Buying Slabbed cards...security...or the contrary?

[drcy]

You have to handle raw cards to learn how to authenticate them, and certainly how to identify alterations. So it would be a mistake to collect only graded cards. Though I assume few here collect only graded cards.

[egbeachley]

1st rule of grading: If someone bought a fake or altered card that was graded high and improved their Set Registry, and he never found out about it, he would always be happy with the ownership and not harmed by the transaction.

[packs]

I give everything a sight test anyway. Sort of like a smell test. Fairly easy to spot repro's. I don't collect high grade cards though so no opinion on spotting alterations. But then again, you play with fire, you get burned.