My first A&G - trimmed?
 

Hello - I'm reposting this from the March Pickups thread because it understandably got lost in the cavalcade of awesome cards...
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I just got my first 19th century card - A&G Keefe.

I don't have any reason to believe it's fake, as the eBay seller has several positive feedbacks for selling other A&Gs. There were multiple other bidders, and the final price was not unduly low - maybe 10% lower than I had expected. The print dots seem consistent with the tobacco cards I have, and it passes the black light test. But I don't have any other A&Gs to compare it with, so please let me know if anything makes you think it's fake. The stock feels quite thick and sturdy, more so than T206s for example.

One issue is that it measures 1/16" short of 1.5"x2.75" in both directions. Can A&Gs have size variations, or is this one likely trimmed? The right edge looks a little crooked/bowed in the photo, but it seems ok when I line it up against the edge of a top loader.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

I would be surprised at anyone selling this card raw unless they expected it would only grade authentic and not get a numerical grade and 1/16" short in both directions is very suspect IMO.

The seller has sold a bunch of raw A&Gs, including a Clarkson, for what that’s worth. Most of them, including the Keefe, have minor paper loss on the back. Seems consistent with breaking up a scrapbook collection. Not sure if that changes anything in your thoughts.

Even if you get an A its an awesome card.

Only one of my A&Gs is raw, but it's also thick and sturdy. So assuming that mine is authentic (and I'm pretty sure it is), that wouldn't worry me.

My raw card measures right. FWIW, I tried to measure a slabbed A&G (that has a numerical grade) and it looks like it's a bit short, but who knows with all that plastic in the way.

Thanks! I’m not a graded-card guy, so this one will be staying raw. I’m mostly asking out of curiosity, because I don’t think I’ll send it back. It’s an absolutely beautiful looking card on the front (and the back is nice except for the couple small paper loss areas). I think I can be happy with it even knowing in the back of my mind it might be trimmed.

From the small pick it appears genuine

I have one, Comiskey. If we're saying that precision cards were the norm in the 1880s, then yes, mine too is trimmed. Again, who f-ing cares? All mine are raw, and I am keeping them that way. Enjoy your cards as a hobby, not as an OCD investment worrying about insignificant BS minutiae.

nice card
 

I don't see anything wrong with it. Many, many 19th century cards are still raw - probably way more than are encapsulated - and that doesn't mean they are all altered. Not everyone sends their cards to a TPG. Buy the card, not the holder.