Posted By:
warshawlawall that love isn't free.
My 2cents worth on grading: an ex-mt card with writing on the back is a f-vg card (depending on severity), regardless of whose writing it is. That doesn't diminish the desirability of the card per se, but it is accurate technical grading.
Personally, I think a card ex-Halper, ex-Barker or ex-Burdick is a value-added item, not a detriment. I would not be surprised to see the idea of provenance catch on with some group of collectors in the not too distant future. A card marked this way just has a smaller market, like an autographed card.