PSA Set Registry Rules

Welcome to the PSA Set Registry®. The Registry contains information about hundreds of trading cards and tickets. Each set represents years of a collector's time and effort. The Registry is a way to recognize these great sets. At PSA, we have not forgotten that it is the collector's spirit that drives our industry. We would like to sincerely thank each collector for sharing his or her set with us. Some of the sets listed are without a doubt the finest in the world and are all significant accomplishments to be admired by all sports collectible enthusiasts.

All Time Finest and Current Sets

In order to list your set as current, you must own and have possession of the items you are listing or be an agent with permission to represent a collection. (Possession may include items being held in your safe deposit box or items which you have consigned to auction.) A card or ticket is not considered owned by you if you have sold it to another and there has been a transference of ownership, regardless of buyback or return policies. Furthermore, this item should be removed from your inventory. If the card or ticket should return to your possession and you regain ownership, you then have the option to relist it in your inventory.

You should retire a set from Current status when you have sold or broken up the set. To retire a set and release the inventory associated to the set, simply click on the “Retire Set & Inventory” link in each of your sets (Note that if you delete items from your set one by one, it will also reduce your ATF set completion). If your set was at least 90% complete at the time of deletion, it will remain in the All Time Finest category and will be listed with a "viewable" status. If you still own the items in a retired set that was 90% complete at the time of retirement and the set remains in the All Time Finest category, those same certification numbers cannot be re-used by you in a new set of the same exact type.

Should you attempt to list an item and you receive a message notifying you that the item is currently listed by another registrant, please use the automatic email feature that will send an email to the former owner asking for release. The email is generated from Set Registry and your name will not be sent to the other member. If after three (3) business days you are still not able to add the item to your inventory, please send personal front AND back scans of the item to [email protected]. Registrants are urged to delete their sets or items from their inventory once sold to release the certification numbers for other registrants who may have purchased the items and wish to register them.

Current sets that are not at least 10% complete and have not been updated for at least 12 months will be unpublished from the Registry. The set will not be publishable until it has been updated.

Buying and Selling Policy

The PSA Set Registry is to be used to list collections of PSA graded cards and tickets. By the sheer nature of the Registry, items listed are invariably bought and sold. However, using terminology such as "for sale or trade," "auction1107," or listing an item with a sale price is not permitted. In addition, posting commerce website addresses is also not permitted. The Set Registry is self-policing. Should you see an infraction of this policy, please report it to [email protected].

Grade Points, Set Ratings and Weighting

Set rankings are determined by the grades of the items in the set, the "weight" assigned to each item in the set, and the set's completeness. Each item within the set is assigned a weight based on the value of the item in NM-MT condition. For example, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle would have a much higher weight than a 1952 Topps common. If the set contains an ultra-rarity, the set may be broken down using a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the greatest weight. If the set has little variation in individual item prices, then the scale may be 1-5. Weighting for each set is viewable by clicking on the set checklist link found on each set page.

Using the individual item ratings, the grade of each item, the completion percentage and set size, a unique formula is created for each set in the registry. To be specific, the weighted grade point average is determined by multiplying the grade of each item listed in a set by the weight of the item. (Note that for calculation purposes non-graded authenticated items and "Proof" tickets, regardless of the numeric grade, receive a default grade of 1. Proof tickets are not eligible for bonus points.) Then these totals are summed and divided by the total sum for weights of those items. The final set rating is achieved by dividing the weighted grade sum by the total sum of the weights in the entire set. Now, while this is NOT an exact science, the formula should provide an accurate evaluation of each set registered on our site. This means you can compare your prized sets to the best the hobby has to offer.

Ties

Sets are date-stamped according to the first date they are submitted for publication. In case of a tie the set which reaches the number one spot with 100% completion first will remain in the number one spot regardless of the set's first validation date. The following logic is used:

  1. Highest rating NOW
  2. Highest rating EVER
  3. Highest rating ever DATE

As an example:

  1. Set #1 with the highest rating goes to the top slot.
  2. If set #2 ties set #1's rating, then set #1 remains in the top slot regardless of the first or last published date.
  3. If set #2 updates set to beat #1's rating, then #2 will take the top slot.
  4. If set #1 ties #2, #2 remains in the top slot because that set achieves the highest rating first.

Bonus Points and Deductions

Some sets may have bonus points assigned to certain items within a set.

Additionally, the following point deductions are taken for Qualifiers. For example, if your card or ticket is graded PSA 9Q, the grade calculation in the Registry will be 7.

9Q = -2
8Q = -2
7Q = -2
6Q = -2
5Q = -2
4Q = -2
3Q = -1
2Q = -1
1Q & 1.5Q = no deduction

The calculation for bonuses or deductions is as follows:
(Grade + Bonus) x Weight
(Grade – Deduction) x Weight

Qualifier population statistics listed in the Registry take the deductions into account. So, for example, if your item is graded 4MK, it is calculated with the PSA 2 populations.

