Card Doctor haters please respond

drcy · #1 07-12-2015, 03:00 AM

deleted.

drcy · #2 07-12-2015, 03:15 PM

My ethics rule for restoration is it should never be done strictly for financial reasons. If someone removes stains or repairs a tear to card to make it look nicer to them or has a deteriorating poster professionally resotored and deacidified in the name of conservation, those are non-financial reasons. The restoration may raise the financial value in the process, but the motivations were in major part not financial. However, if you trim or recolor a card strictly for re-sale/financial reasons, I catalog that as unethical. Purely financial considerations (aka altering a century old artifact only in the name of making $) is not a valid reason to alter or restore a card.

That's my opinion. And as I tell to non-collectors, one thing I've learned about the hobby is that money really is the root of all evil. Why do people in the hobby forge, counterfeit, deceptively trim and intentionally misrepresent?-- for money. That's why I think purely monetary reasons for doing something should be looked at with a skeptical eye.

And, of course, if you alter or restore a card, it has to be disclosed.

Al C.risafulli · #3 07-12-2015, 09:36 PM

Just my opinion on this one, which is worth what you paid for it, but my feeling dovetails with something David said in an earlier post.

When you're dealing with fine art (painting, sculpture, etc), you're generally dealing with a one-of-a-kind piece. Often when you're talking about professional restoration of fine art, you're talking about a trained conservator applying an unbelievable amount of skill and knowledge to remove damage to a piece in an effort to preserve it and stabilize it.

In the case of baseball cards, there are often thousands of examples of the same card, and we pay a premium for those examples that have lasted with less damage or wear than the others. The condition is the only thing that differentiates two cards of the same player from the same issue. When "restoration" work is done, it's often done by shady guys in a back room, using trial and error in an effort to deceive a buyer and make more money - hopefully by getting it past a grading company. The entire process reeks of deceit.

Further, the "restoration" process with cards devalues all the EXISTING higher-grade examples that have managed to live their lives with less wear.

As a collector and now as an auctioneer, I have such a tremendous appreciation for cards (and memorabilia) that are rare or somehow unique. When a fantastic, show-stopping item crosses my desk I find myself staring at it with wonder and also with an incredible amount of respect for the diligence of the collector who found it. When I see a card that's been altered in an effort to get a higher technical grade, it's just not the same thing.

For these reasons, I don't want the hobby to start accepting restored cards.

-Al

ETA: I voted "Never, just let them be," but with a caveat: on certain rare items, particularly display items, when they are becoming brittle or are subject to further degradation, I am in favor of PROFESSIONAL restoration in an effort to stabilize and protect the piece. I'd rather have a restored piece than one that rots away or falls apart over time.

Peter_Spaeth · #4 07-12-2015, 09:51 PM

This:

"When "restoration" work is done, it's often done by shady guys in a back room, using trial and error in an effort to deceive a buyer and make more money - hopefully by getting it past a grading company. The entire process reeks of deceit."

View Poll Results: Is it ok to restore collectibles?
Yes in all cases	7	4.43%
Yes, but must be disclosed	98	62.03%
Not in sports, but okay for other collectibles	15	9.49%
Never, just let them be	28	17.72%
Only when Bill Mastro or Doug Allen say its ok	10	6.33%
Voters: 158. You may not vote on this poll

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