What is accepted and acceptable? Results. Thanks to all who replied.

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Posted By: Lance

I know this has been covered several times in the past, but I would like to compile a board survey on the subject of repairs, stain/foreign object removal, etc... and what practices are considered OK. If you wish to answer, but wish to remain behind the curtain, feel free to email your answers to me and I will add them to the statistics at the end. The answers will be YES or NO. I will post the results Sunday evening.

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle?

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object?

3. Have you removed stains?

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners?

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse?

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges?

7. Have you erased a pencil mark?

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark?

9. Have you ever trimmed a card?

10. Have you ever added color to a card?

11. Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it?

12. Have you ever bought a card that was previously rejected, to re-submit it?

13. What percentage of your collection do you feel has had work of any kind done? Any slight "YES" to the above questions quilify. A graded and raw split would be interesting to see.
If there is any other questions you would like to have added, please email me and I will add them in. All answers received via email will be kept confidential.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle?

No

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object?

Yes

3. Have you removed stains?

No

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners?

No

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse?

No

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges?

No

7. Have you erased a pencil mark?

No

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark?

No

9. Have you ever trimmed a card?

No

10. Have you ever added color to a card?

No

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

1.. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle? no

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? no

3. Have you removed stains? no

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? no

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? no

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? no

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? yes

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? no

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? no

10. Have you ever added color to a card? no

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Posted By: barry arnold

all answers are No, except for 7 which is Yes.

best,
barry

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Posted By: Anthony N.

No to everything except #7, and that was only once.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

yes to #2 & #7, the rest are no's
-Rhett

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Posted By: jdrum

What I have done? All No except #7

What I think is acceptable? All No except #2 and #7.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle? NO

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? YES

3. Have you removed stains? NO

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? NO

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? NO

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? NO

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? YES

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? NO

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? NO

10. Have you ever added color to a card? NO

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Posted By: Anonymous

All NO, but 2 and 7 don't bother me.

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

No to all, although I have lightly rubbed a card with a soft card sleeve
to remove old paper that was stuck on the surface. I don't think this falls
into category #5 since cleaning surfaces sounds a bit more severe than simply
removing something that is stuck on a card. Just my opinion.

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Posted By: Matt

As long as it is disclosed at the time of sale, I don't mind any of them.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i think erasing pencil marks is OK. i also have no problem reversing restoration (i.e. removing color that has been professionally added).

but, NOTHING else, IMO.

i have to say, the thought of soaking cards has never sat well with me...it seems like it involves doing too much "work" on the card...

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Posted By: peter ullman

i have done 2,7. the rest would bother me...and I most likely would not buy any card subjected to them.

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Posted By: Jason L

all of this contitutes too much work!

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Posted By: Craig W

All No except #7

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Posted By: leon

Yes, but I didn't inhale.


1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle? NO

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? YES

3. Have you removed stains? NO

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? NO

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? with a cue tip and water (only), yes

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? NO

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? YES

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? YES....doesn't work well for me...

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? NO

10. Have you ever added color to a card? NO


I am in the camp of mindset that says if it wasn't there when it was mfg then it's ok to try to remove it...I would never add anything to a card or trim one....no reason to... Here's another question.

Have you ever messed a card up trying to take something off of it? Yes.....it sucked...

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Posted By: andy becker

all no's. and that would be a no to leon question as well

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Posted By: Scott Mt. Joy

Yes to #2 and 7, no to the rest

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Posted By: Leslie Westbrook

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle? No

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? No

3. Have you removed stains? No

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? No

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? Yes--if there is some foreign material that can be removed w/o damaging the card.

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? No

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? No

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? No

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? No

10. Have you ever added color to a card? No (Although, I used to sign pretend autographs on my '91 Fleer baseball cards, but I don't think that counts...lol)

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Posted By: Fred C

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle?
EXPERIMENTAL: on new cards only (1990s vintage crap). I wouldn't have the nerve to attempt this on T-cards or other cards from that era.

No on 2-6

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? YES, only if it is a "light" mark. If the pencil left an indention in the paper then I wouldn't do this.

No on 8 - 10

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Posted By: Anthony S.

All no's except #2 (and #5 if it occurs by happy accident while performing #2).

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Posted By: Ricky Y

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle? NO

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? NO

3. Have you removed stains? NO

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? YES

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? NO

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? YES

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? NO

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? NO

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? NO

10. Have you ever added color to a card? NO

Ricky Y

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle?  no

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object? no

3. Have you removed stains? no

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners? no

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse? yes, if I can.

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges? no

7. Have you erased a pencil mark? no

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark? no

9. Have you ever trimmed a card? no

10. Have you ever added color to a card? no

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Posted By: dan lundrigan

all no except question #7

I might consider trying question #2 if I was sure I wouldn`t damage the card.

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Posted By: John Harrell

Yes to #2. No to all the others.

By the way, are you located in Alabama? I'm in Montgomery.

John

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Posted By: Anthony S.

"Trim-mers, come out to play-ay. Trim-mers, come out to play-ay."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xITVFgxcDIg

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Posted By: B O'Brien

Yes only to #5, and only with a moistened Q-tip. It seems as if I only find cards that are just plain dirty. Being raise Catholic and beaten by nuns, I have guilt issues when thinking about the others, but don't feel funny for taking a little solidified dust off.
Great survey by the way and not sure if "moistened" is really a word, but it is fun to watch people cringe when you say it out loud.
Take care,
Bob

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Posted By: Andrew

Yes to #2 and #7, NO to the rest.

