Advice on trimmed Keeler card - UPDATE

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

I just picked up the red background version of the E90-1 Keeler on ebay with some back damage. It's a card I've wanted for many years, and I thought that I got it at a steal of a price, even with the back damage.

When it arrived, I realized that the bottom border had been trimmed. The card is a little shorter than most E90-1s that I have seen, but there is some size variation in this set, and I believe it is still within the legitimate tolerances. But the wavy border on the bottom confirms that it's been trimmed. Here are the scans.





I'd like your opinions on what this card is worth in this condition. I'd tell you what I paid, but I'd rather get your opinions without you knowing what I paid. (It's easy for you to look it up on ebay if you're curious).

My guess is that I paid about the right price for a trimmed card. (I guess everyone else on ebay realized it was trimmed, resulting in me paying the correct price). But I would like your opinions.

If I paid about the right price, I'd also like your opinions on what I should do. I really do like the card, and I'm unlikely to pay the thousand dollars that a very similar (but untrimmed) example sold for in Lew Lipset's most recent auction. Would you return it, and give up all hope of owning this card with an unblemished picture? Would you keep it and just live with the fact that you didn't get what you thought you were buying? Or is there any chance that the seller would actually give me a partial refund and let me keep the card?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Paul