Quote:
Originally Posted by CMIZ5290
I am trying to figure out why some people criticize certain collectors (Harris, with PSA for example), some cards probably questionable, but yet there is no criticism towards this collector (Carter) with SGC to be found anywhere on this board, (alot of cards questionable). Is it really that much PSA vs. SGC? Is Lionel Carter that reputable a guy and not Harris? I have a couple of T206s from his collection that are ridiculous, grade wise. Why no criticism his way? Just curious....
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Kevin,
Over the years I have either owned or seen (in person) thousands of cards from Lionel Carter's personal collection and have yet to see "a lot" that are "questionable" as you put it. While there are some cards that are graded "authentic" due to trimming, there is no evidence that deceptive alterations were performed. But why would there be? The cards remained in Lionel Carter's albums until they were sent to SGC for grading. Any trimming that is present is noted, in some form, on the label of each card holder and was done, to the best of my knowledge, back in the day.
If anything, many of the cards that are graded from LC's collection sell for premiums, not just because of the pedigree, but because there are quite a few that are "NM-MT" or "Mint" but are downgraded severely due to very minor defects. For instance, I've sold quite a few Diamond Stars, Leafs, and Bowmans that had a visual appearance far better than the grade on the holder might otherwise indicate.
Finally, I think there's a certain "mystique" to Lionel Carter. We've all heard the stories but I think it's certainly relevant that Lionel Carter was one of the hobby pioneers and was active in the early cataloguing process. He was also a contemporary/good friend of Jefferson Burdick and obtained some of his cards from Burdick including his 1933 Goudey Lajoie. As the story goes, Lionel Carter was complaining to Burdick that he was missing one of the cards in the set so Burdick wrote back saying that he had a "couple extra" of card #106 and would send one to Carter for free. The irony is that I've seen Burdick's remaining Lajoie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the one he sent away to his friend was a better card.