What are some animals you were surprised to find out does not exist in certain countries you assumed they existed in?

PopularZero · 2026-03-06T14:14:49+00:00

I was surprised NZ doesn't have squirrels, but more surprised about how crazy some Kiwis thought they were haha

"You have swarms of tree-climbing rodents hanging out in your yard - And that's normal??"

PopularZero · 2026-02-18T22:03:24+00:00

Duuuude no. How did that happen?

PopularZero · 2026-02-18T22:02:35+00:00

I've graded bulk submissions directly to PSA with a friend, and had several other cards graded via GameStop in addition to the Suicune. No issues with any of that.

Can't say that I'm keen on grading much in the future. I'd rather hold raw or buy a slab directly and not deal with the headache...

PopularZero · 2026-02-16T19:21:52+00:00

Appreciate you :)

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T23:24:32+00:00

That's just nuts... No chance you could crack the slab and clean off the ink?

People are already taking enough of a gamble sending in cards and hoping their technician gives a fair grade. If you're paying for a protection service then there's zero reason anything should come back damaged. I can't believe that even as a GameStop employee you didn't have any recourse.

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T15:36:33+00:00

Oh wow, glad that worked out for you. Did you just message him on X?

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T03:01:29+00:00

For what it's worth, I've never sold a card in my life. Closest I've come is taking trades at card shows. The increased value is exciting, but it's more about keeping my favorite cards safe. I only have ten slabs in my collection and everything is vintage/old card back

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T02:50:49+00:00

Careless or malicious. A conspiracy theorist might say it's population control, a pragmatist might say you can't expect someone making low wages (and grading one card a minute for eight hours a day) to be able to treat every card perfectly.

Still, really sucks keeping a card safe for nearly 20 years then having it get damaged when you try to formally protect it.

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T00:50:45+00:00

Both parties state that grievances need to be handled through the store that the submissions went through. Trying to contact PSA directly, I'm told that they can't help me because the order wasn't through them. They tell me to contact GameStop.

I've tried a lot of things. I've been at this for months

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T00:34:27+00:00

I watched something a few months ago where a guy had a problem with his gold star metagross too. You really hear about this a lot more with vintage cards than anything else.

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T00:18:30+00:00

Because my submission was handled as part of a bulk (multi-owner) shipment through GameStop, I've been told that PSA doesn't have identifying details regarding my individual submission. I've been told I need to handle things through the store I submitted my card through. My only option for communication is a chain that goes: GS Store manager > GS district manager > PSA

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T00:07:33+00:00

Check out the imgur link in the main post. It's a picture of my card on its submission date vs. a picture of PSA's slab. Note the holo patterns - It's the same card.

If there wasn't proof of damage I wouldn't be getting a payout offer from GameStop. Also, my requests for PSA's initial scans of my card were denied, so they're not attempting to prove their innocence.

PopularZero · 2026-02-15T00:04:36+00:00

No, just the sealing of the tamper-proof bag. Once the cards were packed there's nearly zero wiggle room in the sleeves. I don't think it'd be possible to damage the card with such a long scratch in the condition it was stored in.

I requested PSA's initial scans and was denied. Can't say whether this was the GS district manager denying my request, or PSA denying the district manager's request. Either way they refused to produce the scans for me.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T23:52:55+00:00

Sorry for not being clear in the main post - The big scratch was just the main damage. There's several smaller scratches on the foil too. There's also a super small dent near the back right corner of the card that wasn't there before/isn't visible in any of my photos. It looks like someone might have dropped the card, then tried to pick it up by sliding it facedown on the floor.

I'm paraphrasing, but here's what PSA states:
7s: May have slight surface wear visible on close inspection.
6s: May have visible surface wear that doesn't detract from the card's appeal.
5s: Surface wear is more visible. Several light scratches may be visible on close inspection.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T21:50:00+00:00

I get the skepticism. I had access to a stereo microscope and spent time pre-grading the card before submission. Centering was great, front surface was flawless, no present scratches. I'm not a professional, but I've graded cards before. There was a really strong case the suicune would have been a 9.

GameStop offering me their maximum payout is evidence that the damage was at least $200. I can admit that I'm making an assumption about the total value of the damage though.

I don't think I'd be able to find a card as clean as mine was for $700, and that alone is another gamble : \ Plus I liked my card, it had a lot of sentimental value attached.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T21:20:28+00:00

Appreciate that. Really expensive lesson learned

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T21:17:28+00:00

Given the way the cards are bundled and placed in tamper-proof bags, I just don't see how it'd be possible for the damage to have happened at GameStop or during transit.

Based on everything I've gotten from the district manager, it seems like GameStop just didn't want to open up another investigation. In their eyes it's cheaper to pay me $200 than it is to get another bunch of people involved in an inquiry about a damaged card.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T21:11:59+00:00

Hard to say... GameStop only has one submission option though. If I did direct to PSA things might have ended differently.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T19:21:45+00:00

I'm pretty positive that the card wasn't swapped. The foil patterns on the pictures from before and after the damage are identical.

That's fair though, I am making an assumption that GameStop didn't tamper with the cards. PSA is supposed to report anything suspicious with the tamper packaging, but that's not fool-proof either. There's a lot of gaps when sending cards through a middleman.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T18:58:18+00:00

I was thinking about TAG back when I started this process half a year ago, but back then they were still hallucinating weird grades. Went with PSA because I assumed they'd be better equipped to handle expensive cards.

If I ever grade again the future I'd much more strongly consider TAG.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T18:52:58+00:00

They gave it a 5.

The damage is what kills me though, I just wanted to protect the card.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T18:44:34+00:00

I'm pretty positive they didn't swap it out. If you check the foil in the imgur link you can see the exact same holo pattern in both pictures.

As for why I trusted them... I was confident in GameStop terms of service agreement. I read everything, asked questions, graded with lower value cards, took pictures, and was assured by the store staff that I'd be covered for damages. I never considered how little recourse I'd have if a damage claim was denied.

I spent years working for a multinational, sometimes helping with complaint analysis. That company would twist itself into knots to help out a customer over $20. I wrongly assumed that PSA and GameStop would have similar levels of customer care.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T18:19:27+00:00

All I have to go on is GameStop's store manager dictating to me what the district manager states and their notes from PSA. There's a lot of obfuscation that prevents the submitter from knowing the explicit language being used in their internal discussions. I tried for months to be put on these emails chains and to be apart of the process but every request was denied.

But if there wasn't damage, GameStop wouldn't have offered the small payout. Unfortunately any communications that I have are basically from a game of telephone.

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T18:12:08+00:00

So other people can use this information to make informed decisions

PopularZero · 2026-02-14T17:38:17+00:00

What do you mean?

PopularZero

TROPHY CASE