Ever wonder what those two letters next to a PSA grade mean? These are called qualifiers.
PSA grading qualifiers are alpha-numeric designations that appear alongside numerical grades to indicate specific condition issues that prevent a card from receiving an unqualified grade. These qualifiers provide additional information and transparency about particular defects or characteristics that influenced the final assessment.
While a card may exhibit overall quality consistent with a particular grade, a single prominent issue may warrant additional notation. The numerical grade reflects the card’s general condition, while the qualifier specifies the limiting factor that prevented a higher or unqualified assessment.
Common Qualifiers
PSA employs various two-letter qualifier codes, with the following being most frequently encountered:
Off-Center (OC) represents the most prevalent qualifier, indicating that the card’s image positioning deviates significantly from center, creating noticeable border inconsistencies that preclude an unqualified grade.
Miscut (MC) denotes more severe centering issues resulting from manufacturing errors during the cutting process, potentially showing portions of adjacent cards or irregular border configurations.
Staining (ST) identifies cards with persistent discoloration, typically from gum residue, wax, or other substances that cannot be removed without risking card integrity—particularly common in vintage issues.
Print Defect (PD) encompasses various manufacturing anomalies including ink smudges, registration errors, printing lines, or other production-related imperfections that occurred during the printing process.
Out of Focus (OF) applies to cards exhibiting image clarity issues resulting from printing equipment calibration problems or focus inconsistencies during production.
Marks (MK) covers post-production alterations such as ink annotations, pencil markings, or other human-applied modifications that occurred after manufacturing.
Market Impact
Qualifiers significantly affect market value. Industry convention suggests that qualified cards typically trade at values comparable to unqualified cards graded approximately two points lower. For example, a PSA 8 (ST) card generally commands pricing similar to an unqualified PSA 6.
Certain segments of the collecting community maintain strict preferences for unqualified examples, potentially limiting the buyer pool for qualified cards. However, qualified cards retain relevance in the marketplace, particularly for scarce vintage issues where high-grade unqualified examples are rare. In such cases, qualified cards representing otherwise strong condition may offer viable acquisition opportunities, especially when the qualifying issue stems from original manufacturing characteristics rather than post-production damage.
For more information on PSA’s qualifiers, visit PSA’s FAQ page.
Images source: Fanatics Collect
GRADEx Staff
This feature story is a team collaboration between our writers, editors, and hobby specialists, representing weeks of coordinated research and reporting
