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Posted By: scgaynor

Jim, I have never removed a crease or wrinkle. I have an idea of how it is done, but I have never even attempted it.

As for most high end cards being altered, it depends on how the collector defines altered. I think that most have had a corner layed down, or some minor defect fixed. It probably depends on the issue as well. There are alot of high grade 1963 Fleers and 1954 and 1955 Bowmans out there since there were finds in those issues.

Going back to what Barry was saying. I have been fortunate enough to get into some old time collections, I am talking about guys who have collected since the 1950s and attended all the early nationals looking for the best cards that they could find. The conversation always gets around to grading and without a doubt there is always a comment like "all those high grade cards didn't exist back then." Since I am not old enough to have attended the early nationals, I have to take them at thier word, as these are guys that would know. Grading has brought out some truely high grade cards, but more "fixed" cards too.

While nobody can detect an altered card 100% of the time, I will say that it has been my experience that SGC has been the best. Sometimes they even detect alterations on cards that have not had any. If anything they have been too conservative, especially lately. The last couple of card groups that I have got back from them have been undergraded in my opinion.

Scott