eye appeal for me, the card can have some defects wont bother me too much as I try to own the card/cards. So I guess centering.

like these for example

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...psc3641840.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...psac15dd1e.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps8fed7d4a.jpg

Centering vs. 4 sharps
 

For the same money, I'll take a better centered card with soft corners vs an OC with 4 sharp corners. To me, it's all in the eye-appeal and the centering draws my eyes sooner than the corners most of the time.

And like someone else said, the soft corners are really just added 'character' from a life well-lived.

When I was building ( well always still upgrading) my topps sets 70-79... I looked for sharp corners... I could live with a little OC... one thing I hate though is those diamond cuts... for my type card collection... I've become less strict... as long as its not a diamond cut, I can live with soft corners...

Ricky Y

+1. Although I've gotten pretty excited about some pickups that did not have corners.

Centering Weenies Rejoice : ''9'''s From Beckett
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...NG957S_NEW.JPG


........I would crawl on my hands and knees over broken glass to someday finally finish my 1957 Topps set , all perfectly centered........BGS/BVG stopped putting subgrades on pre-1979 and the old Red-Label SCD ceased operations , so it's a challenge......soooooo if you have any ''Centering 9 '' '57's and you need lots of money.......thanks , MikeGarcia

I gravitate towards the well centered card and the eye appeal that great centering brings to a card. If its is worse then 65/35 then I just can't stand it. However I will give certain exceptions to iconic cards that may be off centered with nice corners that I can pick up on the cheap.