I hate to disagree with anyone who can quote Hendrix while discussing altered cards. But.................
Water is a solvent. Many things are described as "water soluble" or "oil soluble" And that difference is what the process that produced the cards is based on.
I think there's room for both some restoration with disclosure and an approach of no restoration. Fortunately or not - for me the difference between a 6 and 9 on most prewar cards isn't an everyday issue. I can't afford either. But if I could, I'd want to know about alterations/cleaning/etc that had been done.
If a TPG wanted to they could probably detect most oil based solvents or cleaning done with water plus other substances. They could also probably detect cleaning done with water.
But that would take time, and their entire business model is reversed so that the cards that should get a very close look are less likely to get that. A common from many sets could lay around for a while before it gets looked at, but the expensive stuff gets in and out in a day or two, maybe less.
Yes, most dealers probably need to get their cards back quickly so they can be resold. And that need drives the TPGs. It also allows a lot of space for "inappropriate shenanigans" since the TPGs don't have the time for a proper examination. As such they're probably bigger enablers than nearly anyone.
Whether stain removal or cleaning or any other alteration/restoration is acceptable is a topic that won't be an easy one for the hobby to deal with until the TPGs can take the time to pick that stuff up. I don't really have a problem with it other than the issue I think Peter points out, that being the deception and the money involved in that deception. Many stains will or can do damage long term, and probably should be removed. Not mentioning the removal is wrong in any number of ways.
Steve Birmingham
PS - Rewriting that song to make it about the hobby would be pretty interesting.
"If that scrapbook all came free....let it be
If the doctors cut of any border that'd be out of order"
Nah, not quite good enough.
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