Valuing Authentic Cards vs. PSA/SGC Poor 10/1

[teetwoohsix]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

In the current Goodwin auction there is a T206 card labeled Authentic that looks VG-EX or better. Excellent visual appeal. I also saw an example above of a Lajoie portrait that looks EX+.

So what is the lesser evil, a little trim job or recoloring, or a beater with a crease running down the middle, or rounded corners (which I always avoid whenever possible)? In this scenario, it doesn't make any sense if you weigh the pro's and con's of the card objectively, that the beater carries a higher demand over a barely noticable altered card.

Just doesn't make any sense to a cardboard collector to pick the beater.

This is one of those situations where it's a matter of preference. I have nothing against the way anyone collects- we have collectors who only want beaters/poors all the way up to collectors who only want as close to mint as possible- and everything in between.

I personally avoid anything with an "A" only because I like mine looking their age, as well as presentable. I don't mind a little rounding on the corners, or a surface wrinkle that doesn't really show too much. But I don't want a card that's been trimmed to look brand new, that's just me. I don't want a card that someone touched up the color on, for any reason.

I've had to pass on a couple of killer combinations because they were trimmed. I hated to pass but trimming bugs me about as much as paper loss on the back (or front) of a card. Here's a couple of PSA 1 poors that I picked up recently:

Not bad for "1's"

Sincerely, Clayton