"Authentic"

[Archive]

Posted By: wesley

It looks like I might be in the minority when I say SGC should not encapsulate trimmed or altered cards.

The purpose of encapsulation is to preserve cards, but to also identify which ones are good. If we slab all of them, then are we in essence saying that they are all good no matter how much work have been done to the cards? If this happens we have essentially lowered the risk for the card doctors since the card will end up in a holder regardless. If card doctors do a good job and the alterations on a card are undetectable, the card will slide through with a number grade and encapsualtion. If the grading companies happen to catch the alterations, the card will still be encapsulated. I would think that this will encourage more novice card doctors to try their luck. Why not? There would be no down side.

There is also too fine of a line between cards deemed gradeable and those deemed merely authentic. Apparently those with evidence of soaking and cleaning can only be authentic without a number grade. This would also be true for cards that have been trimmed or have corners rebuilt. Things get a little blurrier when cards have been soaked in distilled water or have been wiped clean of wax. Technically these cards should also be labeled with alterations but many of them will not be. The distinction is to minute. I prefer black and white.

We have learned that some of the more sophisticated restorations that are performed on paper products may be removed at a later date. Afer removal of restorations, will the grading companies still deem these cards to be authentic and untampered with? Technically, the restoration process may have been reversed, but are these cards really untampered with? For some reason, I can see these cards as a nice easy targets for the unscrupulous.