How to read a PSA population report
PSA's population report counts how many copies of a card PSA has graded, at each grade. Here's how to read one row without mixing up the numbers.
Three separate lines
PSA splits each card's counts into three lines that don't overlap:
- Grade: whole-number grades 1 through 10, plus "Authentic".
- "+": half-point grades, 1.5 through 8.5.
- "Q": qualified grades only.
Source: PSA Population Report notes, psacard.com/pop/search, checked Nov 3, 2026.
Add the lines together only when you mean "every copy PSA has graded". A single grade count and a card's total are different questions.
What a qualifier means
A qualified card meets every standard for its grade except one. PSA names the problem with letters after the number: OC (off-center), ST (stain), PD (print defect), OF (out of focus) and MK (marks).
Source: PSA Population Report notes, psacard.com/pop/search, checked Nov 3, 2026.
What a half grade means
PSA has a half-point grade inside each number from 1 to 10, except 9.5. PSA says a half grade marks an exceptional example within the lower whole grade, not the midpoint between two grades. Centering is often the deciding factor.
A qualified card can't get a half grade. It has to reach an unqualified grade first.
Source: PSA, "Introducing PSA Half Grades", psacard.com, checked Nov 3, 2026.
Why the counts can be off
PSA started recognizing some varieties long after it began grading a set. Copies graded before that may not show the variety, so those counts can run low until owners send their cards back to be re-holdered.
Source: PSA Population Report notes, psacard.com/pop/search, checked Nov 3, 2026.