Fatal Flaw - What's the one thing that will keep you from buying a card?

[rholmes]

First off, maybe an intro is in order. My name is Ray...I was on the old board for a number of years, mostly as a lurker and b/s/t trawler, which will probably be the larger part of my role here on the new board as well...but anyway, after some time away, I'm back actively collecting.

As I've looked around for my first new pickups in a couple of years, I'm having the conscious realization that there is one thing that will almost always keep me from buying a card: I don't like the player name to be missing or cut off in any way, not even a little bit, whether it be by chipping or off-centering (top to bottom). I am an unabashed low grade guy...I actually prefer the aesthetics of your average poor/fair card...but as I said to someone recently, I've got to see the name. The face can be creased (not ideal, but I'll take it if the price is right), corners can be missing, hole punches, whatever. But I have to be able to clearly read the name.

So, what is it for you? What's the fatal flaw? An aspect of condition? Unable to grade? Price (I guess this really counts for all of us to some degree, and is hugely dependent on the rarity of the card)? Or maybe you just don't like the seller? I realize more often than not you buy cards based on a weighted mix of factors...but anyone else have that one thing that holds you back every time?

[tbob]

Welcome back Ray. To me it is aesthetics. If a card is a tough one to find but is a nice looking card, even with a slight trim on a border, it doesn't bother me. I draw the line at punch holes, writing on the front, pieces missing and non eye appeal cards, though, even if they have a numerical grade.

[ghostmarcelle]

The fatal flaw to me is poor registration or anything else that obscures the image. I love a nice clean well-focused image and can overlook flaws in the periphery or on the back.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by ghostmarcelle

The fatal flaw to me is poor registration or anything else that obscures the image. I love a nice clean well-focused image and can overlook flaws in the periphery or on the back.

I agree with this, and the grading companies don't even take focus/registration into consideration.

Besides poor focus, anything with a crease rules the card out for me. I can deal with corner rounding, but just knowing that card was once bent to the point of creasing drives me nuts!

[tbob]

The trimming issue can be a touchy one. I have seen cards which appear trimmed in PSA and SGC holders with numerical grades and likewise cards which I believe are "short" because of factory cuts in "authentic" holders, deemed as trimmed. I honestly believe that if you have a problem with altered cards (trimming), and some do, that you shouldn't take the word of the grading companies as gospel on this issue but examine the card and buy the card based on your own feelings and observation. That said, there are also cards which are trimmed but which are so aesthetically nice that they are, to me, desirable, especially hard to find and scarce cards. I am in the minority that feels that in the future these "AUTH" cards will be worth more than the SGCs 10 and PSA 1s. It may be apples and oranges but look at the prices of restored vintage comic books and see the prices they are bringing.
Just my 2 cents.
tbob

[Matt]

Originally Posted by tbob

The trimming issue can be a touchy one. I have seen cards which appear trimmed in PSA and SGC holders with numerical grades and likewise cards which I believe are "short" because of factory cuts in "authentic" holders, deemed as trimmed. I honestly believe that if you have a problem with altered cards (trimming), and some do, that you shouldn't take the word of the grading companies as gospel on this issue but examine the card and buy the card based on your own feelings and observation. That said, there are also cards which are trimmed but which are so aesthetically nice that they are, to me, desirable, especially hard to find and scarce cards. I am in the minority that feels that in the future these "AUTH" cards will be worth more than the SGCs 10 and PSA 1s. It may be apples and oranges but look at the prices of restored vintage comic books and see the prices they are bringing.
Just my 2 cents.
tbob

Agree 100%. Well said.

[brianp-beme]

I am with Matt on the facial flaws. I am a low grade collector, and accept just about everything, but definitely like to see the player's face unobscured (I guess I am a face man). A specific card that comes to mind (and I have seen it make the Ebay/net54 circuit for years) that I would love to own, except for the fact that the paper damage on front just happens to make the player headless, is a D304 Cy Young encapsulated by one of the major grading companies. Man, I would be reluctant to spend more than $20.00 on the thing, and even if I were to end up with it, his noggin-less body would always get me upset.

Brian

[quinnsryche]

Originally Posted by perezfan

I agree with this, and the grading companies don't even take focus/registration into consideration.

Besides poor focus, anything with a crease rules the card out for me. I can deal with corner rounding, but just knowing that card was once bent to the point of creasing drives me nuts!

I agree 100%. Out of focus is bad but creases make me crazy!

