Which is the Better Card?

[clydepepper]

I've always assumed AUTH was lower than PSA2 or even PSA1.

Obviously the AUTH card is mis-cut, but otherwise it seems to be in markedly better condition.
Opinions?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321722732005...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/311151949406...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[ZachS]

Looks like maybe the bottom is trimmed on the AUTH. The AUTH is a much nicer looking card though.

Although the AUTH is a nice scan and the PSA 2 is a blurry photo. It would be nice to see better pics/scans of the 2.

[Joshchisox08]

When there's a difference that great I'd take the Authentic all day everyday. It looks way better !!!!!! The grade is just a number sometimes.

The image on the AUTH is really nice. I don't usually collect cards in that grade, but for that I'd probably make an exception.

[iowadoc77]

Image is way better on authentic.
Really boils down to how you feel about cards with this grade.
Probably not a bad way to go if you just want to have the card, and have a nice eye appeal card at a lower price. They are not for everyone for sure. Certain cards i will only ever hope of owning with the grade of authentic. That being said, if anyone has a 1914 or 1915 CJ Ty Cobb that they want to sell... even in "authentic" grade

[Leon]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

I've always assumed AUTH was lower than PSA2 or even PSA1.

Obviously the AUTH card is mis-cut, but otherwise it seems to be in markedly better condition.
Opinions?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321722732005...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/311151949406...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Most collectors would take the AUT, as I would. Great photo on that one.

[bwbc917]

No doubt in my mind, the AUTH is the better looking card. Pose, color, sharpness, it has them all.

[MetsBaseball1973]

AUTH all day from this perch as well. One thing I've learned from reading here is that the better card is always what your eye tells you; no matter what a sticker says. I would say numerical grade is not always better than AUTHENTIC grade, just as the higher number graded card is not always better than the lower one. I jumped in the hobby recently assuming it was all grades but the more time I spend talking with collectors the more I believe the core is the baseball card and how it pleases your eye.

[iwantitiwinit]

I'd take the unaltered.

[bbcard1]

I'd take the A all day long. Especially with the Old Judges, there is a school of thought that image trumps other issues.

[trdcrdkid]

I started a thread about this very topic last month, and it led to some good discussion:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=203387

As several people said there, the grading companies have questionable records when it comes to grading Old Judges; they will sometimes give an AUTH grade to a card that is probably unaltered (due to the often erratic way Old Judges were cut), and they sometimes give a number grade to a card that is definitely altered (one of which was posted in that thread). Like just about all Old Judge collectors, I prefer a sharp photo over a faded one any day of the week, and I don't pay much attention to technical grades (though almost all of my Old Judges are raw anyway).

[trdcrdkid]

On closer inspection, the AUTH card looks like it's rebacked, which I'm guessing accounts for the grade, in addition to appearing to be trimmed at the bottom.

[Cozumeleno]

I'm in the minority here, but I'd always opt for the unaltered card, too. I've got many 'beaters' in my T-206 collection, but that is always better to me than a clean trimmed card. Not sure why, but trimming is the thing that bothers me the most ... even though the cards certainly have more eye appeal.

[clydepepper]

Thanks for everyone sharing their expertise. However, I decided not to purchase either when I discovered that it was the 'wrong' Jim Donnelly. Guess that was a fairly common name in the 1880's.