Posted By:
davidcyclebackI tried to win the T3 Proof of Walter Johnson a number of years ago. Whether it was cut by hand or factory, the cut was straight and neat-- at least as far as I saw in the scan. A T3 proof cut doesn't have to be ragged. The Johnson had the tell tale crosses in the borders.
Trading card proofs often are handcut, but they don't have to be.
I beleive a lot of the more modern proof cards, like 1970s Topps and Hostess, were cut years after the fact from sheets. The cuts are sharp and professional, and it may have been Topps that cut them. I beleive they were cut to offer as singles, or player sets, to the public. The final 1970s Hostess/Twinkies cards, of course, were printed on the product box and not issued factory cut.
For a while, major graders were hesitant to grade these Topps and Hostess proofs, not because they doubted the authenticity, but because of how they were cut. Though since then I have seen these types of proofs graded.
For proofs in general, and for these Topps/Hostess proofs in particular, I think a AUTH grade is sufficient. I see no need ever for a proof to ever have a 1-10 grade. As the Topps/Hostess were professionally cut after the fact, grading the cut of the edge is a bogus affair. And as many proofs have rough handcut edges, a razor sharp edge isn't something a proof collector should pine for. It's like pining for a game used football jersey that looks as if it was never worn.