picture but don’t know how to add it here. ? 11th gen.
First of all, thank you so much for the kind words. Truly, that means more than you know. I think I have an explanation for what you're seeing on some cards, and it's not an 11th generation. One of the PSA slab "sleeves" out there, has the red and blue psa "logo" on the sleeve. When people list cards online or show them, if the slab is in one of those sleeves, it looks as if the logo is on the slab itself. But, in reality, it's just a logo on the sleeve, outside of the slab. The manufacturer of those PSA slab sleeves is called "cardboard gold." If you google their "perfect fit psa sleeves", you'll see what I mean. :-) If/when PSA comes out with an 11th generation, I'll make sure to have an update for everyone. Once again, I appreciate your kind words very much. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@MidLifeCards Thank you for replying and again explaining what I was seeing with that PSA logo on the front bottom. I am learning a lot from your channel as I get back into the hobby after collecting as a kid in the 70’s and early 80’s. Trying to learn as much as possible about grading and may submit my first cards for grading soon. After checking out your videos, I will probably go with SGC. Thanks for a great education in a hobby that I am loving all over again! Jerry
Loved this video! I need to keep it close by for reference. Thank you!
Appreciate that. I'm glad that you found it useful. It took a lot of work, but I feel it has a lot of value for vintage collectors.
@@MidLifeCards I certainly think it does.
Awesome video! Very informative! I knew the slabs have changed over the years just didn't know the exact differences on the slabs!
Glad it was helpful. Whenever I learn something new that I think could be beneficial for others, I will continue to try to pass the information along to others. At the end of the day, we're a community and we've gotta look out for each other.
Nailed it! Didn’t want the video to end.
Wow. That's super nice of you to say. Appreciate it a lot. I feel this is an important topic for collectors. Especially people that are "new" to the hobby, may not realize that there's quite a difference between older and more recent grades. I wanted to make sure others were aware of the differences so they could be sure to pay especially close attention to the "card" and not just the "grade". :-)
Great video and nice take-aways. They graded with TONS OF SLOP in the 90’s. Wild West days lol.
100%
Another informative gem. I only buy slabs these days (Up to 6 years ago , I'd break them out of the slabs on GP until i realized I was lighting money on fire, Duh...). It's so clear the new PSA slabs are graded much tougher and I try to buy the QR code slabs for exactly that reason....
My Dad did the same thing. He prefered cards raw, but now I think he also realized he was wasting money doing that. The 10th generation labels are definitely graded hardest. My video that comes out Monday looks into exactly that topic, whether they're grading harder now than they used to. :-)
Very interesting... and you made me look! I bought a '79 Tom Seaver PSA 9 last weekend. It was priced at $40, and most comps had it in that range. I'd bought from this particular dealer before, so when I offered $30, he accepted. Looking at the card's condition, other than the centering, it really doesn't wow me - I just thought it was a good price on a player I like. Having watched this video, I see it was in a generation 10, so I feel better that it was (in theory) a tougher grading process.
I genuinely believe almost every generation of grading by psa has gotten slightly tougher. The only exception is generation 8. I believe many of those are the TOUGHEST grades that PSA has had. But, that's just my two cents. And hey, keep in mind...it costs $25 to get a card graded, so at $30, you paid $5 for the card and $25 for the authenticity/plastic. From that perspective, it's a SMOKING deal!!
Extremely helpful. Thanks for your diligent effort.
Glad it was helpful.
I'm so glad to see some of my cards on here. Early 90 late 80s cards. I kept em all
Awesome. Way to hang onto your cards!!
This is the explanation I needed. Thank you!
I'm glad it was helpful!!
Great Video !!!!! I am always looking at PSA Graded Cards very carefully with an Older Slab. Absolutely, no question, in general they grade much harder as the times go on to slabs graded more recently. Thus, when I am looking to purchase some higher graded Vintage Baseball slabs - more times than not, I do not purchase it because if they were graded today, they would not get the same graded and be graded lower (in my opinion).
