Would you trim up a strip

[Pup6913]

I recently acquired a Ruth strip card that was torn from the strip. Since this card will only grade an "A", IMO, and has room on the borders would it be ok to trim it up for better eye appeal. This is a gray area for me as I will fully enclose that the card was trimmed but if it were to be slabbed would the TPG's see it as that even with the disclosure?

I do know that some strips have obtained a numerical grade meaning at some time they were cut and trimmed to be this way right?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[obcbobd]

Yes. Strip cards were meant to be cut and if it gives it better eye appeal...

[Fred]

If you do a nice trim job and the card has a nice "sheen" to it you might end up with an "8" or "9" on the label...

[Section103]

Pup,

Im really glad you asked this question. Ive been thinking the exact same thing about a strip card I received earlier this month. Now Im going to pull it out and stare at that bottom border for quite awhile.

[bbcard1]

I would but use a new sharp exacto....if there is even a hint of dullness, the cut can turn into a chunk off very easily.

[DixieBaseball]

Sure... I still remember cutting Hostess Ball cards from the Cup Cake boxes as a kid and just like the strips, they were meant to be cut whether it is 1930's or 70's. Trim that bad boy and make the corner's sharp like a razor ! :D

[novakjr]

Now, I think there might be some mis-understanding to the original question. It appears that most answers have been under the assumption that when you say "it has room on the borders", you are referring to having the entire Ruth card plus extra parts of other cards.

But, I'm thinking by "room on the borders", you may have actually been referring to the fact that if you were to trim it, that you would not effect the picture area of the card.

If you are referring to the first assumption, then I agree. Cut that bad boy, but make sure you don't go into the originally intended border area.

If you are referring to the borders the way I'm actually thinking you were, then either way you still won't have all of the originally intended card dimension, and at most would receive an "A" when getting it graded. At that point, it's really all up to you. Some people would like to see sharp corners, others would want the most of the original card as possible.

An "A" isn't always just an "A" though. Eye appeal on an incomplete card can make quite a difference in resale value.

[Pup6913]

David you are correct. I have no clue about strips and whats favorable. So here are scans of it.

BTW the cards are actual color. The ball is missing red ink I believe.

[edhans]

Andrew,
I would not trim that Ruth. If you cut it so that it has sharp corners all around, It'll measure short and get no more than an "A" designation. If it remains full size, you're going to have parts that are razor sharp and parts that have natural wear. Again, probably only good for an "A". It looks great the way it is. Leave it alone.

[novakjr]

Now that we've seen it. I'd probably just leave it be.

[0-2 Pitch]

Andrew,

I have collected strip cards for many years. While I have trimmed a few to improve eye appeal, it has been on a case by case basis. Given that they are typically inexpensive when compared to other pre-war issues, I have been very willing to "put them under the knife" to improve the look of the card. However, we are talking about a Ruth card, so I would not trim this particular example. Even a Ruth strip card can be somewhat expensive, so it would definitely give me pause about altering it in any way.

[T206Collector]

...if for no other reason than resale value will be higher to a prospective trimmee.

[JamesGallo]

I have trimmed 1 strip card but it had a very bad jargged edge on one side and I just trimmed it down. Wouldn't have graded anyway. I would leave the Ruth alone as it looks like it is close to the correct size and presents fine.

James G

[glchen]

I have a theoretical question about hand cut cards. I've attached an image of a notebook cover from the current Feb 2011 Goodwin auction. As you can see from the image, the players on the cover actually have borders. I agree destroying memorabilia like this isn't the thing to do, but could you actually hand cut the "cards" from these covers and produce a new "set?" Some other sets like W555 and Schapira Ruth's are cut from boxes, so I wasn't sure how similar that would be to this.

[Zach Wheat]

I collect strips; I agree wholeheartedly with Jim & Mike above. I would not trim the Ruth or any other "expensive" strip; this isn't so much a consideration for most others except for perhaps the Black Sox players in the W514's.

Zach

[JamesGallo]

I am not sure but I believe most of the notebook covers are know, so they would likely not be gradeable or would only recieve an authentic grade.

So in a sense no, I would guess that if they were graded they would be list as 1910 Notebook Cover or something like that.

James G

[glchen]

Yea, I wasn't sure if after they were cut up, they'd be listed as one of those W-UNC that people don't really know the origins of. So here, it'd be like c.1910 W-UNC Honus Wagner or something.