Grading postcards with erasure marks

[destijl03]

Hey guys, I’m looking for opinions from the people here who grade. I have a postcard that I’d like to get slabbed for my PC, but in addition to having writing in pencil on the back, it also has heavy erasure marks in a couple of areas where it looks like a seller has erased inventory notes or something, or maybe even part of the original message. I know it can still get a numerical grade with the writing, but my understanding has always been that if there are erasure marks, it receives the Authentic Altered designation.

My question is, if you’re the owner and it’s a PC item, are you checking the A box just to get it authenticated or are you sending it through the normal process where it will most likely get the Altered designation? Since it will go to my PC, I’m torn because I personally don’t like seeing “Altered” on a postcard that’s sole purpose is to be written on and/or erased, but I also want it to be accurately represented since there are some pretty heavy erasure marks on it. Any thoughts?

[Leon]

I have quite a few postcards. A lot of them have writing and erasures. Collectors of postcards understand writing on them. Sometimes it even makes them more valuable. I could care less if a postcard has an A or a 1, because of writing or erasures. Others might have more of a problem with writing and erasures on a pc, I don't.
My understanding has been that if they can see the erasure marks, it counts like a mark all the same.

[Zach Wheat]

I don't generally collect postcards so may not be the best collector to respond. However, I have several in my collection. I think historical writing on the item makes it more interesting, as Leon indicated. However, I do not care for modern writing on postcards. As for your question - grading, an Authentic or Auth/Altered due to writing would not bother me

[calvindog]

Get a numerical grade if you can so that a potential buyer doesn’t think the card is trimmed or had color added.

I have a lot of postcards and don’t care if there is period writing on them; oftentimes it makes the card more interesting.

[destijl03]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

The issue isn’t so much with the writing as it is with the erasure marks. I actually prefer writing on my postcards, but it appears that someone has taken a pencil eraser and erased the heck out of a couple of areas where writing used to be. I’ll try to get pics up soon.

Edit: Added pic. I can’t really get a pic that does it justice but you can see where writing used to be and someone erased it. The surface where it’s been erased also feels smoother than the rest of the back. So that’s where I’m thinking it might get the Altered designation instead of a numeric grade.

[Leon]

It shouldn't get an A because of erased markings. But, as Forest Gump "the grader" said, "Grading is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get."

.

[Exhibitman]

If the indentations or marks are visible, expect a 1.5-2 at best. This one got nailed for indentations:



As for vintage markings, I have found that some add value, especially postal cancellations in season that provide some provenance:





Sorry for the crappy scan on this one, but it is a Drysdale signed PC sent from Brooklyn in 1957, and I definitely would pay a premium for a card like this as compared to a signed but unused card, because I can date it to his rookie season:



Well, actually, I did pay a premium...and would happily do it again:



This PC with Babe Ruth (among others) was mailed in 1932, which enhances the desirability for me because it is demonstrably career contemporary:



I think of it in those terms because in boxing, markings associated with big fights have long been desirable and generate premiums regardless of condition. This one would get perhaps a 2 at best but the markings indicate it was mailed out a few weeks after Willard won the title from Jack Johnson in 1915 (4/5/15) and would command a significant premium as a result.



Just to bookend it, this one was mailed from Toledo, Ohio the day (7/4/19) that Willard lost the title to Jack Dempsey in Toledo.

[Vintagedeputy]

Love me some slabbed postcards!

[Lucas00]

If there's a gently written dealer price on the back, Erase it. If it's anything to do with actually being sent. Don't.

Whoever erased before probably used the wrong kind of eraser. I don't know what a grader will think about that.

[Vintagedeputy]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

If there's a gently written dealer price on the back, Erase it. If it's anything to do with actually being sent. Don't.

.

I have an antique dealer here who writes their four letter dealer code and a price on every piece of paper. They write on tobacco cards, postcards, exhibit cards, etc. I have asked them to stop doing that because they are ruining items and they just don’t seem to care. The funny thing is their prices are so high that they could certainly afford penny sleeves and a price sticker.

[destijl03]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If the indentations or marks are visible, expect a 1.5-2 at best.

It’s a little hard to tell for sure, but it seems like there may be some indentations. I’m honestly fine with any grade other than Altered! Also, those are some amazing postcards, thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by Lucas00

If there's a gently written dealer price on the back, Erase it. If it's anything to do with actually being sent. Don't.

Whoever erased before probably used the wrong kind of eraser. I don't know what a grader will think about that.

There’s no dealer price, but there are what appear to be inventory notes from the dealer. Unfortunately there’s no writing having anything to do with being sent, only dealer markings. It’s impossible to tell or know for sure, but whoever erased before, it looks like they used just a normal pencil eraser. If any postcard dealers are reading this, please please please stop writing on the actual postcards!

[Exhibitman]

Artgum eraser.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by Vintagedeputy

I have an antique dealer here who writes their four letter dealer code and a price on every piece of paper. They write on tobacco cards, postcards, exhibit cards, etc. I have asked them to stop doing that because they are ruining items and they just don’t seem to care. The funny thing is their prices are so high that they could certainly afford penny sleeves and a price sticker.

Dealers of every type do that for a reason. They find a 10 letter word where every letter is different. Each letter is 0-9. They use the letters to remember how much they paid for the item. A paper dealer may pick the word parchments. Therefore

P - 0

A - 1

R - 2

C - 3

H - 4

M - 5

E - 6

N - 7

T - 8

S - 9

If he paid $70 dollars for an items he would mark the back XXNP. This tells him how much he paid for the item with the X's being place holders. He could also use 2 numbers and 2 letters i.e. 15NM. This would tell him he purchased it in 2015 and paid $75 for it.

[BeanTown]

The secret has been out on postcards for years now, as they grow in popularity. IMO, having a stamp or period writing on them adds to the allure. Most postcard collectors could care less about the grade even though it’s a good idea to have graded to basically say it hasn’t been trimmed down. Lower graded postcards or cards with qualifiers on them allow for better buying opportunities and weed out the registry folks who just buy the holder grade.