Appreciate that a bunch. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Wow. More information that I never knew. I thought there were maybe 3 different holders but not 10 generations. When I saw slabs with the gen 1 font, I used to think they were fake. As always great work.
Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
Great video! Looking forward to the next PSA slab video. Will PSA be fully transparent about the AI technology currently in use?
Appreciate the kind words. I'm going to start contacting PSA and ask if they will start to show us behind the curtain of what goes on in their facility and grading process. Obviously, I don't expect them to grant me any access, but I do plan on starting to ask on a regular basis.
The last one 10 is rly gorgeous slab love it. Be able to scan the qr code is awesomr
I totally agree. They're slowly releasing a new slab that looks the same, but the slab itself is heavier and has better UV protection. But, the only way to know it's the new one is to weigh it.
Another great vid with awesome info. Had to watch it again today. I have only delved into the grading scene since last March and felt instantly that it was a scam, money grab and a joke.... yet a necessary evil for valuation and if I were ever to sell any of my collection they would need to be graded. Sad but true. I wish I had graded these cards 10 years ago!! I always thought cards starting with 0 were the oldest, but it seems when they changed slabs they possibly started with 0's again?? The 0's with the slash are the most egregiously overgraded cards and should all be sent back in to be graded like they are today!
Of all the videos that I've created (about 100)...in my opinion, this is the most valuable one for most collectors. It's so important to know which generation holder your card is in when buying it.
@@MidLifeCards Amen to that. I 100% agree that the grading has gotten tougher, yet the vast majority of people still buy the grade. My '71 Munson PSA/SGC 6 looks better than any 8 I've seen listed. I cracked it out of the PSA slab and SGC agreed it was a 6. I've since learned we all think our cards are better than they are, especially when they have a sentimental value. Again, I really appreciate your content and noticed a golf flag out the window in one of your more recent vids... do you have 5 acres on a golf course like JACKASS Ken Goldin?? Haha! 🤫
Love the information and breakdown of slabs over time - been looking for an in-depth categorization of this for a while. A thought I had, is there a skew to higher grades in older slabs compared to today especially for popular pre-2000 cards because a lot of grade-worthy cards from these periods were rushed to be graded in prior years. Leaving mostly lower grade cards in RAW form being graded currently? Could partially help explain claim that PSA is grading stricter now (aside from 9 vs 10 arguments for popular cards)
My video that posts on Monday looks into comparing "older generation" slabs grades to "newer generation" slab grades. It's pretty compelling.
@@MidLifeCards look forward to it, but I'm still of the view that not every PSA 10 from previous years/generations is an invalid PSA 10 - there are tons of cards is older slabs that are in Gem Mint condition. Some are of opinion that an old PSA 10 is a PSA 7 today or something ridiculous. Again use your eyes, brain, and knowledge to judge for yourself. At the end of the day, TPG is just an educated opinion.
Great info! I noticed only Gen1 and Gen2 had the years they were used
There is a lot of debate over what years each was used. I think some of the years might overlap. I didn't want to put something down as definitive unless I was certain.
Great video! Much needed, thank you! What would be great to know is the time period for each Generation. Ie I have a gen 7 case but would like to know the rough year it was graded.
I totally agree. The problem is there was a lot of overlap, especially with the cases. At times they started one new slab while they were still exhausting resources for another. For example, PSA has slowly started to roll out their latest slab, which looks the same, but is slightly heavier, more durable, and has better UV protection. The only way you can tell is that it weighs more. But, they're also using the previous slabs still.
I really enjoy your talks about vintage cards. My question is about vintage football. I purchased a magnificent collection from a relative. He had not removed them from a closet for over 60 years. I had been outbid on his massive baseball card collection, but was ecstatic to purchase his vintage football card collection. 1957 to 1963. Never have I seen such pristine cards. The 1962s are amazing. Of course, 30% to 40% of them are 90/10 or even worse. My question is will vintage football cards continue their rise in value due the scarcity of nice condition cards? They are far more difficulty to sell than baseball cards from the same era. But they seem to be rarer in high quality condition.
