Recent Henry Yee eBay auction questions

[D. Bergin]

Rule #1.

Photos are not cards, and many of the rules for cards do not necessarily apply to photos.

example - the quality of the image itself is much more important then whether or not there's a crease somewhere on the border, or whether there is writing on the back. Most photos were generally meant to be handled in one way or another.

As of now, nobody really cares if a photo grades a PSA 5 or a PSA 10.........and I hope it stays that way.

Sorry, I get a little annoyed when card guys try to treat photos in the collectibles world, as if they should be razor sharp cards.

[Lordstan]

Rhys, Craig, and Dave have all given you excellent advice. This forum is an incredible resource as the members are both knowledgeable and willing to share.

While evaluating a picture from a technical standpoint may be a more concrete process, never forget to collect what you enjoy and handle the items with care. There are no right or wrong answers to many of the questions posed.

In the beginning of the Yee/Fogel book, the 4 C's are described. I think they help define the basics of what most photos collectors look for in a picture.
Content
Clarity
Contrast
Condition

For myself, Content is King. Clarity and contrast are next. Condition only matters if it's an image I know there is more than one copy of and I can get one better. For many images only a handful have been seen, so condition becomes less important.

I am torn about editors marks. Sometimes I think they add to the picture, sometimes take away, and sometimes don't matter. It all comes down to personal preference. I also think, for me at least, I don't remove them because I don't want to take a chance of damaging the picture.

Here is one of mine, bought in a Yee auction last year, that I have debated whether to remove the editors marks. I think I got it for a very reasonable price, at least in part, because of the markings.

[HRBAKER]

I leave the marks on any of mine that have them and the marks have never kept me from bidding on a photo I wanted. The marks are intrinsic to that area of the hobby I think and as such make them unique.

[billyb]

Thank you all for your input about the editors marks. Your knowledge is much respected.

[prewarsports]

Sometimes I leave them, sometimes I clean them. I think if it ads to the historical appeal of the photo, they stay. If they turn a beautiful photo into something that looks like my 3 year old colored all over it, they go. Personal opinion and that is what makes photo collecting so enjoyable, YOU MAKE THE RULES for your own collection and what you like.

[CW]

I don't collect photos, but one solution for the editorial marks, when possible, would be to have the photo framed in a way that the marks are left behind the matting. This way the photo is left intact, and the viewer can see the image without distracting crop marks.