How does CGC treat factory cut rough edges from wire-cut cards? For example, I've seen PSA, SGC and Beckett give high grades to vintage cards that have incredibly rough edges - almost as if they were grading on a curve or allowing a different tolerance for edge damage than is allowed with modern cards.
How does CGC treat factory cut rough edges from wire-cut cards? For example, I've seen PSA, SGC and Beckett give high grades to vintage cards that have incredibly rough edges - almost as if they were grading on a curve or allowing a different tolerance for edge damage than is allowed with modern cards.
Factory issues such as wire-cut cards are taken into account and an allowance is given. Specifically talking about edges like the OPC edge, what we are looking for is wear and not factory produced rough cut. Now, that does not mean that the rough edge gets a free pass. If a wire-cut edge cuts into the cards surface, this would be considered damage and would affect the overall card grade. So, while there is some allowance given to the OPC edge, the edge is still graded against our edge standard.
@cardgrader the allowance adds for even more subjectivity to an already subjective process. As a collector/customer, I'd like to see more transparent standards and calculations. For example - X amount of damage = a reduction of Y points. For the OPC wire cut, X damage = 1/2 Y point deduction. Does CGC have any plans to be more transparent with scoring so customers can better understand the metrics and process?
@brad-denenberg but at some point, the calculation becomes a bit performative / hokey, unless it's total AI. No?
Let's agree that currently card grading IS somewhat subjective--by design? Out of necessity? Both.
I'm an English teacher, and have worked in systems before that asked us to do this when "scoring" essays. Mostly, in those cases, I think humans take their holistic sense of "the grade," and cram numbers in boxes to justify it. In other words, it's not authentic.
Yes, cards are much more "objects" than student writing--BUT there is plenty of AI that does in fact score and grade human writing. It does a poor job, but it does its work consistently (the same essay will always receive the same score, however bad that score is).
I understand that AI needs to "quantify" this "damage" in order to function well or at all. But is there "value" or need for humans to grade in this way?
How is this damage quantified? What does "3" damage mean to a wire cut edge, vs. "4" damage? Etc.?
