The Cards We Submit: Ink Stains, Surface Marks, etc.
These are key test cases we're submitting to continue improving our grading process.
I made a post a couple weeks ago about the cards that we decided not to submit to PSA due to flaws, so today I’m making the opposite.
This post is all about the cards that we are sending to PSA that are not perfect. These all have defects that we’ve identified and will affect grading, but we still feel like they have a chance at grading as PSA 10s.
Before we start, I recommend you read our Complete Guide to PSA Grading: How to Get More PSA 10s.
Try our auction filter to find the most profitable players and Pokémon to grade. Updated weekly. This tool contains affiliate links — thanks for supporting The Business of Card Grading!
1. 2025 Donruss Downtown Tyler Shough
Defects:
Notes: Overall, this is a pretty solid card but it looks like there’s two manufacturer surface flaws. One is a light scratch on the side that can only be seen in certain lighting. The other is a dimple. We see stuff like this gem pretty often, and 2025 Donruss Downtown cards have been grading well. I feel good about this submission.
2. 2024 TC Bo Nix Auto Aqua Sonar /199
Defects:
Notes: The only flaw on this card is an ink stain on the front surface, which came from the original signature. In the past we’ve had good luck on auto cards with ink stains, but they have always been smaller and on the back of the card. I will say, this one benefits from being hard to see since it blends into the aqua sonar design of the card.
Basically the main test here is whether or not ink stains on the front of auto cards impact grading differently than ink stains on the back. Overall I feel like this one has a solid shot.
3. 2024 Prizm Drake Maye Silver #329
Defects:
Notes: Really the main defect on this card is the front top/bottom centering. We measured the centering at about 42/58 (well outside of PSA guidelines), with the bottom border being quite a bit larger than the top.
Considering the usual quality control issues on these 2024 Prizm cards, this card is in good condition besides the centering. Generally we don’t worry much about manufacturer dimples like the ones shown here: PSA is lenient on these.
With all that said, the main test here is how far we can push it on off-centered cards. I think this one has a chance.
Takeaways:
To leave you with some quick thoughts on what we have here:
PSA is lenient on light scratches and manufacturer dimples.
We’ve had good luck on ink stains on auto cards in the past, but we’re still actively testing this area.
PSA recently updated their guidance on centering to suggest that cards slightly outside of 55/45 can gem. We’ve had some luck with cards as off center as 57/43. We’re testing going a bit further.
Interesting Auctions Ending In Next 24 Hours:
Here are some auctions ending today of cards/players we have been targeting (including cards not discussed in this post). You can find our recent Market Updates here.
These are affiliate links and we may receive compensation for completed purchases.