Even after Mastro's admission, I am still confused about the story behind how the card was cut from its original sheet.
Mastro admitted to trimming the card, which presumably refers to having altered the card after it was cut from its original sheet.
So then, who cut the card from the sheet to begin with?
This MOK Daily News article (excerpts from his book "The Card") states that Alan Ray sold the card to Mastro, and that when he sold it to Mastro, it had already (presumably) been cut from a sheet. The article also shows the photo of the card as originally sold to Mastro before Mastro trimmed it:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...ticle-1.220710
Quote:
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Ray said he took the photos before he sold the card to Mastro in the back room of a Long Island collectibles shop in 1985. Ray wanted $25,000 for the Wagner - a lot of money in those days even for the Flying Dutchman - but Mastro balked, telling Ray the card was off-center and improperly cut. Mastro refused to complete the sale unless Ray threw in dozens of other cards the collector had brought to the shop that day. Ray later said he felt bullied, but he needed the cash and agreed to Mastro's terms.
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But Peter Nash wrote in the following article that he was told that Mastro trimmed the card and was also told that Mastro cut it from a sheet:
http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=14545
Quote:
One of our sources, a veteran collector of high-end artifacts who was once a close associate of Lifson, revealed to this writer back in 2000 what he described as the true story behind the Wagner as he heard it directly told to him by Lifson. Our source will remain anonymous and from here on in be known simply as “Hobby Deep-Throat ...
Referring to a direct conversation he once had with Lifson, “Hobby Deep Throat” said, “He (Lifson) told me years ago that Mastro trimmed it.” He added, “He told me that Mastro cut it off from a full sheet and there was a guy on Long Island that had the sheet.”
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These two articles conflict with one another.
So, who cut the card from the original sheet? Mastro? Ray? Someone else?