Describe the condition please...

[Aaron Seefeldt]

I don't understand auction houses (and individuals) that don't even describe the condition of the item that is being sold. Rather than saying if the card has a wrinkle or touch of paper loss the descriptions give stats about the player... WTF? How can we tell the condition from a 2 dimensional picture on a smartphone or laptop?

I don't know about you but I look to buy the actual card. Not the slab. Not the player's stats from 1910 or 1911, etc.

It's absolutely ridiculous to sell cards for thousands & thousands of dollars without bothering to mention anything about the condition.

[buymycards]

It is also ridiculous to spend $1000's of dollars on a card based on a smart phone picture. Get a PC with a large monitor and you won't have that problem.

Rick

[Leon]

It is also ridiculous to spend $1000's of dollars on a card based on a smart phone picture. Get a PC with a large monitor and you won't have that problem.

Rick

LOL....While others are out protesting and causing civil unrest in our country I am starting a revolt against cell phones!! My first target is all drivers texting....Next it might be Net54'ers using phones to view the forum :)....The sky (or Big Chief and Crayola - google it you young whippersnappers) is the limit. But to the OPs point (hey Aaron), he has a good one. The AH's need to have less fluff about who Cobb, Matty or Ruth was and tell us more about what we are forking money over for.

[irv]

There is no doubt in my mind this is done intentionally to get your attention away from the actual card and to focus your attention on the player.

Just reading some of these player descriptions/bio's, like this George Shuba one makes most people think, what a great person and/or player he was. I have to get one of his cards.

Not taking away anything George has done as it was admirable, especially to those, like me, who are Jackie Robinson fans, but the A/H's know this and want your attention on the player and not the card.

I read this, which I didn't know, but because I already own one, I said to myself, I am real happy to already have this card.

George Thomas “Shotgun” Shuba (December 13, 1924-) is often remembered for his show of solidarity with Jackie Robinson when the Hall of Fame second baseman of the Montreal Royals hit a home run against the Jersey City Giants. A photo was taken, capturing the moment when Robinson crossed the plate to the welcoming handshake of teammate Shuba. It was referred to as “the first interracial handshake” in professional baseball history. After ten years in the Brooklyn Dodgers system, George made his Major League debut in 1948 playing 63 games and batting .267 with 32 RBI. Shuba spent seven seasons in left and as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers (1948-1950, 1952-1955) and helped the Bums win three National League pennants (1952, 1953, 1955). In 1953, George hit a pinch-hit home run during the Fall Classic against Allie Reynolds and the New York Yankees. H was also a member of the 1955 World Series champion Dodgers – the first MLB title in franchise history. George ”Shotgun” Shuba finished his career with a .259 batting average, 211 hits, 106 runs and 125 RBI in 355 games. Some of Shuba’s exploits as a Major Leaguer can be found in Roger Kahn’s 1972 The Boys of Summer chronicling the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s. He also highlighted his career in the 2007 autobiography My Memories as a Brooklyn Dodger.

[Aaron Seefeldt]

Today's newer "collectors" are being trained to buy cards strictly on 3 things: 1) the slab 2) the centering 3) the corners (in no specific order). Nothing can show/describe the characteristics of a card (or memorabilia item) better than the seller. There are so many variables that can be hidden from the cpu screen (even if you have an 8 foot wall mounted screen!) and can only be seen by the holder. Through direct sunlight or tilted a certain way or under high powered magnification, etc.

Did you ever buy a card in a 4 or 5 holder only to see it had a "hidden" crease on the back? Was the picture of the back of the card even shown?

A friend of mine bought a card in a 4.5 holder only to find out later, it had a tiny tear in it...

So please, describe the condition in detail, it is after all, kind of important in determining the value.

[T206Collector]

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

[Leon]

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

As long as the AH describes the card correctly there is no issue. I try to skip the hype about who Ty or Babe was and find the description of the card. Usually there are 3 paragraphs about Babe and all of the homers and his greatness....and very little about what we are actually buying. Maybe we could have AH's put the card description in red or something, so we can skip the other crap. Now if the item or card is very esoteric then a description about what it is, is fine. No need for that with the major HOFers...

[Mark]

There is no doubt in my mind this is done intentionally to get your attention away from the actual card and to focus your attention on the player.

Just reading some of these player descriptions/bio's, like this George Shuba one makes most people think, what a great person and/or player he was. I have to get one of his cards.

Not taking away anything George has done as it was admirable, especially to those, like me, who are Jackie Robinson fans, but the A/H's know this and want your attention on the player and not the card.

I read this, which I didn't know, but because I already own one, I said to myself, I am real happy to already have this card.

George Thomas “Shotgun” Shuba (December 13, 1924-) is often remembered for his show of solidarity with Jackie Robinson when the Hall of Fame second baseman of the Montreal Royals hit a home run against the Jersey City Giants. A photo was taken, capturing the moment when Robinson crossed the plate to the welcoming handshake of teammate Shuba. It was referred to as “the first interracial handshake” in professional baseball history. After ten years in the Brooklyn Dodgers system, George made his Major League debut in 1948 playing 63 games and batting .267 with 32 RBI. Shuba spent seven seasons in left and as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers (1948-1950, 1952-1955) and helped the Bums win three National League pennants (1952, 1953, 1955). In 1953, George hit a pinch-hit home run during the Fall Classic against Allie Reynolds and the New York Yankees. H was also a member of the 1955 World Series champion Dodgers – the first MLB title in franchise history. George ”Shotgun” Shuba finished his career with a .259 batting average, 211 hits, 106 runs and 125 RBI in 355 games. Some of Shuba’s exploits as a Major Leaguer can be found in Roger Kahn’s 1972 The Boys of Summer chronicling the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s. He also highlighted his career in the 2007 autobiography My Memories as a Brooklyn Dodger.


Like others, I regard the biographical stuff as smokescreen. Would anyone look at a Shotgun Shuba card unless he already knew who Shuba was? In this case, I don't blame the seller for mentioning Jackie Robinson---but beyond that, the stats etc. won't impress anyone who doesn't already know. In some cases, the bio is designed to bore the buyer so that he stops reading before the seller mentions, somewhere in the body, that the card is trimmed or has paper loss etc.

[barrysloate]

Unfortunately, as the hobby has evolved, far too much weight has been placed on what the label says. If the label says "4", who is going to dispute it. And if it's a weak "4", the flaws will likely not be mentioned.

As Aaron says, the card should be described in detail, flaws and all, so that prospective bidders can make sound decisions. I already know how many home runs Babe Ruth hit, but I have no idea whether the card has a surface crease that can't be detected from a scan.

In a perfect world, cards would be graded more accurately, but that isn't happening

[Fballguy]

I don't understand auction houses (and individuals) that don't even describe the condition of the item that is being sold. Rather than saying if the card has a wrinkle or touch of paper loss the descriptions give stats about the player... WTF? How can we tell the condition from a 2 dimensional picture on a smartphone or laptop?

I don't know about you but I look to buy the actual card. Not the slab. Not the player's stats from 1910 or 1911, etc.

It's absolutely ridiculous to sell cards for thousands & thousands of dollars without bothering to mention anything about the condition.

On Ebay, people don't describe the card because a) they don't want to highlight a flaw or b) they don't want to have to accept a return for an item "not as described". If you don't describe it...and don't accept returns...no worries once it sells.

Not saying I agree with the approach...but I use it to my advantage when I'm the buyer. Can get good deals if you're smart about it.

[mechanicalman]

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

If you're an auction house, you'd want to describe the card accurately because you want to establish integrity and trust, two attributes that could be huge differentiators in an otherwise crowded market.