I love your question, and I also love vintage football cards. The 57-63 sets are some of the all time best. I'm beyond jealous that you were able to buy them. I do a segment on Wednesdays that are Q and A. To longer questions, I try to answer them in video format so I can give a detailed explanation to my opinion. I'd love to answer this question via video on an upcoming Wednesday Q and A video. Thanks for taking the time to ask!!
Do you know what years each holder were in use? I am interested in generation 7, specifically.
There are stretches when both were being used. For example, PSA just released a new plastic they're using, but the flip stayed the same. They're using both at the moment until supplies run out, so because of the overlap, I'm not aware of exact dates/years each was used.
Not seems, they are. I took a 75 Brett out of a PSA 8 slab in 2000 because I hated slabs. When I resubmitted a few years ago it came back a 6. Great investigation! I wish they graded how people in the real word would grade.
Unfortunately, that’s a reality, and it’s a problem…
Excellent synopsis. You posted the years of the early slabs, but then did not have years associated with subsequent examples. Would like to see that information at some point.
Appreciate that. The main reason is because there is some debate of the exact years of several generations and in some cases there was even some overlap, likely due to having old supplies still in stock. There’s not an exact start and end date. I did quite a bit of research on it, and didn’t want to post in accurate dates, so instead I chose to not include the ones I couldn’t determine for sure.
Great video! There’s now a gen 11 with QR code slight cantered and light house logo text differences 😂
Yep. And the latest slab also uses a slightly more durable plastic. Don't snap as easily, is slightly heavier, and provides better UV protection.
Thanks for the deep dive on PSA's Slabs... PSA, I believe, has some weasel words that lets them 're-grade' when they reholder if they feel the original grade wasn't accurate...
There are lots of people who have suspicions about some of the grading companies. It's impossible to know what really goes on behind the scenes, but the valuation changes from one grade to the next is incredible.
@@MidLifeCards And the valuation changes generally make sense... My problem with grading companies is that there is a built in incentive in the business to throttle the supply of higher-grade vintage cards and they have at least a dozen different ways to accomplish that built into their system... I"m a fan of the 'audit the grading companies' idea where a small collective sends out a few dozen cards to each grading company, records the results, cracks them and then sends to the next grading company and then reports the results when every company(PSA, SGC, Beckett, CSG/CGC)has had their crack... A robust effort like that plus a universal pop report would improve things quite a bit, I think
Why did you stop showing the time period for each of them? I needed to see 2010 to current.
The reason is because many of the eras overlapped, so exact start and stop dates are impossible to know, especially since serial numbers aren't all sequential.
Great information - thanks so much for the content. I wonder if years can be attached to the different generations. For example, generation 2 began in year .....
The only ones that seem definite are generation one and generation two, which I included in the video. I believe there was some overlapping years at times based on supply on hand of different labels and holograms. I didn't include the years past generation two, because my research that I was doing couldn't definitively find agreement on the years after generation two. But, it's a great question, and if anyone out there knows, I'd love to know the answer to that.
@@MidLifeCards thanks so much
PSA ReHolder service keeps the old certificate number, so may be in new holder but has lower cert #
That's a good point, but do we know if FOR sure, the cert # has always gone in order? Or have they jumped around at times? I'd assume they're in order, but I don't know who to trust anymore.
Well done! Fantastic
Glad you liked it. Thanks!!
I had no idea there were that many renditions. Maybe you should be a investigative reporter Graig. 😂
I'll stick with teaching. LOL I did quite a bit of research to put the pieces of that puzzle together. It was quite a bit of work, but I hope that it's helpful to other collectors, because I sure learned a lot.
question, if you get an older slab reholdered do they put the same grade on the new holder? and just reholder it?
Great question. YES!! They will NOT downgrade your card, they will keep the serial number and grade. They will simply put it in a new holder with the updated label.
