Card Alteration

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Posted By: Bobby Binder

It seems the most common altered card is the T206 and that is what is shown 99% of the time on this board.

What other sets get past the graders as altered?

I never see anyone point out anything wrong with the Goudeys.

Just trying to survey the sets that should have the biggest red flags especially in dealing with high grades.

[Archive]

Posted By: Bob

Bobby- Suprisingly enough I am not aware of very many T205s in high grade which appear altered. I don't know if this is a coincidence (I am sure some exist), but the T206s are the ones that appear most troublesome.
tbob

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

Amongst more modern cards, the fronts of the 53, 63 and 71 Topps are commonly recolored to cover wear. With the black borders, the 71s are perhaps the most condition sensative Topps card and collectors commonly touch up the black with a regular black pen. Luckily, most of the touch ups are straightforeward to identify. If you hold a 71T at a sharp angle to the light, pen marks often stand out as they have a different gloss and color. #1 rule for a 71 Topps is to take raw card out of the top loader, penny sleave or album before purchase, as even a penny sleave can hide touch ups.

One notable point is that die-cut cards like the Scrapps and Colgan Chips should be most difficult to deceptively trim. Similarly, trimming on an Old Judge cabinet would be obvious, as they have die-cut, beveled (cut at angle) edges and often have gold on the edges. While he may not say the same for his Near Mint T206, a collector can own a N173 and be sure it was never trimmed.

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

lots of t206 cards were over sized and have been trimmed. goudeys have real small borders and there just isn't much to trim. but you sure see alot of fake 33 ruths out there. there seems to be alot of e cards trimmed too.

[Archive]

Posted By: T206Collector

Part of the problem with judging trimming on T206 cards is that they were not all printed and cut by the same size standard -- that is, there are factory variations in size of card. So, an oversized card can be trimmed down to a size that is still consistent with a genuine T206 variation. It is this phenomena that makes me so uneasy about purchasing sharp cornered T206 cards.