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jverri01Thanks, folks! GREAT feedback! This is VERY interesting as a line of discussion.
First - to respond to some of the initial questions:
1. How can I tell? Well - that is just the thing. I am still developing this skill. At this point, I am really only able to detect those that are either very obvious or somewhat obvious. I have picked up on a few "subtle" examples. For the most part, those that are easy to detect: have been done by "unskilled" persons. Typically, simply by pressing them WITHOUT water. I spoke with a guy about a year ago that had a hoard of about 100 cards that were all EX or better, but each was held back by a light wrinkle. He "resolved" this issue by using two solid blocks of metal (both flat), which he lined with typing paper, and then put a card in the center, and placed the blocks together. He pressed them by using a vice grip and applying a moderate amount of pressure for a very short period. The result was moderately successful overall - but, some were obvious, and here is my conjecture on why: because the paper on the front and back of the card are different, the "distribution" of fibers within the card are displaced unevenly. So, even if the two blocks used to press with are PERFECTLY flat - you still end up with a surface that, under magnification, reveals more than you would expect. I am guessing that when you use WATER to soak the card first (and others can speak better to this) it disperses the fibers more evenly, by weighting them prior to pressing.
2. Purpose of pressing? I completely agree with you guys: most of the time pressing is done to increase the "expected return" on the sale of a card. Like, a gorgeous matty card that has a wrinkle, for example. Sell it "as is" and it brings $400.00. Somehow remove the wrinkle and grade it - maybe double your return.
3. Ethics of pressing? This IS a very difficult issue. I suppose it is somewhat subjective. MY THOUGHTS are that if a person HAS pressed a card (and, essentially, the objective of pressing is to "improve" a card appearance, right?) that they absolutely SHOULD disclose this when selling a card. Essentially, the act of prssing can be a very simple - or extreme - measure. I guess that "MOTIVE" plays largely in to the ethics of the whole thing. If a person presses with the intent to deceive - shame on them. If they press with the intent to increase value - AND disclose this - they are serving no injustice on the buyer. If a seller DOES disclose pressing has occurred, and a buyer acquires a card WITH this knowledge - and the card is submitted for grading and RETURNED because of suspicion of being altered - I do not think the seller should be accountable. SO LONG AS THEY ARE UP FRONT ABOUT HAVING PRESSED THE CARD.
4. General thoughts on pressing? I am sort of torn on this issue. On one hand - I feel that pressing a card somehow "disturbs" it from its natural state of being - and, in that sense - the card is altered. However - if I have a truly high-end collection of ungraded cards - and i have just acquired an absolute gem that has a NEAR INVISIBLE wrinkle - I can see myself considering an attempt to press the wrinkle out. I would likely only do this if only a very SMALL portion of the card had to be pressed (less than 25%). As for being a seller and pressing cards to make more money - I am sorry to say (and, please - disagree if you like - just my thoughts) I do not feel this is ethical. EVEN if you disclose this to the buyer. Why? Because, I feel it somehow creates a wave effect in the hobby. Just because THAT buyer knows it is pressed - who is to speak for future owners of the card? Will THEY know? It just seems like it presents the potential to perpetuate an "acceptable form" of "altered state". I would rather not see that happen. Personally - I have never pressed a card I have sold. And, those that I have pressed to "test" were anything BUT successes.
5. Value? The question of value of a card that is pressed vs. a card that is wrinkled - ASSUMING that we are speaking of the SAME CARD - merely in two different states of being - is an EXCELLENT one. I am really glad this was brought up. Most of us are TORMENTED by wrinkling and creasing. For the most part, our entire objective - our obsession - is to obtain the highest end merchandise we can find. The fewer the flaws the better. So, when we are looking at TYPES of flaws, and weighing which are MORE acceptable than others - how do we assess this? Again, I think it is subjective. And - I think the decision is best made on a case by case basis. I am uncomfortable just making a blanket statement like "I prefer creased cards over pressed cards" or vice versa. I think that in some cases - a wrinkled card will just SEEM more "natural" than one that you know to be pressed - and vice versa. So, I guess I personally believe in the revolving door philosophy on this - reserving the right to determine the best "resting state" of a card, based on the data I have at the time.
One final note - the biggest reason I felt those cards were pressed - the top border showed a moderate amount of folding - a "side-effect" I have seen a few times when a card is pressed dry - and is done so by simply putting a block over it and applying weight. The fold - at a single border - was the result of the weight applied to the card shifting while it was pressed. Essentially - a very finite edge ended up _unpressed.
THANKS AGAIN!! GREAT commentary's!