Experiences With Requesting Grading Change?

Oracle, in my experience with certification/grading submissions, I haven't been charged anything extra for requesting grading in addition to certification.

Update on initial post:



I had been saving up for a #293 for quite some time and when I saw this one, I decided this was the one. The auction firm described as VF-LH accompanied by an ungraded 2008 PF cert. I had it graded after winning it and it came back Fine - 70. When I asked PF about why (I had looked in their database and saw this centering was routinely graded 80) they mentioned that the worksheet showed intial grade of 75 but knocked down 5 for the guideline. I thought perhaps it was for some oxidation/sulphurization but nope - color is good.

But, bottom line, is that I like it and it looks great on the page . I have no plans to sell it (I'll leave that to my survivors). Lesson learned.

Try asking PF to issue a new certificate but without the grading. You'll have to pay for that. Otherwise, send it to PSE or PSAG and ask for an ungraded cert.

I agree with Uboat, I would get a new un-graded cert. The 70 drops the cv whether you care about that for yourself or your heirs. Always request a no-grade under a certain number. That issue is hard to find well centered and that is a very nice copy IMO. The guideline being looked at as a flaw is absolutely silly. PSAG certs are not really looked at with much favor by some like Siegel and Rupp. PSE is a good bet if, as I said, you request a non-graded cert below a certain number (I would say 80 since that is the cv neutral zone). You could get another PF cert, but the graded cert record will remain on the books and in the database. OR you could just do nothing and enjoy a beautiful stamp.

That 2$ is amazing and better than most graded 80-85 I have seen at auction

Sad

Yes I've soured on the whole grading thing. Too inconsistent. Just looked up this #293 today that PF graded 80 ... with a guideline. I'd take my PF 70 over this one any day.

One other thing I don't think gets much consideration is the degree of hinging. The one I got has only the barest trace of a hinging yet I think stamps with a hinge remnant would be graded the same.

How old is the cert?

I agree with rogdcam and uboatnut. Ask for an ungraded cert. This is a case of where the existence of a grade is a major negative, IMO more so than is deserved based upon the aesthetics of the stamp itself.

It reminds me of a R100c jumbo, the largest I had ever seen, that I purchased from Richard Friedberg about a decade ago. At the show where I purchased it, for giggles we took it to Randall Shoemaker, since PSAG had a booth, for his opinion. After his saying "Wow!" upon first seeing the stamp, he then proceeded to scrutinize the stamp and said that the best it would get would be 85J, because the bottom margin was so much larger than the top margin. Both were jumbo margins, but this is the case where someone looking for financial gain might be persuaded to reperf the bottom margin in hopes of obtaining a better grade... which of course would be reprehensible.

While I agree that the R100c is a great stamp, I also agree that it would only grade 85.

Caspian65 - the PF database doesn't show the date but it is the first one that shows when you do a basic #293, unused OG search



I've asked PF to just re-send me a certificate without a grade, just the basic "It is genuine, previously hinged".

For grins I checked their database for other 70's and there is only 1.

This was fairly early this year, perhaps March.