"Possibly doctored" cards at the National.....

[steve B]

Originally Posted by calvindog

So you’d buy a seemingly near mint raw 52 Mantle for let’s say the price of a PSA 6? I’m certain you wouldn’t. No one would unless that person works the PSA slabbing machine. I’m not sure you understand the point made. We’re not suggesting one can’t spot an altered card; we’re saying that the value the PSA slab brings (rightly or wrongly) is the determining factor of value, not the razor sharp edges.

The only things that would prevent me from doing that.
Money- What's a 6 go for now? Sort of doesn't matter since I don't have that much.
Interest - That's a ton of dough, especially for a double print. Of course, I could grade it and flip it and be in great shape.

A someone else pointed out, It's extremely unlikely I'd even be offered the card. I did some work for a stamp dealer, and he made more in the hour before the show opened than the rest of the day. Paid me really well, as me setting up freed him to make more deals. There was some stuff he bought and flipped in that hour that never even made it back to the table. And stuff that never saw retail as it was intended for other dealer at the next weeks show.

But lets say I have the money, and am offered the card. If I could inspect it in person, yes, I might buy it. The only difference between buying that and buying stuff in my range like 52Topps commons in similar grades is that the picture is different and it costs more. Of course I'd examine it more closely than a cheaper card, but from a technical standpoint, it's the exact same decision.