Posted By:
HarryI look at Old Judges more like a photo than a card. Here is what I would look for in either:
1. Photo quality
2. Front surface problems- creases, scratches, stains, etc.
3. Corner rounding and layering
4. Back damage
I think that different cards need to be graded differently. This may offend some grading purists, but a 1887 Old Judge card should not be graded with the same criteria as a 1990 Topps Refractor.
I would also prefer to have a card described to me with as much detail as possible rather than just a single overall grade. For example, I would prefer to have an auction company state that one Old Judge appears to be EX-MT, but has light back damage and another appears to be EX-MT but has an very light photo and a crease than to just see VG next to each one. The first example I would not mind having in my collection while the second I would not want.
Further, I would may bid on a card that is decribed as being EX-MT with a phenomenal photo but has back damage and a pinhole in the border. If it were just called Fair, I probably would not bid on it. In fact, I would prefer to have this Fair card as opposed to the second VG example cited above even though the technical grade is lower.
I have seen SGC VG-EX cards that I would love to have in my collection and others that I would never consider. I would prefer to have as much info as possible and then I will decide if it fits into my collecting specifications.