Gone with the stain

[MULLINS5]

Originally Posted by steve B

So you're Ok with paying the high grade bonus price when the card is actually altered?

And you're Ok with me paying a higher price because the altered restored cards in higher grades bring more so the lower grade examples increase in price?

Gee... thanks... I guess.

Restored cards are altered so they are not higher grade.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by MULLINS5

Restored cards are altered so they are not higher grade.

they get into high grade holders...

I'm ok with altered cards when it's sold as altered, and readily detectable. Like the old collections where tall T206s got the tops shortened to fit the early plastic pages that had pockets that were a very tight fit.

But when it's altered and slides through TPG and ends up as an 8 or 9 that's a problem.

[MULLINS5]

Originally Posted by steve B

they get into high grade holders...

But they're not high grade.

[CobbSpikedMe]

Originally Posted by MULLINS5

But they're not high grade.

Doesn't matter, the flip says it's high grade and that's all that matters to enough people that the prices are strong.

[GasHouseGang]

This article appeared in the May 31, 1996 Sports Collectors Digest. I guess Gone With The Stain was just getting started at this point. I hope the copy is big enough to read. I can send someone the original .pdf scans if they have a better way to make them more readable.

[MULLINS5]

Originally Posted by CobbSpikedMe

Doesn't matter, the flip says it's high grade and that's all that matters to enough people that the prices are strong.

Well, if it doesn't matter, then it doesn't matter.

[GasHouseGang]

Leon, thanks for your help in reposting the article so it's readable.

[GaryPassamonte]

There have been threads ad nauseum recently concerning the various grading "scandals" happening in the hobby today. I will preface my comments by saying that I got out of the grading thing in the 1990s, basically at the inception of grading. I sold almost all my cards and started collecting 19th century photographs. I figured the photographs would not be affected by the new grading craze and that assumption, in my case, has turned out to be true. Just finding most images is difficult and condition is not as important as it is with most cards. I wanted no part of grading and believed that eventually many issues would result. That too has come true. I met Dick Towle once back in the 1990s. He bought some of the cards I sold at the time. I knew nothing of his intent or his future business. I found him to be a pleasant guy. Now fast forward to today. Dick Towle has a business that is doing nothing illegal. He is providing a service, nothing more and nothing less. He is no more guilty of the scandals of today than the grading companies. The whole system is dirty and as long as there are egos it will remain that way.