Posted By:
BobI created this monster of a thread when I asked about the removal of a foreign object from the back of a card I had just purchased. I had no idea of the firestorm it would cause. I doubt if many will even read this as they probably gave up on the thread a long time ago. I just want to say one thing: I soaked one card to remove the foreign object which did not exist when the card was produced. I am not aware of any other cards in my collection which have been soaked or altered, but then again I do not own any PSA 8s or 9s or SGC 88s or 92s in prewar cards. If I did, I would then own cards I knew had probably been soaked or altered. I own cards like an M116 Walter Johnson which looks exmt but has notebook paper on the back and was so slabbed by me and got a horrible grade. Such is the reality of things.
I feel like anyone who slings any muddy aspersions at me for soaking a Zeenut or arrogantly claims to be more true to the spirit of the hobby is, well, an idiot. Sorry, that's my feeling. I just can't get over the fact that if you collect only high grade cards, and bless your hearts for doing so, you are somehow a "better hobbyist." Bull hockey! If you collect only high grade cards you are collecting many cards which have in the past been soaked, stretched, laser cut or altered in some manner. If you collect cards in vg or less, the chances are very good your cards have NOT been altered by trimming, stretching, laser cutting, etc. So who is the "purist" and who is not?
<I have said that before on here--I believe it to be true--the low-to-mid grade collector is becoming less and less important to the hobby in my judgment.>
Jim, we have never met and neither of us knows each other or anything about each other. If you want to spout off about your opinions, that is definitely your right. But when you utter something which I think is utter nonsense, something which would have hobby pioneers like Frank Nagy, Buck Barker, etc. spinning in their graves, I feel have I a right to disagree. Long after the collectors or investors in slabbed high grade "commodities" have tired of the market and disposed of their cards, the collectors of cards who are thrilled to own a piece of history, even if in poor, fair, good or very good condition (or even excellent) will still be there collecting.
Jim, when you make a statement like he above, you lose all credibility with me.
Oh by the way, the attitudes expressed in this post by both sides of the argument have convinced me that if the situation arises again, I'd do the same thing. I would NEVER trim, re-color, stretch, spoon or otherwise alter a card but if a card comes to me like the Zeenut with paper stuck to the back. I'll soak it and you know what, I won't lose a minute of sleep.
Just my 2 cents from Vegas where the wife and I ar spending our 35th anniversary together...