imgur.com/gallery/S0f8Sjn
I bought this PSA 9 shining magikarp off ebay and it clearly has a bit of whitening on the back. Was I scammed or are 9’s allowed to have a certain amount of whitening?
Oh God… Lol
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Sorry if this is dumb I guess, but I’m new to collecting and everywhere I look online says psa 9s dont have any whitening
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No its OK. We all start somewhere 
PSA 9s can have some whitening, edge dings, and Holo scratches. That’s why it was given a 9 and not a 10.
9s can also vary alot so just be diligent when buying them
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It’s not a dumb question, but you certainly were not scammed. It could just be a lower end 9. I have come across some 9s that have way too much whitening IMO but somehow they achieved a 9. You also have to keep in mind that grading is completely subjective. It very well may have received an 8 from another grader. I try to avoid listings that do not show the back of the card or just ask the seller for a picture. Buy the card, not the case.
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This one I sent in myself. It also has a minute crease in the top border. Still came back mint 9
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Where is the whitening?
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imgur.com/gallery/rgogBLM
Here’s some better pics, you can see the white speck in the 2nd pic but I definitely think you guys are right and it’s a legit 9. Thank you!
Thank you for the example, that helped a lot. I definitely think mine’s a legit 9 now
I’d say your PSA 9 is a strong one, probably got the 9 because of the front and not the back.
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You will be surprised how much whitening on the back some 9s can have. That is clean compared to some 9s.
Yes, of course they can have whitening.
I would deem this even perfectly acceptable for a PSA 10, given that the front is perfect and centering is good.
PSA 10 is simply a very nicely looking card, I don’t put more value onto it.
Maybe a BGS 10 Pristine can come close to a guarantee of having no whitening though.
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Pssttt… My PSA 9 NR Growlithe… That bottom corner alone keeps me up at night.
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FYI a lot of PSA 10 cards have whitening.
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Even 10s can have that white speck.
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Everything starts off as a 10 and then drops based on how egregious the damage is. I’ve got plenty of 9s and they all have one thing that keeps them from being 10s. Slightly OC, a Holo scratch, some whitening. These cards are near perfection but not quite there. You will find some 9s that are dang near perfect though. Like others have said, buy the card and not the grade.
Haha that’s like one of the best 9’s man. Looks like a 10 from the back
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With Pokémon, it’s hard to find 9s WITHOUT whitening since it’s one of the most common factory defects to plauge English cards. As others have said, your shining magikarp looks like a very strong 9 based on the back.
That whitening is so tiny, it’s totally fine. I have a few shadowless 9’s that have some whitening on them and I have a couple 8’s that look the same but came back a grade lower. It depends on the grader I think.
Actually it depends on the card;)