1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Scot</b><p> This card has a perfect hole in the upper left corner. Doesn't look like a thumb tack hole. Could it be a factory defect?<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142661182.JPG">

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Ben</b><p>Bugholes. Common defect on cuban cards, especially Billikens it seems. Cool card!

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Zach Rice</b><p>Yupp, bug hole. I own a few myself with them.

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Scot</b><p> Those bugs do good work. It's a perfectly round hole. Thanks!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142666557.JPG">

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>howard</b><p>That's pretty darn perfect for a bughole. Maybe the original owner kept his cards together on a ring.

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>David McDonald</b><p>Definitely a termite puka. Get plenty the buggahs here in Hawaii. One good thing anyway about slabbing cards is that termites don't eat plastic.

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Seth B.</b><p>If you check <a href="http://www.cubanbaseballauctions.com/auction.asp" target="_blank">Ryan Christoff's auctions</a>, you'll see a bunch of <a href="http://www.cubanbaseballauctions.com/bid/bidplace.asp?itemid=539"_blank">similar</a> holes from bugs.<br />Great looking card, nonetheless. <br /><br />

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Matt Goebel</b><p>BTW, a bughole is an automatic 10 from SGC.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142892441.JPG">

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Josh Evans</b><p>The grading services are really tough on the Latin stuff<br />Minor paper loss on backs of Toleteros and bug holes in the earlier Cuban issues are more the rule rather than the exception <br />But I suppose you have to make all things equal in grading and treat everything on the same basis<br />I guess it is for the rest of us to realize that when these kinds of issues are in truly great condition to take the Cuban/Latin element into account<br />I am not saying pay more for the stuff but to realize that ultimately the market will settle itself out and condition will be a premium<br />As it always is<br /><br />Watching the Cubans in finals of the World Baseball Classic<br />Now what does that tell you?<br /><br />Josh<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142920623.JPG"> <br /><br />edited by leon so the pic would show....thanks Josh

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Tom Boblitt</b><p>seem to prefer the upper left corner. On all 4 pictured (2 from the board and two from Ryan's auction site) have bug holes in upper left. One has another in the center. Why would the bugs shun the bottom corners or upper right? Anyone have them with holes in a spot OTHER THAN the upper left with nothing in upper left?

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Zach Rice</b><p>Here is my Minoso which has a bug hole that is not in the upper right hand side.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com"><img src="http://i1.tinypic.com/rw48ww.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by TinyPic"></a>

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Matt Goebel</b><p>And the bug ate right through the whole stack!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142971390.JPG">

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>fkw</b><p>My bug was bigger <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br /><img src="http://centuryoldcards.com/images/billiken.jpeg">

1923 Billiken Question.
 

Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>The reason so many Billikens have holes in the top left corner is, as Matt mentioned, because there was an entire set that was in a stack that bugs ate through. One bug ate all the way through the top left portion of the entire stack. Another bug started further in and down, but still in the top left portion. That one must have gotten full because it only ate through about half the cards. <br /><br />Here's my personal favorite bug-altered card:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1142976694.JPG"> <br /><br />-Ryan