No more transferable tags
Grading companies should not be producing slabs with transferable tags. Bottom line. The chance for counterfeit is very high, and the slabs can be cracked, the tags transferred to new blank slabs and then sealed with different cards inside. This is definitely a problem, and it needs to be addressed. There are other grading companies outside of PSA who have addressed some of these issues like TAG, BGS is much harder to fake, and ofcourse the Mercedes of all grading companies, our friends at Rare Edition. I mean, that slab is something else. Incredible.
The risk for counterfeit is especially high for vintage cards and other high sought-after grail cards that the grade means everything. Cards that aren’t limited to a certain countable print run. A Tom Brady 2000 Bowman rookie for example. The population is at 472. So, I take out the Brady, replace it with a fake or a different raw card that would grade lower, lets say a raw one that I buy for a fraction of the cost. I then use the real tag to put in a blank slab and then glue it shut with the card of lesser value or even fake card. What I have done, is committed a felony and escaped with the PSA 10 Tom Brady RC that I can grade again and repeat the process with. I may choose PSA to grade again, BGS or any of the grading companies out there. However, if I choose PSA, they will just keep giving me new tags that I can recycle. Will I get the PSA 10 again? Who knows. Their grading on that card is probably extra strict, might mess around and get a 7 or 8. So, yes it does pose risk doesn’t it. The point is this is not good, and it is scary to think about how many fake slabs are out there.
Collectors without the proper knowledge are too susceptible to buying cards that are switched out of the original slabs. The tags should either be printed on the plastic much like TAG does, or glued on so that they are not removable. Its really an easy fix moving forward, but unfortunately for the 100 million plus cards in the market already, there is no way to manage what has already been given out to the collecting community. It is a big blunder and scary to think how many cards have been recycled in this manner. Be careful collectors, it is a real problem.
I have a few videos on YouTube that go into detail regarding this issue, and I think that it is important to remember, when going to card shows to really look at the slab and get a feel for it. Understand the slabs, look for the PSA logos engraved in the plastic. Unfortunately, this can also be copied, so again it comes down to the label being the most important element to save the integrity of a card. Fake labels can be made of course, but if the label is removable, it makes it even easier for loser scammers to cheat the card community.
PSA, it is your slabs we are talking about. There are other issues that we can get into regarding the slabs, such as quality, rattling of cards, and so on, but the main concern is the removable tags. Will you fix this problem?
You have made improvements with the UV protection increase in some of your newer slabs, the inner sleeve for die cuts, but the upcharge and cost being put on the shoulders of the collector, it is just too much for the product that you have produced. I would hope that you continue to be innovative and give back some of your margins to improve these issues.