Andrew

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Posted By: Lance

Bump for new questions received via email. Thank you to all who have responded thus far, but
I know there are more than 30 members on the board....

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Posted By: Steve Murray

11. Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it? NO

12. Have you ever bought a card that was previously rejected, to re-submit it? YES when I reasonably believed the rejection was unwarranted.

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

11. Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it? Number grade, no.. but Altered noted then yes.

12. Have you ever bought a card that was previously rejected, to re-submit it?  no.. but I certainly would if I felt it was warranted.

martyOgelvie

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Posted By: Matt

Call for clarification:

"Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it?"

Are you asking in the case that the card is wrongly in a numeric holder when it should be in an 'A' or are you asking in the case the card is correctly in an 'A' holder?

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Posted By: Michael Steele

1. Have you removed a crease or wrinkle//NO

2. Have you soaked a card to remove a foreign object?//NO-way too scary

3. Have you removed stains?//NO

4. Have you cleaned up fuzzy corners?//NO

5. Do you clean surfaces front or reverse?//Yes, only on a few 62 Topps with really bad dirt/wax/gum

6. Do you clean up fuzzy edges?//NO

7. Have you erased a pencil mark?//NO,

8. Have you removed or attemted to remove an ink mark?//NO

9. Have you ever trimmed a card?//NO

10. Have you ever added color to a card?//NO

11. Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it//A resounding no

12. Have you ever bought a card that was previously rejected, to re-submit it?//Not that I know of

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Posted By: Lance

Matt,
I asked the question as it was emailed to me, but will try to clarify it. As it is writen, it allows a lot to the imagination...

Would you knowingly purchase a card that has had work done to it? i.e. a crease removed, stain removed, pencil mark erased, and in a numerical holder. Maybe it is a card you sold to someone who did the work, resubmitted it, and received a better grade. No color, trimming, or alterations to ruin the integrity of the card.

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Posted By: Rick McQuillan

Bob, the nuns used to make me recite the 10 commandmants as they were beating me. If I recall correctly, #8 is "Thou shalt not alter cards".

Rick

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Posted By: doug goodman

yes to #5, no to the others.

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Posted By: Matt

Lance - thanks for the clarification.

then "no"s to both 11 and 12.

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Posted By: Keith Schneider

yes to #2 and #7.

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Posted By: barry arnold

11 no
12 no

best,
barry

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

11. no

12. no

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Posted By: Joe D.

2 - * I don't mind soaking a card. I have never done it - because I just don't understand the process completely. I have removed tape from the corners of a card (must have been taped into an album) - so I would have to be a yes to this one I guess. If there is tape on a card and you know how to get it off before you sell it to me... please do.

7 - * I don't mind pencil erasing. I have done it... and actually - I prefer it if I am buying a card. So... if you are looking to sell me a card and you are wondering if you should erase the 'led zeppelen rulz' pencil marking on the back... please do.


All of the rest are 'no'

except for....


11 - I dunno. depends on the card.

12. - this one I have to strongly say..... grading is an opinion - nothing more. Who cares if a card was previously rejected? I don't consider the first opinion any more valid than the second opinion.... and the only opinion that counts when I am purchasing a card is my own. I believe my answer to this question, though, would have to be 'no' - only because I have never purchased any card for the purpose of submitting it to a grader.

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Posted By: pas

Do you believe all your slabbed cards are free from alteration?

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Posted By: Lance

Peter,
Very good question, indeed.

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Posted By: Brian Collie

I must admit that it is sort of disconcerting to see that so many of you are willing to alter a card by erasing marks. Out of curiosity, for those of you who do erase pencil marks, do you disclose this to potential buyers? Some have justified this by saying "if it wasn't there when manufactured, then you can take it off of the card" - wouldn't this however apply to creases, bent corners, etc. as well?

I for one would be very upset to buy a card only to find after the fact that it was altered. I bought a SGC40 Bresnahan T3 from a member on this board only to find a few weeks later in looking through an old Madec catalog that it was previously in a PSA A holder and went for $400 less than what I paid. Needless to say, I was quite upset. I for one would not feel comfortable selling the card to another buyer without disclosing this - as a result, the value of my card has gone down tremendously.

Seems like a very slippery slope to me. In my opinion, if you are willing to erase pencil marks, you don't have much basis for being upset if someone sold you a trimmed card or card that had creases removed. Who knows, perhaps in the seller's opinion any altering that makes a card more attractive is acceptable.

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Posted By: Alan U

No to all but 7-8, yes to 8 only on a card that I kept for myself to approve the appearance on the back

11. Would you buy a card in a holder if you knew it had work done to it---yes, assuming it had the appropriate grade

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Posted By: Kevin

yes to all.

------------------------------

www.AlteredCards.com - in-depth education on advanced card doctoring techniques & detection with detailed examples

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

yes to numbers 2, 5, 7 although I wouldn't erase pencil any longer. If there's sumptin on the surface of my card that wasn't there originally and I can remove it without damaging the underlying surface - I see nothing wrong with it. I will say I do so for aesthetics and not to "fool" anyone. My general feeling is that I'm charged with leaving things I've garnered in the same condition as when I found them (certainly never worse). My cards are not in any way a commodity for me. I'm happy to a degree when they appreciate as I'm not married to them (although it makes collecting them more expensive) - but I collect cards because I enjoy them. I believe totaly in everything I've stated

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Posted By: Anonymous

Last Bump.

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Posted By: Gary Weatherhead

No to everything except 7, which left the card with a slight indentation that looked worse than the pencil mark.

What's acceptable?- 7; and I would say that 2 doesn't bother me.

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Posted By: barry arnold

around 1 per cent.

best,

barry