I'll take a trim if the price is right.

[Archive]

Posted By: Texas Ted

Each of us has our own idea of the attributes of cards acceptable to us for our collection. Often, the attributes are governed by budget. To me, a card that has a a trim that is only obvious to the professional grader or with some means other than the naked eye, fits fine in my personal collection. Other defects, such as a touch of paper loss, a stray ink mark or a minute drop of cat pee make most cards anethema* to the slabbing crowd, but fit nicely into my budget and top loaders. As long as I know about the defect, and it is reflected in the price, I don't have a problem with collecting that kind of card.

Having said all that, I am very interested in what is such a big deal about a slightly trimmed card. Granted, it is not original and it can't be graded, but so what. It can still be a great authentic example of a nice piece of old cardboard. I believe it is wrong that a card be trimmed with the intent of deceiving and artificially improving the apprearance. But many of the "trimmed" cards that I have found are in purchased lots and who can really tell when, or if, the trimming took place. Could be the card was hand cut at the factory by somebody with Parkinsons. Or maybe a long ago collector trimmed it to fit in a box, or in a plastic page. Does that make the card a candidate for using as starter in the fireplace?

* My offering to Barry's word of the day efforts.

Full Disclosure:

I am Ted Holden collector/dealer or dealer/collector depending on the day and the item. I do indeed live in Texas, after 50 years in Michigan.
I sell on ebay as: OrkDoolian and buy as SonOfOrk.
I have never trimmed a card, nor knowingly sold a trimmed card without full disclosure. I have never sent one of my cards for grading but may start some day as there are those on the board that believe that I should not be able to sell unless I grade. That alone could keep me from grading, just to be cantankerous.


Texas Ted

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

I would too. As long as the card is aesthetically pleasing then it fits nicely in my collection. I have seen a lot of poor/fair/ungradeable cards that all fit my collection.

Besides if a 100+ year old card looks perfect then it doesn't look old, and looking old is part of the attraction to 100+ year old cards for me.

[Archive]

Posted By: Max Weder

Speaking un-anathematically (if that is grammatically possible), if grading companies slabbed cards as "trimmed" (and "restored", as SCG does in the comic world) without a numerical grade, wouldn't that remove raw trimmed cards from the collectors' market as well as provide grading companies with additional revenue?

Have any of the grading companies publicly stated their positions as to why trimmed cards won't be slabbed as such?

Max

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Sometimes I wonder if they don't do it because they know that many will be re-submitted over and over. I think they should at least let you have the option of having it slabbed as authentic.

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

I recently picked up a 1911 Zeenut Peckinpaugh with most of the borders removed but otherwise really nice looking. All a function of scarcity; remember the half a Honus auctioned off some years ago?

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

Since the cat pee doesn't bother you...

I know where you can get a whole box of E107's for $3,000.

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

I agree with Texas Ted 100%. I purchased a slightly trimmed but otherwise ExMt Cracker Jack Honus Wagner for about $200. It has always been one of my favorite cards, but well beyond my price range. Now I have the card, it looks great, and I'm very happy with it.

I've also purchased a slightly trimmed E97 Kelly and E96 Clarke for about $40 each. Again, both look fantastic and fit nicely in my collection.

In a slightly different category, I have an E107 Jimmy Collins with a butchered right edge. This card doesn't necessarily look great, and the trimming is obvious, but the card is so rare that I am happy to own it in any condition. It was also a bargain at about $200.

I used to reject trimmed cards out of hand. For reasons I can't fully explain, I always considered trimmed cards to be significantly inferior to cards that are creased/torn, etc. But the high price of some relatively common cards (like a Cracker Jack Wagner) and the unavailability of rare cards (like E107s) in nice condition has caused me to change my mind. I'll take a trimmed card over a badly scuffed face any day.

[Archive]

Posted By: jackgoodman

GAI will slab a trimmed card and label it "authentic" if requested by the submitter.

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

For those of us on a limited budget, trimmed cards are a great way to get wonderful looking cards at a reasonable price. Or you can end up with a neat novelty item like my t206 Johnson that cost me about $10



My $150 DiMaggio



Jay

I like to sit outside drink beer and yell at people. If I did this at home I would be arrested, so I go to baseball games and fit right in.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

Galvin and Radbourne:

[Archive]

Posted By: Zach

I love trimmed cards..still great cards but a fraction of the price. I have a few t206 hofers in the mail trimmed..Thanks Marcus! Heres my all time favorite...a true tipton classic at only 10 dollars on ebay !

[Archive]

Posted By: identify7

Within the past year or so I have purchased a Ned Williamson for $15, and a '48 Leaf DiMaggio for under $50. Sometimes I wonder why. But most times I realize that I needed the money which I saved on these for other cards.

I would have a heckofa pristine collection if I didn't need so many cards.

What I don't understand is that the grading companies feel that it is fine to cut off the Wheaties ad from a '51 Musial, but if the Mayo ad is cut off a Duffy - that ruins the value.

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

I purchased an E103 Lajoie with a little bit of recoloring in the red (a crayon job; obviously not a deception). No way do I afford that card in decent shape.

[Archive]

Posted By: Texas Ted

Hal:

If you are serious about the T207s email me for discussion. As an old cat breeder, I am an expert in cat pee.

Texas Ted
One more in a series of attempts at a second childhood.