[Al C.risafulli]

Just my opinion on this one, which is worth what you paid for it, but my feeling dovetails with something David said in an earlier post.

When you're dealing with fine art (painting, sculpture, etc), you're generally dealing with a one-of-a-kind piece. Often when you're talking about professional restoration of fine art, you're talking about a trained conservator applying an unbelievable amount of skill and knowledge to remove damage to a piece in an effort to preserve it and stabilize it.

In the case of baseball cards, there are often thousands of examples of the same card, and we pay a premium for those examples that have lasted with less damage or wear than the others. The condition is the only thing that differentiates two cards of the same player from the same issue. When "restoration" work is done, it's often done by shady guys in a back room, using trial and error in an effort to deceive a buyer and make more money - hopefully by getting it past a grading company. The entire process reeks of deceit.

Further, the "restoration" process with cards devalues all the EXISTING higher-grade examples that have managed to live their lives with less wear.

As a collector and now as an auctioneer, I have such a tremendous appreciation for cards (and memorabilia) that are rare or somehow unique. When a fantastic, show-stopping item crosses my desk I find myself staring at it with wonder and also with an incredible amount of respect for the diligence of the collector who found it. When I see a card that's been altered in an effort to get a higher technical grade, it's just not the same thing.

For these reasons, I don't want the hobby to start accepting restored cards.

-Al

ETA: I voted "Never, just let them be," but with a caveat: on certain rare items, particularly display items, when they are becoming brittle or are subject to further degradation, I am in favor of PROFESSIONAL restoration in an effort to stabilize and protect the piece. I'd rather have a restored piece than one that rots away or falls apart over time.