I have nothing against collecting nice cards. I don't view this as a card collecting versus game used question. However the idea that collectors pay so much extra for a card graded a "10" versus one graded lower, when often the only way you can see the difference is under a magnifying glass, just seems so silly to me, and has nothing at all to do with the game. They might as well be collecting bottle caps (no insult intended to bottle cap collectors).
The PSA Registry was a stroke of marketing genius. They created a way for collectors to compete against each other for bragging rights, and have all the ability and incentive in the world to manage the quantity of cards graded as "9"'s or "10's, knowing collectors will keep breaking them out and resubmitting, paying PSA even more money. What a racket.
And has been pointed out, the odds that the "10" was trimmed seems pretty good right now.
I agree that there is fraud in collecting game-used as well, but it usually (not always) is aimed at making a fake item real, not altering it to increase a grade.
Rick
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