Posted By:
warshawlaw I just got burned for the first time on a manipulated scan of a card. A seller I've done business with once or twice in the past contacted me and offered me an incredibly rare (T229 Kopec back) card, one of the last cards I needed for a type set I am building. He sent along two scans (front and back) which showed a decent lower-grade card (corner wear, a couple of creases, some surface scuffing and dirt, but presentable). I asked further questions about the card, which he answered. I then made the deal and bought the card.
When the card arrived I realized that the images I had been shown had either been enhanced artificially or had been made with a scanner set to hide the true condition of the card. The card itself showed considerable age browning on the reverse (probably from either being stored next to a highly acidic paper or being pasted into an album with flour-type paste), but the scan showed a much whiter reverse.
I was faced with the age-old quandary: do I keep a card that I feel was presented to me under less than truthful circumstances and finish my set, or do I return it and wait another five years or maybe longer to find another one. I kept the card, but also learned a lesson. Don't trust scans of ungraded cards. Next time, I will demand either a return privilege or a (gasps, please) third party grade.