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PSA vs Collectors Universe

I am seeing some PSA/DNA LOA's out there. I see that PSA refers to themselves as "collectors Universe" sometimes.....

The exact sentence is "This item has been examined by one or more PSA/DNA experts. On behalf of Collectors Universe this item etc. etc. etc."

Can someone please explain to me what the relationship is here? Who is collectors universe, and why did the name change?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 23, 2014 at 4:53pm

Collectors Universe is the parent corporation of PSA and PSA/DNA.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Johnson on July 23, 2014 at 6:14pm

are they the parent company of anything else?

Does Collectors Universe do any other services for the hobby?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 23, 2014 at 9:32pm

Did you read those two ripoff reports, William? Both are from 1986...that is, they talk about events from back then. One said his coins went down in value. The other said an employee of theirs hypnotized him, and he talks about coins that were either never issued or are so rare they're worth millions of dollars.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 23, 2014 at 9:25pm

CU owns and started as PCGS: Professional Coin Grading Service. It's been the leading coin grading service since shortly after it opened in 1986. I was one of the founders of PCGS.

PSA/DNA is their only business in the autograph field, though.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 24, 2014 at 8:01am

For starters, PSA and PSA/DNA were not founded and are not owned or managed by sportscard, memorabilia or autograph dealers.

But the reason you find dealers behind most authenticating and grading services is because most collectors are not employed in their fields of collecting. You can learn much more about authenticating and grading by buying and selling day to day than you can as a dealer in most cases.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 24, 2014 at 2:00pm

It is part of Collectors Universe. And the owners and founders of CU were not and are not autograph or sports collectables dealers or auction houses.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 24, 2014 at 3:06pm

Who is Collectibles Unlimited?

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 24, 2014 at 4:53pm

William,

Why are you trying to make me look like I'm being deceptive? I'm clearly talking about PSA and PSA/DNA, not PCGS. David Hall and Van Simmons are coin dealers, not autographs or sports collectibles dealers.

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Permalink Reply by Randy on July 24, 2014 at 6:32pm

Collector's Universe is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ exchange. It went public in 1999.

The shareholders own the company.

David Hall, who as Steve said is a coin dealer, owns roughly 12% of the shares and Van Simmons owns 3% of the shares.

Hardly constitutes a majority ownership so I guess there is at least one grading/authentication company that does not fit your dealer ownership profile.

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Permalink Reply by Randy on July 24, 2014 at 6:55pm

I know anybody who has $20 can buy a share of stock in Collector's Universe and they don't have to be a dealer to do so.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Meyer on July 24, 2014 at 8:46pm

Heck no. That 1 share probably wouldn't even get you a grading discount.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on July 25, 2014 at 9:04am

William,

Accugrade is not the first coin authentication and grading service. ANACS was: Amerincan Numismatic Association Certification Service.

Accugrade was started by Allen Hager, a person with a poor reputation in the coin field, and his grading service's reputation is equally bad. It's the Global Authentics of coin grading services. I know nothing about Accucard.