Recutting undercut hand-cut cards
 

Wanted to pose a combination ethical and technical question. I have several hand cut cards that wee cut out in a manner that left extra "stuff"around the card that isn't supposed to be there. The cuts are sloppy and like it or not - the grading companies heavily (sometimes "A" sometimes a 1 or 2) penalizes for this historical sloppiness. My question is - is it wrong or bad form to correct the cut so the card looks nice. Clearly the grading companies can see a new cut (if they are thorough that day) so a secondary question is - would they distinguish between a period cut and a modern cut in a handcut card? Happy to hear opinions and direct experience both on the effectiveness of this approach and the ethics around it. Thanks! Note I have not done this - really just curious as the hand cut cards I've been collecting have beeb picking up in value.

I'd wager 95% or more of hand cut cards submitted to grading companies are modern cuts.

This card was an absolute butcher job when I got it. I'd wager it was hand-torn, not hand-cut; but the dimensions were long when I got it, so I squared it off to the proper size and sent it in.

So is the verdict from those who care about ethics in terms of card "handling" that it is "okay" to execute a "modern cut" on an older handcut card that was poorly excised? Just curious to see where people fall on this.

I think it's ethically fine, but I wouldn't do it. Just couldn't bring myself to cut the card, which to me is preserving some amount of history. But, to each his own!

I don't see a problem with trimming a card that has already been hand cut at some point. Just cleaning up what could have been done better the first time. I do not own any hand cut cards and have never tried this personally.

If there is an area or are areas that could be re-cut to achieve a better grade, you should have absolutely no qualms in carefully cutting the unwanted excess out. Some might call this an unfair advantage.

Yeah, how 'bout that?

You have every right to re-cut. Just plan ahead carefully, and really think it through, since you obviously do not want to take too much off. Not to sound as a dimwit, but you simply must be sure of exactly how you want the overall cut to appear to you, and eventually the grader. Use a clean, good "true flat", somewhat heavy straight edge, with a brand new Exact-O blade, after you've practiced SEVERAL TIMES on cardboard that matches, or is a little thicker, than what you'll be cutting. You must practice so you'll get down how the knife feels in your hand as it cuts, to become comfortable with it.

If, after thinking about it, you simply cannot go through with this "operating room procedure", fine. It's your card. Another obvious point, once it's done, it's irreversible.

I wish you the best. ---Brian Powell

I don't see a problem; whether I'd do it just depends on the card. Where there are border markings I definitely will clean up a crappy looking cut that misses the mark if I am going to have it slabbed. I haven't touched this one but if I wanted it in a slab I would even up the edges so it looks nicer:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...20Jeffries.jpg

As an aside, it is interesting how many kids of past eras had no fine motor skills, even with a scissors.

I'm not a fan of graded slabbed cards. I have a couple of cards that looks liked they were ripped from a candy box like this w555 Baseball Snap Shot Candy card. I think that if you cleaned it up by trimming it would be like cleaning the patina off a piece of antique furniture.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/151843924@N04/albums

If they were intended to be cut, the grading companies don't require an ancient cut. You can definitely cut the image straighter in order to increase the grade. There is a charm of leaving it the rustic way it was cut, but to maximize grade and value, these are cards that should be cut properly.
Now it's a little different if you have an entire uncut box, depending on the rarity of said item.

Just found this thread after a quick search and found it very interesting. I was curious as to whether or not the grading companies would penalize a card for a modern cut. This W555 Vaughn could certainly be cut down, though not sure I could ever let myself actually go through with it. Surprised to read that most were ok with the practice, though.

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I would probably not cut that one because it would likely be a Good 2 either way, presuming those white curves at the top are creases. If the surface was EX-MT otherwise, then you'd have more of a reason to cut it down if you were going for a high grade.

The consensus has changed since the original posts in the thread. It's now considered OK to recut an old handcut card, but the tools used to do the recut must themselves be at least as old as the card.

Personally I would never recut an undercut hand-cut card. Now if I were instead a woodchuck....

Brian

Perfectly ethical to me

I would say it would be ok if they were cut by scissors at least as old as the card by a person at least as old as the card and a photo of the scissors and copy of the ID of said senior citizen should accompany any sale of said card going forward as part of its newly deemed crucial provenance.

interesting to see the responses regarding this.

presumably T206's were cut with a large paper cutter...likely hand operated?

hand operated scissors vs hand operated paper cutter?

peraps a button is pressed with one's hand to activate the modern type of paper/card cutter.

where does one draw the line?

If it's "hand cut"
 

and understood that it is graded as "hand cut" then imo where, how, by who, etc. doesn't matter.

Not in favor of cutting or re-cutting strip cards.



https://luckeycards.com/w521marquarddecalco.jpg