Hand cut

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

My larger question is--to qualify for a grade, or even an Auth, when does the hand-cutting have had to be done? If I buy a raw strip of 5 cards today, say one with Ruth or Cobb on it (which you can do), and neatly cut it myself today into 5 cards, and submit them, will they be accepted or did the cutting have to be done years ago, and if so, how many years??

It's all about dimensions.

[AustinMike]

Strictly speaking in reference to Post cereal cards and Bazooka cards, in order to get a number grade, the black borders on the Post cards and the black dashed lines on the Bazooka cards have to be present. If it's cut within the lines, all you can get is an Authentic grade. That is my understanding.

[packs]

I kind of feel like strip cards should only receive number grades when in their original manufactured state (i.e. uncut).

Once a person cuts the cards, even if they're intended to be cut, they are no longer factory issued. They are now hand cut. So I don't see why they should receive a numeric grade.

[abothebear]

but if they are designed to be hand-cut then why not grade the card with the quality of the cut as a factor? As long as they mention that it is a hand-cut issue I don't see the problem.

[packs]

Well what is to keep someone from simply trimming an already cut card to make it look better?

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by packs

Well what is to keep someone from simply trimming an already cut card to make it look better?

Nothing, unless the newly trimmed borders are too narrow to receive a numerical grade.

[packs]

That's why I don't think there should be any numerical grades for cards cut by a collector. It's a slippery slope. The cards came attached. Their purpose is irrelevant. Once you cut them apart you've altered them from the factory distribution.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't TPG's only assign authentic grades to cards cut from previously uncut sheets?

[deltaarnet]

Originally Posted by AustinMike

Strictly speaking in reference to Post cereal cards and Bazooka cards, in order to get a number grade, the black borders on the Post cards and the black dashed lines on the Bazooka cards have to be present. If it's cut within the lines, all you can get is an Authentic grade. That is my understanding.

You are right. Per PSA all 4 sides must show lines or you get a A. 1 out of 5 of my Jello cards received a grade the others all authentic.

[Bigb13]

That's great if they have lines a lot or most scraps are Auth but really when you look at some of them they deserve number grades.

Both PSA and SGC have given number grades to quite a few 1965 Topps Iron-On Transfers that were cut from rolls/sheets over the last few months.

These insert "cards" were extremely hard to find in high grade until several months ago when uncut stock turned up; since those uncut sheets were discovered, the high grade population for the star player cards from those sheets (Killebrew and Clemente, in particular) has exploded.

(I'm in the camp, however, that doesn't care whether cards are factory-cut or hand-cut, or designated any particular way on slab labels. As long as they measure correctly and are 100% original, I'm happy).

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Karl Mattson

..............

(I'm in the camp, however, that doesn't care whether cards are factory-cut or hand-cut, or designated any particular way on slab labels. As long as they measure correctly and are 100% original, I'm happy).

I agree with this but like my hand cut cards to be full sized. I am not in the camp of putting a lot of credence in high grade, cut strip cards. I would guess many were cut very recently which is a turn off to "high grade" for me. But to each their own.....If folks want SGC 96 W515s more power to them. Sharp corners can be made at any time, just remember that.

[Laxcat]

Originally Posted by Leon

Sharp corners can be made at any time, just remember that.

"Oh that card seems oversized. I'll fix that." Well I'll be.... Now it's Gem Mint

Ugghh

Originally Posted by Leon

Sharp corners can be made at any time, just remember that.

I'm not sure what you mean by this - are you saying sharp corners can be made at any time while still maintaining correct card size and while also being undetectable to the major grading companies?

If an oversized card is trimmed to its correct/intended size, I don't care (it was done all the time in the 1970s and 1980s, and back then we actually thought of it as a good thing); if a card is correctly and professionally trimmed from a sheet or strip years after its date of issue, I don't care.

If a card is "stretched" and then trimmed, I absolutely don't approve of that - I'd consider that altering/doctoring, because material is being subtracted from the original card. But if it's undetectable, I don't know how you'd combat it. Avoiding cards with sharp corners may reduce your risk, but I don't think there's any shortage of manipulated cards in low grade collections, either.