Article on card restoration

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Posted By: PASJD

PSA and its competitors are not going to do anything that will encourage people to be more skeptical of their competence. That is just common sense and sound business practice. Of course if you want to punch in cert numbers on their website all day to see what happened to cards whose serial numbers immediately preceded and followed a particular card you have questions about you can always do that, although it is ridiculously labor-intensive and doesn't really tell you anything anyway unless by some amazing coincidence you happen to be considering the purchase of those surrounding cards too. What people to whom it matters would really want to know -- WHO is submitting cards and getting a high percentage of them rejected, so one can be wary of those submitters -- is not and never will be available.

Unfortunately, it seems likely that Mr. Paul and his kind (surely if he can do it so can others) are going to succeed in getting at least a certain percentage of their work slabbed. And if my speculation that this is happening is true, and not having witnessed it first-hand it is only speculation, then the following also would seem true: (1) PSA has no incentive to disclose the truth; (2) Mr. Paul has no incentive to disclose the truth; (3) any dealers who might be relying on Mr. Paul's services have no incentive to disclose the truth; and (4) since everyone with first-hand knowledge has no incentive to disclose the truth, it is unlikely the truth will ever be disclosed. And add to that the fact that most people either (1) are naturally trusting and take a slabbed card at face value, or (2) WANT to believe their 1933 Goudey Ruths in 8 holders and their 1887 Allen and Ginters in 9 holders really are pristine and encountered absolutely no wear in the last 71 and 117 years (and so on down the line), or (3) really don't care as long as the cards have resale value, then you have.... the recipe for the perfect scam. IF any of this is happening, I should add.