Recoloring - examples and what to look for

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Posted By: only_child

This may be a review for some but may also be helpful to others. Below are examples of recolored cards done in a variety of ways. Some are easy to spot, while most you will need a halogen and/or black light. These should all be caught by almost any grader:

This Goudey has obvious had green color added to the background. It does show up much better on a scan than in person. That is because a scanner can, at times, act like a halogen light and reveal hidden alterations.



This 1962 Topps card has a recolored corner tip. Highly magnified is plain to see but to the naked eye it is next to impossible and looks very normal. Corners are probably the most frequent place recoloring is done. On either very dark (usually black) or white borders. Markers, colored pencils and paint are often used and are best identified with a loupe and a halogen light for the dark colors and a black light for white touched up areas.



This card has had the neckline recolored with a thin black marker. Again, difficult to see without a loupe and halogen light. Ink marks will show as either dull of reflective, depending on the ink used.

Side note: This card has also had a small pin hole filled. Can you see where? If not, don't feel bad the grader didn't see it either. It's not slabbed.



The most difficult of all is a recolored smear. This is done to hide areas that have very small scratches or light scuffs. Water soluble ink is used and literally smeared across with the finger while wet to blend a large area. The dark brown under this hat has been smeared and even magnified it is hard to notice. To identify this alteration the halogen light will usually show a very dull large spot. Examine the dots and individual pixels, they will not be very distinct or clear but will look joined and...well...smeared.




Hope this is information is not to basic. Enjoy!

Kevin Saucier

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Posted By: rand

amazing info, the other post was fantastic to (rebuilt corners). i dont think i would have had any way to see these examples or explanations any better in any other forum. here is a good question for you..when PSA started out, did they have the knowledge and these types of lights to detect this stuff? there is still plenty of high grade material out there with the old psa print on the tags. I wonder how many highend cards would get the same grade today? thx again

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Posted By: Joann

Another home run Kevin - even with long fences! Thank you very much. Another saved thread too.

Thx to whoever it was that posted the "save as htm" method for preserving all images related to a thread.

Joann

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Posted By: John

excellent thread.

I had a card in my dad's 59's that came back as recolored TWICE! I never could see the area that was recolored but wasn't going to waste any more dollars trying.

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Posted By: leon

Not to be too redundant but thanks again....Very helpful. I can't tell you how many cards I have seen with retouched corners....

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Posted By: Glyn PARSON

I have noticed several cards with high grades and pin holes lately. Be sure to check the interior of the card. When the holes are on the top border or bottom they seem to stand out more then when they are in the interior. For an issue like T206 they are more noticable if you look for them on the card back. It seems the doctors smooth the hole back to almost closed but it still stands out more on the white backs then the colored fronts.

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Posted By: Dave Haas

Excellent presentation! I recently got a card back from PSA that they said was recolored and I couldn't find it. I need to take a 2nd look. Thanks.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

I may be alone here, but a hobby to me does not ideally require such expertise, equipment and time expenditure just to make sure that you have gotten what you paid for. It's just too much .... slinking into the family bathroom (which has no windows, so near absolute darkness can be achieved) with my card of inquiry and black light .... while my daughter nudges her mom, with a chuckle. Then getting out my illuminated multimagnification $25 hand held jobber and looking for - what? they ask. Bat ears? Dots? Heehehe.

Call the looney bin, he is ready. Dad does this for fun!