Why would someone cut the borders off of a card?

[nat]

I seem to see lots of 53 Topps cards with the borders cut off, and sometimes older cards as well. What's the deal, why would someone do that? Not trimmed mind you, not in the regular sense, I mean completely cut off.

Whenever there's something strange about a card, my first thought is that the seller is trying to hide something. There are always a bunch of W517s on eBay with no borders, which is worrying since the 'W517' that identifies the reprints as reprints appears on the border. But why 53 Topps, Goudeys, etc? Or were there just a bunch of kids back in the day who were like "I hate borders" and then attacked their cards with scissors?

[frankbmd]

If the borders are completely removed, centering becomes less of an issue.

[bbcard1]

As a boy, I remember times it seemed like a good idea. I was happy I generally got distracted before pursuing it.

[GasHouseGang]

An "old-timer" once told me they cut down the 52 Topps to make them closer to the size of the Bowmans. Seems crazy now, but it probably made sense at the time.

[CxG Seven Dust]

I like the website. I enjoyed reading the paragraphs about each player too. Cool stuff.

[MVSNYC]

Was also done back in the day to help the cards fit in albums, or sleeves.

[yanksfan09]

Kids and scissors isn't always the greatest combo. Plus back then they weren't worth anything and lots of kids just put them in bike spokes.

[Eggoman]

I did it to my 1969 Topps cards as a kid because my older brother told me to! He said that that way we could tell MY cards from HIS cards!

He was older, so I assumed he was smarter than me and I listened!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Eggoman

I did it to my 1969 Topps cards as a kid because my older brother told me to! He said that that way we could tell MY cards from HIS cards!

He was older, so I assumed he was smarter than me and I listened!

Older isn't always smarter.....great story and sounds like something I would do.

[ALR-bishop]

Maybe he was smarter Greg

I ended up once with a bunch of Goudies where the cutting looked like it was aimed at cutting off as much advertising as possible

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Eggoman

I did it to my 1969 Topps cards as a kid because my older brother told me to! He said that that way we could tell MY cards from HIS cards!

He was older, so I assumed he was smarter than me and I listened!

That is a funny childhood story. As an older brother I got flashbacks of all the stupid stuff I told my little brother as kids. Luckily I did not do that because I bought his entire collection about a year ago.

I recently bought a Ted Williams rookie off the BST that had all the borders cut off. I am super glad someone cut the borders off it so I could get such an amazing card in my budget. I can also guarantee I will act exactly like that kid in the video who got his favorite player. Only add a middle aged fat balding guy instead of the kid, just hope I don't crease the heck out of it.

[Eggoman]

My brother and I LOVE telling that story!

I guess that I got the last laugh though because he "discovered" girls before I did. He sold me most of his cards so that he could buy a 8-Track Player and some tapes for his car so could have some "Cruising Music"!

I still have most of his cards and, unfortunately, my "CUT" cards!

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Was also done back in the day to help the cards fit in albums, or sleeves.

Right, and there can also be added benefits.

I purchased these (below) and more like them in the 60s. Obviously scrapbooked. Someone ripped wax in '54 and immediately went to work on them. Except for the trim job they are as close as I am ever going to get to pack fresh: high gloss, stiff stock (sharp corners, LOL). I also purchased some untrimmed, non-preserved 54s from the same seller. No comparison.

[JustinD]

I think it's just kid logic, I doubt adults are doing this.

I remember cutting down an entire set of 1982 Kmart Topps as a kid so I could have examples of the vintage cards pictured on them. I bet I still have them somewhere.

[irv]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I think it's just kid logic, I doubt adults are doing this.

I remember cutting down an entire set of 1982 Kmart Topps as a kid so I could have examples of the vintage cards pictured on them. I bet I still have them somewhere.

Same.

I remember cutting the corners of many hockey cards, including a vintage Gordie Howe, which I still have.

Not sure what I was thinking, but I was a kid and I assume at the time, I thought they'd look neat like that?

[GasHouseGang]

I once was trying to buy a guys 1950's childhood collection, and most of the cards were in really nice shape. But several of the 1956's had the team name cut out very cleanly with something like a razor blade or Exacto knife. I asked him why some of the cards were like that. He said he did it so you could see the team name of the card underneath the cutout card without lifting up the top card? I don't know why he thought he would need to do this, but hey, he was a kid.

[111gecko]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

Kids and scissors isn't always the greatest combo. Plus back then they weren't worth anything and lots of kids just put them in bike spokes.

Reminds me of an old thread:

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by 111gecko

Reminds me of an old thread:

That one hurts.

It reminds me of a time in high school my "not so bright" friend had misunderstood a lesson in geology class about the hardness scale and diamonds.

He took a hammer to his mom's diamond ring to prove diamonds were unbreakable on a bet.

We all knew what was going to happen, but let him do it anyways like kids.

When that diamond turned to dust I still remember his face...

[grainsley]

Easy......start with an object, and simply cut away anything that doesn't look like a TV.

[David W]

I cut the borders off all my St. Louis Cardinals 1971 Topps so they would fit in my wallet in the photo part of it when I was in elementary school.

Carlton, Brock, Torre, et al

Lots of us did us, so at recess we could see each others collections.

I no longer have the cards, have no idea what happened to them.

We also would cut up the league leader cards for various reasons. Sometimes to cut out a player or team we did not like (ie the Cubs) or to trade someone a Johnny Bench or Hank Aaron part of a card for a player we didn't have.

We had no intention or idea that would ruin the $$$$ value, because they had no dollar value at the time, they were merely toys to play with.

[Bob Lemke]

54b mays.jpg

54b campy.jpg

Sold these June 28 in a lot of 9 Poor 1954B. Sold for $19.95.

[Bob Lemke]

These '52T High numbers went on July 3. Hearn sold for $42.95, Koshorek for $52.11

hearn f.jpg

koshorek f.jpg