Posted By:
Charlie BarokasThis card is not trimmed? This card was destroyed by some kid many years ago who had fun with scissors. There is a difference, whoever cut this card had no intention of beating the grading company but rather had child like motives (Zach might be able to relate to this being 15 years old). Just like there is a difference between "MK" and re-coloring, it is the intent and whether the card has increased in value as a result of the alteration. Who ever cut this card didn't increase the value but rather reduced the value. Therefore just like a card with a pin-hole it gets a "1".
Not all alteration is malicious. Remember the majority of people handling these cards were kids with no concept of their future value.
"Authentic" grades are only given to those cards that are deemed to be altered to improve the condition or value of the card. There maybe some grey area here but most of the time it is clear cut.
I wish I understood why some members speak so negatively about grading companies? "Bonehead" Zach, grown-ups don't talk that way. The "Boneheads" you speak of are working for a 100+ Million dollar company that commmands the higest selling price. Maybe not from you but from the people who have real money to spend on baseball cards. You might what to ask "Merkel" etc. if they think there multi-million dollar investments have been graded by "boneheads".
Every grader and or grading company makes mistakes. But the beauty is that if you don't agree with the grade you do not have to buy the card. It is an opinion. But I would much rather have a third party opinion when buying and selling than trying to buy a card from someone who has graded it themselves. Which was the previous world we lived in. Obviously, old-timers hate third-party grading, because back in the day everything was "mint".
I had to imput some postive into such a redundantly negative drone about grading from some board members.