Top Pop Bonus Points

Bonus points are issued to items listed in your set which are the highest graded with none graded higher. Items tied for the highest grade with none graded higher receive 1 bonus point. Items that are the single highest graded with none graded higher receive 2 bonus points. Should the populations change, the bonus points will be adjusted or removed. Not all set composites are eligible for Top Pop bonus points. Open-ended sets which do not require specific cards in a slot, are not eligible for bonus points.

Autographed Cards

In the hobby, trading cards that are signed after-the-fact (not cards manufactured with autographs) are treated differently than trading cards that remain in their original form. While both types of cards are highly collectible, it would be unfair and illogical to treat unsigned and signed trading cards the same in the PSA Set Registry. In other words, they both deserve their own categories and should compete against like items. Because autographs and non-autographed cards are two different kinds of collectibles, the Registry does not permit signed cards which have been PSA/DNA authenticated in non-autograph sets. This only refers to non-manufactured signed cards. 1998 and later cards that come signed from the manufacturer can be used in most sets. Exceptions to the autograph vs. non-autograph card policy include player sets where a signed card can be used in place of an unsigned card and signed tickets can be used in non-autograph ticket sets.

Set Changes

The PSA Set Registry is a work in progress. Occasionally, an item in a set originally marked as "optional" may be changed to be included as part of the required items or vice versa. Also, items may be added or subtracted from a set. These changes may affect a registrant's overall GPA and rating. PSA reserves the right to make changes with or without the consent of participating members.

Online Registration is Free

There are no fees to register your set. Simply log on, add your PSA-graded inventory, and start your set(s). Set Registry Customer Service is available to answer any questions you may have. If you do not have access to a computer we will be glad to enter your cards for you for a minimal data entry fee. Please contact [email protected] for more information on this service.

Set Registry Achievement Program

How It Works

The Registry Achievements Program is new to the Set Registry, and we are sure you have questions about how it works.

Firstly, this new program is based on the concept of Gamification. Gamification is the application of common gameplay elements to non-gaming scenarios. Put another way, it is a way of turning something that is not a game into a game.

But isn’t the Set Registry already a game?

Yes, in many ways, it is. You are competing with your fellow collectors for the best sets. The Registry also includes typical game elements like scoring, standings and rules of play.

But we want to make it even more fun by adding gameplay elements to more than just the traditional adding of cards to sets. We want to challenge – and reward – you even more.

Before this program, you were awarded only when you reached the pinnacle of a set, by way of our annual Registry awards. With this new program, our goal is to reward you for some of the other milestones you achieve as you build your collection.

To do this, we have identified four components of the Registry, and within those components, associated actions.

  • Completion: Actions related to adding inventory and completing sets
  • Competition: Actions related to outranking your opponents
  • Collection: Actions related to use of Set Registry website or app features
  • Community: Actions related to connecting with fellow collectors on the Registry

When you complete one of these actions, you will be rewarded with a medal and accumulate points. Medals and points accumulate and are stored on the Registry dashboard. Our plan is to eventually allow these rewards to be publicly reviewable, so collectors can compare rewards. This will add another layer of competition within the Registry.

Let’s start with an example. One of the actions within the “Completion” category is to create a set within the Registry. You can do this by browsing our available sets and clicking “Start this Set.” Once you’ve started a set, and added your first card to that set, you will receive a notification that you have earned a medal and 20 points. The medal and the points will appear on your Dashboard and on your Achievements page. Each time you achieve a new medal, it will be added to your list of achievements.

Leaderboard

As we continue to update the gamification aspects of the Set Registry, we will continue to add medals, achievements and new fun capabilities to the Registry. In the second gamification update, in addition to the new achievements, we’ve added a leaderboard widget to the Set Registry Dashboard. This new leaderboard will track and display your ranking compared to the members directly above and below your current rank. If you click on the “Achievement Leaderboard” link above your ranking, you will be able to see where all PSA Set Registry members rank within the overall leaderboard. Clicking the “Find Me” button hovering in the lower right corner of the main leaderboard will show you exactly where you rank compared to all PSA Set Registry members. If you prefer anonymity, don’t worry, the Leaderboard is optional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get anything tangible for my medals, like grading vouchers or credits?
No, but you do receive an incredible sense of accomplishment and robust amounts of pride! In all seriousness, we will be adding tangible rewards in the future, after we roll out the program more fully.

What if I tie with another member on the Leaderboard?
It is possible for members to be tied for points. In this case, members will be ranked in order of date/time that the point total was amassed. In the event of a tie involving points earned on the same date, ranking will be determined based on member seniority. For example, if member A and member B accumulate the same amount of points on the same day, the member with the longest history on the PSA Set Registry will take the top slot, until the closest-ranking member breaks the tie in points and re-establishes the lead.

Is my Set Registry history factored into the Achievement scoring?
Yes! Your existing Set Registry activity will be grandfathered into your dashboard.

Can I turn the Achievement Program off?
While there is no way to turn off the Set Registry Achievements program, if you would like to skip the updates shown on the Set Registry Dashboard, we suggest you bookmark your preferred Set Registry page (Sets, Inventory) in your web browser.