Consensus on re-trimming hand-cut cards?

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The obvious key is that the Wheaties cards and such are supposed to be handcut-- unlike a Topps or Goudey. My opinion is one should leave well enough alone. If there is a case, however, where there is ample border room and the card looks like the 1920s kid cut it with his pet rat, I'm not a zealot on the issue. Original state butt ugly, it still butt ugly.

How about this for a compromise, you can re-cut one of these cards, but, if you do, you have to use period scissors and/or have your seven year old do it. If you have the guts to have your seven year old kid cut your $10,000 Joe Jackson with a pair of 1910s scissors-- go for it.

Seriously, my usual rule for alterations of art or collectibles is, financial gain alone is not a valid reason for doing it. If your only reason to alter a Wheaties card is to make money leave the card alone.

Another thing is, like the crayon coloring in a kid's coloring book, the edges of one of these cards is supposed to look hand done. For a collector of these cards, it shouldn't look right or be right if the card looks like it was factory cut by Topps. Factory perfect edges and corners shouldn't be a desired quality.