*Backstory/Background*
I am a fairly new collector for Pokemon TCG.
I started collecting again a year ago after seeing the market and value and figured it makes for good investments and honest fun getting into the hobby again. I usually collect raw card and favorite Pokemon at card shows and rip everything or anything I can buy at retail.
So so in early-late November, I was able to find and locate my childhood collection from when I was a kid after digging through 3-4 families garages after getting back into the hobby and remembering I did have some I collected as a kid. All were mostly bulk Base Set/Fossil/Jungle and cherished 1st edition Team Rocket I loved collecting most at the time(images attached)
I decided to do more research in regards to grading and at the time I worked on sorting all the cards, putting them in penny sleeves and new binders. I was a bit discouraged when I heard of horror stories in peoples past experiences and held off a while until I heard more opinions from vendors and such. Overall I thought I’d go for it. “oh it couldn’t happen to me, I’m new, it’s my first time ever grading anything”. Upon doing more research I set out to make a plan. I selected cards I loved wanted to hold and grade and cards that friends suggested to grade as well. Obviously the Charizards(6 of them). I did not care what grades I would get because at most I’d keep and hold as my new 401k plan or very least use undervalued low graded slabs to trade up for some I really want in 10’s and if I was being honest, I wanted to also be able to sell some or one fair one buy a beautiful ring for my girlfriend.
*Main story*
For the most part were all cards were LP-NM-Mint condition and very few MP as I do remember playing with some as a kid. Given the fact they were in a binder for almost 20 years or so they were all kept in good shape. Upon doing my research I learned about upcharge and such. so I figured, why not sort out those I want to grade and sell the bulk to a collector, I was able to scrounge up close to 4000$ after selling the bulk and LP conditioned cards to save up until I received the final price of the grades and cover any upcharge but if my luck was any better put it on the amex just incase. So there I went, I prepped all the 37 cards I wanted to grade, gave a quick wipe down with microfiber cloth, into a penny sleeve and into a card saver as suggested by PSA for submissions.(Images attached). Upon filling out the form I did see estimate was around 2000$, totally fine.
*Timeline*
March 1st I drove after from to Burbank Sportscards to submit my cards(PSA Drop off location), about an hour away from where I live so more gas and time invested into this.
March 3rd they were received.
March 9th they were prepped
March 10th went into grading
March 26th went into assembly
April 22nd final QA Checks
April 23rd Grades became available
April 28th Completed
All from screenshot time stamps from anticipation waiting 2 months for them to get back, glad I kept track.
*Main Dilemma*
I received the notification grades were ready, it took me about an hour to open and decide to look, I was thinking maybe I should just wait until they arrive but glad I did but also upset after I did. My heart sank. EVERY SINGLE SUBMISSION received a “N5: Altered Stock” grade. I was scared as if I did something wrong but I did not know what any of that meant and quick google search it gave me what these mean and apparently have several different codes for them. I was upset, saddened and hurt because after all that waiting I was still charged 2000$.
Upset I dialed up customer support trying to get more clarification on the matter. I spoke to a rep and the rep explained that, N5 meant it was pressed, paper restoration, scratch removal or enhanced gloss and or even cleaned. The rep explained that it did not meet the requirements by the manufacturer to grade and asked where I kept my cards, I mentioned that they were just in a standard ring binder for 20 years and he said that, that may have been it but never confirmed. It made no sense to me that that grade was applied to every single card. The rep was unable to have leadership on the phone and added me to an email chain and after a day or 2 I followed up by email(images attached).
Few days past and still unable to get contact, I plead my case/situation and explained that okay it’s fine, maybe I should resubmit but also I didn’t want to have to pay 2000$ for nothing so I was looking to have some compensation for failure to provide the service. It really hurt me, financially and emotionally as I just sold my childhood collection in order to receive my cards graded! I pushed to try and have clarification or notes on what deemed them to be N5 and no longer receiving any responses back after 2 emails have been sent and cards are now being shipped back, unslabbed, ungraded, misguided and distressed.
How can it be in assembly for months and not come back in a slab. The rep advised that I could get them authentic altered in order to be encapsulated but needed to be check marked so how is that fair? Make me wait longer for nothing? I paid for the service and service was not provided and instead wasted my time and money.
As if it wasn’t hard enough letting go of my childhood collection to invest towards the cards I graded I feel robbed and have no clue what to do now. Some friends suggested to maybe resubmit separately every other week or so but I don’t want to risk that or them seeing my account and deeming it altered again. I have been thinking of taking legal action but not worth more wasted time and money against a billion dollar company but paying 2000$ of my hard earned money and sacrificing my collection for service not being provided and no explanation is totally unethical. I could understand a few maybe receiving that N5 I guess or whatever the grading codes are but all 37 is insane. I wanted to details on why it received the grade just as a courtesy. I have seen videos of people restoring and submitting them but I never took the time to do that but now maybe I should send it to a professional as it was already scary enough when I was wiping down my grails I wouldn’t want to risk damaging them. I even submitted 1 that had a ring binder dent and another with a corner ding just because it was my favorite pokemon/cards.
Overall that’s my horror story and hope people can provide any insight or recommendations. I don’t think I’ll be collecting for a while until I can financially and emotionally recover from this loss and maybe I should go to another grading company, I was thinking beckett but realized beckett is basically PSA monopolizing the market. I thought maybe I should just go to tag for quick turn around and hold until value and reputation builds.
Appreciate it if you made it to the end! Moral of the story, if you have vintage collections, hold it forever. Good luck to you all! I may not respond to anything as I think I said enough.
*lots of good information from those who replied, thank you but also a lot of bigotry but also funny ones. Tbh Idk what half of the stuff people mentioned means and I tried to give as much detail as I could. To be clear I am new to grading and definitely should have done some things better as far as having them pre-graded(didn’t know that was an option) and maybe just send them as is and not even wipe them down at all. Lots of different issues and theories and speculation but it is what it is. Live and learn.*
Images of scans from PSA: https://imgur.com/a/iosQIM4