Question about hand-cut cards and/or cut outs

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Leon,

What is the solution? Would adding a "Handcut" designation on the label work? I don't have an issue either way but was curious on your view on how we solve the issue.

Z Wheat

Yes. PSA does it already on some/most strips. That is all I want. The transparency so a newer collector doesn't find out the hard way that his hundred year old strip card was hand cut...... just the other day (but the timing is beside the point on this issue).

And I am in a minority, though some others feel this way too, but I think the PSA 8 Wagner should have "handcut" on the flip also. However, to be very honest, if I owned it today I wouldn't be hurrying to ask PSA to do it.

Originally Posted by Leon

Yes. PSA does it already on some/most strips. That is all I want. The transparency so a newer collector doesn't find out the hard way that his hundred year old strip card was hand cut...... just the other day (but the timing is beside the point on this issue).

And I am in a minority, though some others feel this way too, but I think the PSA 8 Wagner should have "handcut" on the flip also. However, to be very honest, if I owned it today I wouldn't be hurrying to ask PSA to do it.

Totally agree with you. It's a shame that the most iconic card in the hobby has been slabbed NM/MT by the leading TPG company in the hobby, when it is fairly evident and a general consensus that the card has been trimmed and honestly should not be worthy of a numeric grade based on PSA's own standards. I guess I should clarify with you Leon, do you believe the card should retain the numeric grade of 8 with the word "trimmed' on the flip or do you believe it should be labeled Authentic? I believe the latter is more appropriate for the record.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74

Totally agree with you. It's a shame that the most iconic card in the hobby has been slabbed NM/MT by the leading TPG company in the hobby, when it is fairly evident and a general consensus that the card has been trimmed and honestly should not be worthy of a numeric grade based on PSA's own standards. I guess I should clarify with you Leon, do you believe the card should retain the numeric grade of 8 with the word "trimmed' on the flip or do you believe it should be labeled Authentic? I believe the latter is more appropriate for the record.

I know this is not a common sentiment but if I owned PSA I would make this card an exception, as it is so iconic, and go with both the numerical grade as well as the caveat. If it's my company I make the rules. Again, just my personal opinion and I know most will probably disagree. And I wouldn't put trimmed on it I would put "hand cut" as it sounds better.

Originally Posted by Leon

I know this is not a common sentiment but if I owned PSA I would make this card an exception, as it is so iconic, and go with both the numerical grade as well as the caveat. If it's my company I make the rules. Again, just my personal opinion and I know most will probably disagree. And I wouldn't put trimmed on it I would put "hand cut" as it sounds better.

That is one giant sized loophole, but hey you're the boss in this hypothetical! Not sure how you could do that and not make the same concession for other cards that have been "hand-cut" aka trimmed, which is probably why PSA chooses to deny it and leave it be rather than address it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74

That is one giant sized loophole, but hey you're the boss in this hypothetical! Not sure how you could do that and not make the same concession for other "hand cut" cards, which is probably why PSA chooses to deny it and leave it be rather than address it.

If I owned the company and did that, then anyone else wanting that concession I would tell to bring me a card that is of that stature and we can talk.

Originally Posted by Leon

If I owned the company and did that, then anyone else wanting that concession I would tell to bring me a card that is of that stature and we can talk.

and end that sentence with, "now get the hell out of my office!"

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Leon

I know this is not a common sentiment but if I owned PSA I would make this card an exception, as it is so iconic, and go with both the numerical grade as well as the caveat. If it's my company I make the rules. Again, just my personal opinion and I know most will probably disagree. And I wouldn't put trimmed on it I would put "hand cut" as it sounds better.

I wish PSA would distinguish between trimmed and hand cut. I own several scrap T206 which were hand cut. They were not trimmed to improve their appearance. They still get a grade of Authentic, of course, but they should get a separate designation other than trimmed.

[steve B]

To me it depends on the card.

A very uncommon card that's handcut should probably be left as-is, especially if the cut is sloppy and shows part of the rest of the package or a neighboring card. The same goes for cards with tabs. A zeenut with the tab roughly torn off but showing the line and some space below it would be more interesting left alone.

Older cards that aren't hard to find - Yeah, if it's really a mess some tidying might be ok. I wouldn't, but I wouldn't have a problem with a bit of recutting. Like If a common strip card had a crooked or ragged edge so a bit of it stuck out oddly, sure, trim the excess back to the border.

Massive recutting to give four straight edges and sharp corners would -To me - be less attractive. The original state of preservation or decay or damage has been hidden. Not much better than trimming a factory cut card. Not that I'd pass it up for the right price, just that I'd be thinking more the "A" price than the "92" price.

Modern stuff I don't have much problem with recutting. If the Hostess card was hacked badly and part of another card shows, and all the borders are there, trim away. There are enough full panels and even complete boxes it doesn't really matter.
Hacking down a complete box or panel for singles or cutting the extra off one issued as a single is another story....

Steve B