Can you do a similar video about SGC???… btw great content and awesome info, keep up the great work
Appreciate that. I can definitely look into sgc’s label changes over the years and see if there is enough content for a video. The thing about psa is they’ve had so many changes and their standards seem to be getting harder, it’s super important to know when it was graded. Sgc seems to be more consistent over time.
Thanks for this video. I have a question. It appears that there is 2 versions of the lighthouse PSA label on the front. This label also has the QR code on the back (Gen 10 in this video). Anyway, I have one label that has shows PSA very discreetly going across the top of the label in the front if you hold it at an angle under light. The other one does not have this. So I assume the one that doesn't have this is older and PSA only started doing this fairly recently. Can anyone else verify this? I'm a bit worried that it also could be a fake if this is inaccurate and PSA, starting from the lighthouse/QR generation always had PSA going across the top of the label on the front side of the card. Let me know and thanks in advance.
My guess is it's a slightly different label.
I new about the generations of holders, but I didn’t know there were 10. I do wonder if the serial number begins with zero, if we look it up, will it give us the date the card was graded to compare.
A lot of the serial numbers are sequential, but not all of them. Because of that, we can't accurately date the grades. The fact that PSA is reholdering cards into new slabs, is an interesting decision.
Well done. Thank you.
Appreciate the feedback, thanks.
Thanks for sharing. Great information.
Glad you liked it. I've created almost 100 videos thus far, and in my opinion, this video may contain the most important and valuable information out of any of them.
@@MidLifeCards I could not agree more. I recently got back into collecting during 2019. I collected when I was a kid with my brother and father and friends. Now I collect and buy lifetime collections from any one that wants to sell them to me. I been holding out on grading because of all the prices that where so high for grading. Now they seen to come back down to send some in. I also love the video you made of buying already graded cards for the $25-$50 range since the grading is $20-$25 with insurance and shipping. There is a lot of value there.
@@brettdore2635 Totally agree. Buying large collections in volume is a great way to go. Smart move.
@@MidLifeCards Happy hunting and collecting my friend. Happy easter as well. Take care.
@@brettdore2635 Same to you!!
When they reholder an old slab to a new, do they change the serial number? I haven't paid attention to that part but just assumed they'd keep everything the same, just a new slab. Good informative video. Thanks!
The serial number stays the same. The thing I'm not sure about is whether they jump around with serial numbers. I know the first card graded was the honus wagner and famously got the 1 serial number. But, have they simply counted, or have there been times where they jump around? If they jump around, then the serial numbers don't help us date when cards were graded.
I'm not sure either. I know I shouldn't but I assumed the lower the numbers the older slabs they were.
Great stuff!
Appreciate that. Glad it was helpful.
Got a question for you. If you send a card to be graded by one of the major companies, and the grade comes back lower than expected, is it ok (intentionally vague)to crack that card and sell raw?
That’s an interesting question. I’m assuming you mean “morally” speaking. I think if the card came back lower than expected because of some sort of flaw that was previously unseen, there is an obligation to disclose the flaw. Some people prefer ungraded cards, so if you think the demand for it ungraded would be higher than if would be in the slab, my first instinct is that I think that’s fine to crack it out. But I’d be interested in hearing what others think.
@@MidLifeCards I’m interested in others replies too. I struggle with this issue If I see the flaw I crack and disclose or don’t crack. If I don’t see the flaw under magnification I normally crack and don’t disclose the graders grade. But I’m not sure this is ok. Especially after the whole Rock autograph issue.
@@evanfraser64 when I list ungraded cards, I tend to point out more flaws than I probably should, because I like to keep my conscience clear.
Awesome video! The 10th generation "aka" the Felix Unger generation is my least favorite generation.
Interesting. Why's that?