[rholmes]

A perfect illustration to my funky-name aversion is this e98 Matty I was recently able to Best Offer down enough on ebay to my liking. It fits pretty well with the overall condition aesthetics of my collection. It's slabbed PSA AUT...has the tape and seems to be a bit short on top (whatever happened there happened a long time ago), but the front and back actually look pretty nice and I'm thrilled to have it. In my mind this is the greatest pre-war card ever issued and I couldn't afford it any other way. BUT, if the name was chipped at all or obscured in some other manner I would have hemmed and hawed and probably not bought it.



Brian - a good tangent to this thread would be cards that you can't stand to look at, now that you have them in your collection...

[Steve D]

For me, it's any of the following:

1. Poor registration
2. Diamond cut
3. Off-centered more than 60-40
4. Crease through the player's face
5. Writing/marks on the card's obverse

Steve

[albrshbr]

For me it's missing pieces...or paper loss on the front. I love picking up trimmed cards that other wise look really nice.

[JasonL]

you make a good point about cut-off names, and it's one that may cause me to reconsider as the truly one fatal flaw...but up until you mentioned it on this post, it was registration.

I cannot stand to look at a card that has terrible registration. I simply can't look at it. and then, for me, what's the point?

[rholmes]

And now that you mention it, poor registration is probably a close second for me. Although there is something interesting about a card whose registration is so off it makes you feel slightly seasick .

Originally Posted by JasonL

you make a good point about cut-off names, and it's one that may cause me to reconsider as the truly one fatal flaw...but up until you mentioned it on this post, it was registration.

I cannot stand to look at a card that has terrible registration. I simply can't look at it. and then, for me, what's the point?

[Matt]

Any issue that causes the face of the player to be obscured.

[Section103]

Easily, the one thing that prevents me from buying most cards is $$$$.

I stay away from altered cards. They can look just fine, but they feel like they have bad mojo to me (thats just me and Id never question anyone elses decision). Outside of that, a card where complete sections are missing hold no interest to me.

[glchen]

I try to avoid miscut cards whenever possible. Somewhat OC is fine, but if it's OC where there is practically no border, I usually avoid. I also try to avoid altered or trimmed cards whenever possible. If the card is Authentic b/c of poor condition, however, I'm still willing to consider it especially if it's a very expensive card to get in numerical grade.

[Robextend]

Unless the card is super rare, paper loss on the front middle of the card will prevent me from buying it.

[Rickyy]

I'm more tolerant when it comes to pre war cards as to my criteria for rejection...when I was filling pieces on my 1970-1979 Topps set... I just hated Diamond cuts...


For pre war stuff:
Huge chunk missing from the card
Excessive writing or erasure mark on the front of the card

Ricky Y

[BCauley]

I tend to keep my mind open with the type of card that it is but the two things that always hold me back are:

1) An actual piece of the card is missing. (i.e. torn/ripped off)
2) Centering. I am flexible to an extent depending on the card but that's probably my biggest pet peeve of all.

[e107collector]

I will not buy a card that has:

1. Poor centering

2. Paper loss on the front

3. Parts of the card missing

[sox1903wschamp]

1. Centering on post war needs to be 60/40 or better, more lenient on pre war especially rarity.

2. Anything that obstructs clarity on the face on the image is a real downer.

[teetwoohsix]

David- I like the way SGC put "without coupon" on that

I do not like:

1) trimmed/altered

2)paper loss (I can handle a little speck, but not much more)

3)writing on front or back

4)heavy creases (a light wrinkle is sometimes ok, if the card otherwise is a beauty)


I collect in the V/G to V/G-E/X range, so I can handle a little O/C or rounded corners.

My wallet sometimes wishes I didn't mind 1 through 4,,,my collection would be so much bigger

Clayton

[ChrisStufflestreet]

Anybody who has seen some of the stuff in my collection knows I have few things that actually prevent me from adding a card that most of you guys wouldn't even bother with. I have a blog that shows some of the "beauties," as does an article in the last issue of "Collector" magazine.

However, a seller who shows himself as resembling the northern end of a southbound horse will make me walk to the next table...every single time.

[rholmes]

This whole bad seller thing is no joke, which is why I put it as an option in my original post. Not naming names, but there was a guy on the old board, a seller primarily, who just rubbed me the wrong way with every move he made. But then he'd put up something pretty good once in a while, sometimes something I really wanted or needed, and I'd have to just grit my teeth and slide on by. I couldn't bring myself to deal with him. My loss probably, in the end...but it really is so much better/cooler/more fun to buy from folks you like. Comes down to what you want your hobby to be about, I guess.

[sox1903wschamp]

Originally Posted by ChrisStufflestreet

However, a seller who shows himself as resembling the northern end of a southbound horse will make me walk to the next table...every single time.

Hilarious! Never quite heard it put that way but there are a few of those around.