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scott as all of you are veterans in the hobby,i'm a recycled newbie as i collected for about 20 years then sold off everything in the late 80's early 90's.
back then i bought t cards,goudeys etc.,never even considering alterations,forgeries etc.prices were reasonable and grading was in its beginnings.
now i'm back into collecting,which i enjoy,but to say one has to be cautious is an understatement. i educate myself the best i can through the internet, including this forum but i'm at a disadvantage is that even though i,ve made a few nice purchases ,the fact of the matter is the only way to truly know the cards ,and spot skillful alterations is to actually handle them....alot of them.
being on a budget this will never happen so i have to unfortunately rely ,to some degree on grading companies and individuals on the board who i've purchased from (graded).
unlike 20 years ago,and much like any counterfeiting,our knowledge and technology ,and the big bucks at stake has made it hard to stay ahead of the curve.i'm sure some have passed by the top experts unknowingly and otherwise.
as a newbie,as much as i hate to admit it but i'm just going to buy graded.if i pay a couple hundred $ for a rawcard,i don't want to think at the back of my mind what
if..
and i know that a slabbed card may be altered ,and that the person grading may have less experience then me,may have a hangover,or whatever but this is something i just have to live with.
a newbie's rambling thoughts,
scott