As a collector of numismatic coins, there is an entirely different way of collecting coins that has to do with the rarity of the slabs themselves. People say it’s/i’m crazy today. Only time will tell. And my massive collection of slashed zeros that I bought cheap will have been a very good call. In essence you are collecting PSA’s history. And rarity is rarity…
I've heard of a few other people doing that as well. Not my thing, but I get why others like it.
I commented on this not long ago on another video. I think it's absolutely insane that PSA has changed their grading standards and slabs this many times since the early 90s. It's ruined the hobby for me and has created a massive mess. Its why I have personally gotten out of cards and transitioned into other memorabilia. This should've never been a problem, but PSA made it one. Today, I see cards in the newer slabs graded a PSA6 and easily look like a PSA8 or even PSA9. This creates another problem where PSA can easily change gears and go back to grading more lenient. If that happens, you then have a massive slabbed mess of under-graded cards. PSA will still easily sell their new label to everyone with much success, though. When a slabbed card with a PSA label is the ONLY way a card is worth big money, it's when you have a massive problem. I've owned cards in PSA slabs that have sold very well. I've also sold a raw copy of the same card and it doesn't do nearly as well, even if it appears in as good or better condition. PSA has successfully manipulated the hobby and has it feeding out of their hands. While I do prefer them for photographs, I think they have destroyed the card market with their inconsistencies.
I can't disagree with any of it. If the standards were ever "changed" by PSA, they should have noted a "before the change or after the change notification." It's similar to Home Run records during the steroid era. It messed up all of the records and statistics forever. Does anyone truly believe that Sammy Sosa hit more legitimate home runs than Willie McCovey? It's sad. My hope in making this video is that collectors can stop trusting and relying on PSA so much, and use the grade simply as a guide instead of the law.
@@MidLifeCards PSA only cares about the money and nothing else. They'll only start caring for the service they're providing if they ever begin losing business. They only get away with their inconsistencies, because we (the customers) allow them to do so.
@@vintagecollector5340 I can’t disagree. It certainly feels that way sometimes.
@@MidLifeCards A prime example of this just happened today. I finished selling off some Mays vintage cards in PSA slabs. The same buyer bought them both, so I offered him several others I had in raw condition. Keep in mind, these were the SAME card in as good or better condition as the slabbed ones. He decided to pass on the cards and only buy PSA slabs. It's just so sad that the hobby has gotten so bad that raw cards are extremely inferior and almost worthless in raw condition.
@@vintagecollector5340 Raw cards are true collecting imo. But like you said, in terms of value, they don’t have much. It is sad, for sure.
It would have been nice if you had matched the years in which they were graded with each generation
I wish I could've, but many of those holders are difficult to find examples of. No chance I could've found all 10 generations in the same set.
just look out for new slabs with older serial numbers if your worried about old and new style grades
Totally agree. But, PSA's slabs aren't fully sequential with their serial numbers.
when did gen 10 come out?
Good question. There aren't exact dates on when any ended and the other started. PSA tends to phase in changes. That said, it has been several years now.
over 10 years?@@MidLifeCards
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Appreciate it. I hope this content is helpful for people. I feel it's important info to know. :-)
Going to agree and disagree with you in one fell swoop here. Specifically in regards to old slabs and re-holdering. In general, I do factor in a slightly lower value for older slabs, so I do agree on that. However, I think it's dangerous to over-generalize, especially about being cautious about buying older slabs. That is when you really need to look into the card itself. I have seen plenty of old slabs with PSA 8's in them that look better than PSA 8's graded in the last 1-3 years. Not always, but sometimes a card gets a specific grade for a technical reason and may have worse eye appeal than one with poorer attributes (softer corners, centering, etc.).
Generally you can look at the PSA # and know if a card in a new slab has been re-holdered. Generally! The one issue I have is apparently PSA withheld and used different, non-sequential #s for cards graded at the National over the years. I constantly find cards with higher #s in old slabs than #s I received in the newer slabs just a few years ago. For example, I had a lot of cards graded in 20176-7 and the #s on the slabs starts with 27 or 28. Yet, I've seen cards beginning with 3s and 4s that were graded in very old slabs. What I've been told is that those #s were used for grading submitted at the National. So now, if you reholder one of those cards, it will appear it was graded closer to 2018-2020. To me that's more of a problem. I'm rambling here, but I thought that is worth pointing out and just to add not to be afraid to buy a card in an older slab just because "they graded easier" back then.
