List of Cards That PSA Refuses to Grade/Recognize

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Hello everyone,

This is a guide on which cards have been submitted to PSA but have been denied.

Please note that I am excluding the following types of cards:

  • one-of-a-kind errors (there are far too many to list and it doesn’t make sense for PSA to recognize cards where only one exists)
  • cards that are no longer recognized (there is a separate guide for those)
  • cards that changed labels (there is a separate guide for those)
  • cards that are in a language other than English or Japanese (it seems that PSA has stopped grading other languages)

Let me know if there are any cards that you’ve tried to have recognized and I’ll add them to the list. Only include them if you’ve actually submitted them and they’ve been denied, please don’t include cards that you haven’t actually tried to contact PSA about.

Happy collecting
:blush:

No Damage Shadowless Ninetales 12/102 - 1999 Base Set
Note: This is an error card and is missing the “80” damage next to the Fire Blast attack

1st Edition Ghost Stamp Pikachu 58/102 - 1999 Base Set
Note: The “1st Edition” stamp is not fully pressed into the card and appears as “E ITION”

Holo Scratch 1st Edition Pinsir - 1999 Pokemon Jungle
Note: There is a scratch in the holo above the “1st Edition” stamp

Orange Ink Smear 1st Edition Haunter 6/62 - 1999 Pokemon Fossil

Purple Ink Smear Haunter 6/62 - 1999 Pokemon Fossil
Note: There is an ink smear to the right of Haunter

Orange Ink Smear 1st Edition Hitmonlee 7/62 - 1999 Pokemon Fossil

Corrected Holo Zapdos 15/62 - 1999 Pokemon Fossil
Note: Most Unlimited prints had the holofoil cut out in the top left of the card as if it had an evolution. The cards were fixed late into the print run which makes the corrected version more valuable.

Inverted Stamp Electabuzz 2 - 1999 Pokemon Game Movie
Note: The WB stamp was printed upside down

Inverted Stamp Mewtwo 3 - 1999 Pokemon Game Movie
Note: The WB stamp was printed upside down

Inverted Stamp Pikachu 4 - 1999 Pokemon Game Movie
Note: The WB stamp was printed upside down

Inverted Stamp Dragonite 5 - 1999 Pokemon Game Movie
Note: The WB stamp was printed upside down

For Position Only Alakazam 33/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Ampharos 34/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Arbok 35/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Blastoise 36/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Charizard 39/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Clefable 41/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

For Position Only Dugtrio 44/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition

E3 Demo Pichu 58/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition
Note: This card is glossy and has a hole punch through the center of it. More here.

E3 Demo Hoppip 112/165 - 2002 Pokemon Expedition
Note: This card is glossy and has a hole punch through the center of it. More here.

COLLECTOR Charizard 3/70 - 2018 Pokemon Sun & Moon Dragon Majesty
Note: There is some controversy surrounding this card (more here)

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They don’t recognise the hole-punched Expedition Base Set kiosk cards.

I honestly think they’re correct to not recognise the FPO cards because they weren’t intended to be released and the Collector Charizard itself is a third-party stamp. It bugs me though that they do accept certain other cards which weren’t intended to be released like the Sample Set cards (and I say that as an owner of a PSA 10 Sample Pichu) - their double standards are very annoying sometimes.

They also don’t recognise Imation Matchprint™ proofing prints, but maybe that’s for the best.

There are also a lot of non-TCG cards PSA refuse to grade including phone cards, Bandai and Topsun sets which they have graded examples from different sets of in the past.

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The ink stain haunter actually gets graded at psa all the time. Gemmintpokemon graded 2 at psa 9 which actually got the stain qualifier (the 9(st) grade). Most others just get graded normally. PSA might miss the stain because it is not extremely clear. But I dont think psa does not grade does since there actually haunters with the qualifier.

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PSA has graded some FPO’s and Collector zards

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Oh neat, I never knew about those kiosk cards. I just added them to the list! I can see why they don’t accept them though since they have a giant hole through the middle of them LOL. It’s weird that they accept some cards that were intended to be released but not others. I wonder what their reasoning for that is, if they even have reasoning…

I’m glad that they don’t recognize those Matchprint proofing prints since they’re far too easy to replicate (as you mentioned in your post). I think that they’re willing to grade non-TCG cards, they just need a good amount of documentation. I’ve been able to submit non-TCG cards myself that they now recognize so I’m sure if those sets get enough documentation PSA will start grading them too
:blush:

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Even though it’s graded I’m personally not satisfied with the stain qualifier. The stain qualifier can be given to cards that have any kind of stain, not just a factory stain. You could pour oil on the card and it would get the same qualifier :slightly_frowning_face: That causes a dangerous precedent of people being able to put blue ink on the card and say “I have an Ink Stain Haunter” imo. I’d like to see it recognized as a factory error instead
:blush:

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They’ve accidentally slipped through but they’re not recognized by PSA. One of efour’s forum members was banned from submitting to PSA because they submitted an FPO and it slipped through which “tarnished” the reputation of PSA. PSA wasn’t too happy about that lol

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Cullers got banned because he refused to return it. Which honestly was hilarious and something most people would do. You could just make a new account.

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LOL I feel like most people would definitely hang onto it. That’s what PSA gets when they don’t catch it after it made it through multiple QA checks smh

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PSA just recently denied two cards in my last submission that they previously have slabbed in the past.

  • Pop Series 5 Holo Pikachu 12/17 “Upside Down Back” Error

  • Gotta Magazine French Black Star #4 Pikachu, Japanese Promo Card.

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I haven’t been able to find anything that indicates that PSA recognizes the Pop Series 5 Holo Pikachu 12/17 “Upside Down Back” Error. When have they slabbed it with an upside down label?

It’s weird that they denied your Gotta Magazine Pikachu. What reason did they give for denying it? You can still submit it via the website…

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PSA will slab the Pikachu as if it’s the normal back, but they don’t have a slab specifically for it.

They now deny any of the Blacks Star #4 Pikachu promos, with the exception of the English Movie promo, The Gold Stamp promo, and the Red/Green starter set.

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Have you requested that they recognize the upside down back?

And ah that must be because it’s neither English nor Japanese.

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Lol, why?.. I know it’s French, but it’s released in Japan. Does this mean they’ll soon stop grading the Pikachu World Collection; foreign Art Academy cards; and foreign Tropical championship cards as well then. Does PSA even know their own guidelines on what to grade themselves… :unamused:

Greetz,
Quuador

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Whoa! That is news to me! I have a PSA 9 graded and I know there are only a handful that exist. Why would they suddenly deny it? That is so stupid… It’s a japanese card that was printed in another language, which is no different from the gotta mew card.

Have you tried calling to question their reasoning? It’s in the pop report for crying out loud.

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There’s a Ghost Stamped Pikachu PSA 7 on ebay www.ebay.com/itm/Ghost-Stamp-Error-Pikachu-PSA-7-NM-NEW-LABEL/114709630932?hash=item1ab53a0fd4:g:Fj4AAOSwKVBgPXcG

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Quick pop lookup shows 3 graded now.
Anyone on here who’s going to trying and send theirs in now?

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I have one that’s hopefully about to be graded anytime now. I did not write it as an error/ghost stamp in the submission form so I’m curious to see what the label will say if they do grade it.