Answer to how little of a card SGC will grade

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Posted By: warshawlaw 

check item 1848314617 (yeah, I'm high bidder). shouldn't there be a grade of "0.5 really poor" or "0.5 part of the card"?

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

is to raise the issue of whether there is any real difference between a card like this one and a card that has been trimmed. If a card missing a corner that has been "nipped" off and with a chunk out of its side is gradeable, why isn't a card with a missing bottom border also gradeable as a poor condition card?

My take on it is that the services "make their bones" detecting allegedly trimmed cards and build their advertising around it, but a card like this one, which has been obviously trimmed, is readily apparent to anyone looking at it, so there is no marketable element to rejecting it.

I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL I WISH I WAS AT THE NATIONAL [STOMPING FEET ON FLOOR AND BANGING HEAD ON DESK]

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Posted By: Elliot

Here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewItem&item=1848314617

Mastronet has coined a new grade in their new catalog---vpr---very poor. To paraphrase "these cards are truly awful".

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Posted By: Dan Mathewson

Here's my take on it...

It looks as if that card may have been cut across that corner, or it could have been dog-earred so badly, that over time it finally came off in a relatively stright line (looking at it, it looks jsut a bit rough to be a perfect cut, tho). In any event, it is obvious damage to the card. Can't hide it, the cut (or tear) goes right into the actual photo of the card and affects its appeal.

Trimming is done specifically to make sharp edges, to make sharp corners, to make centering appear more balanced. It is done to decpeively increase the card's appeal and done in a manner which makes it difficult (sometimes) for the less experienced collector to notice. It is not in original, factory condition with just time-worn appearance. I have some pretty damaged cards, too, that grade a 1, and I virtually begged the graders to slab it and give it whatever grade they could just to protect it keep it from suffering any more damage, plus I love the way that slabs present a card, regardless of the grade. But, the damage is clearly wear and tear over time. It is not something that is intentional, deceptive and meant to give counterfeit value to the card, though. To me, there is a huge difference.

At least this card is in a reputable grader's slab, not some P.O.S. like AAA or PRO. I could send PRO one trimmed square of generic Costco Toilet Paper: those guys would grade and slab it, and call it Charmin.

Speaking of AAA garbage, once again, check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1849625740

What a joke...

dan-o