And no, I didn't know there were that many versions of labels! I pretty much go by 3, old, 2nd Gen and new Lighthouse. Had no idea there were that many variations, especially within the older gen slabs! :)
I always welcome a candid "debate" and cordial disagreement on a topic. Appreciate your response.
Obviously, there are some "older" grades that still hold up today. But, I will say that there is a disproportionate number of first, second, and third generation slabs that are "sloppy." When PSA gives a 7 nowadays, the card is generally VERY nice. In the first few generations, some of those cards are pretty weak. But, I will say, that is certainly a generalization. I'm certainly NOT saying that a card in an older grade is automatically a dog. Not at all. The main premise is that we can't rely on the GRADE ONLY. Ultimately, we need to use our own eyes and determine what a card's condition is REALLY worth to us. To many people simply "go with the grade." I think that is lazy and a bad idea.
I have a video coming out next week, that compares two cards of the same grade. It makes it pretty obvious to me, that not all grades of the same number are created equal. Then, I show off a handful of cards, and ask people to try and "guess the grade." I'll be honest, I think you'll be surprised by some of the grade. Now, it obviously won't be a "perfect" experience, because Sports Cards are three dimensional objects and pictures are two dimensional. But, I think you'll see what I mean.
The main point is NOT to bash PSA and it's NOT to say that all older grades are wrong. The point I'm trying to make is that we can't simply be lazy and RELY on a human being and grading company to determine for us, whether the card is NM or not. We have to do our own evaluation. So, instead of thinking that I'm bombing on the grading companies, what I'm actually ATTEMPTING to do, is encourage people to buy the CARD they like, and not the GRADE they like.
I think we agree on more than we disagree on this topic. :-)
@@MidLifeCards I definitely think we agree more than disagree. But everything you said in your last response can be applies to strictly current slabs too. Not all are created equal. So we are 100% agreement that you need to look at the card closely and not just buy the grade.
That said, I have a T206 that is a PSA 2 and has a wrinkle almost impossible to see with the naked eye. It looks better than EVERY PSA 3 or 4 of the same card I've seen, yet, I'll never get someone to ignore the grade and pay me "4" money. Unless I crack it out and don't disclose the wrinkle. Which I won't do because I didn't see the wrinkle when I bought it. So there is a limit to the reality of buy the card not the grade too. Now I'm just whining. LOL Sorry!
@@VintageBaseballCorner No doubt about it that current slabs also have "human error." That's the nature of the beast, and quite frankly, it gives us something to talk about. Some people think the play in the Super Bowl was pass interference. Others think it was "ticky tack"...but it gives guys on Sports Talk Radio something to talk about. It's fun to hear different opinions.
Ultimately, I 100% agree that there will always be human error and difference of opinion.
Let me ask you this... Pictures by PSA show PSA graders using a loupe when grading cards. Do you think they were using a loupe back in the middle 90s when they first got started? My guess is not. I've also seen the video of SGC showing their grading process where a card is scanned and picks up wrinkles that are not seen by the naked eye. That technology wasn't being used either. So, for me, I do believe the technology being used now means they are grading harder now. Not always,....but generically speaking. Just my two cents.
But, we could go round and round forever on this one. 🙂
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Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
graded 10 in 1990 or 2023 is still a 10. completely irrelevant. if it’s slabbed a 10- who gives a shit, it’s a 10.
I agree that the majority of grades hold up. But many people believe the standards have gotten tougher as technology has started being used by the big grading companies. But, in regards to 10s...yes, I tend to agree that the overwhelming majority hold up.
All cheap China slabs
Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment.