Posted By:
Charlie BarokasPeter,
No problem. My personal opinion and I know that it others disagree is that I will remove someting from a card if it was not on there when it was made. I gave an analogy.
If you own a all original 57 chevy and you take it out for a spin and while doing so a bird ****s on the card. Do you and can you remove the bird stain and still maintain that the car is 100% original.
So to answer your question. I have tried to erase pencil and or pen. Alot of times it does not work, meaning it will not come all the way off.
I have never used any chemicals such as bleach etc.
Just a little saliva and a finger and or art gum eraser.
Caramel stains and tobacco stains can be reduced but never removed alltogehter in my experience so I do not spend much time with them. But I have tried in the past.
Keep in mind I was doing these things when I was 10 years old.
The last thing I will do, is put a card in a screwdown or glass block in order to lay down a corner that has been fliped up or flaten out a card.
Which I ironically I did also when I was a kid by putting my best cards inside books to protect the corners and keep them pointy.
If you speak with the grading services privately they will not consider any of things I have talked about as alteration.
I am an open book to my customers and auction bidders. I have a family and am not in the business to cheat or deceive anyone to make a buck.
I spent 10 years trading securities for a living so I have a little money saved and do not need to engage in unethical practices that might go unnoticed in order to profit.
Charlie