This was my gift from SGC in yesterday's mail. The ultra rare, 1963 Topps #200 SP Mickey Mantle "Clubhouse Pube" card!
Really, WTF. How does this get through QC? Brent was of course apologetic, and offered shipping and a reholder and quick turn around, but instead I just had him refund me and popped it. Mickey is now resting in a shiny new One Touch, where I managed to get the job done without encapsulating errant short and curlies from my nether regions. I'm done, have no stomach to send those guys my cards anymore. This was after last year dealing with defective slab inserts that had misshapen plastic shards sticking into the edges of other Mantle cards.
I do love a properly graded card in an attractive slab, but from now on will seek out 3rd party sellers where I can inspect the slabs first over sending my own raw vintage in. The disgust factor / "these guys know more about grading than me, really?" aspect of this was just too much for me. I'm an (apparently emotional) Cubs fan, if that makes a difference. That was a line too humorous to pass up on other social media yesterday...
For your viewing pleasure, The Mick - Peter Griffin style. A shame they don't have dual grading on relics, as I'm pretty sure the pube itself would have been at least a 7. Strong texture and curl:
