Scan "The Man", Musial

[steve_a]

I always hesitate as a buyer when I see an SGC holder scan and the gasket space around the corners is not visible. I suspect that the contrast is high and the card will disappoint when I get it in hand. Is that is a valid concern?

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by steve_a

I always hesitate as a buyer when I see an SGC holder scan and the gasket space around the corners is not visible. I suspect that the contrast is high and the card will disappoint when I get it in hand. Is that is a valid concern?

It's not an issue of the contrast being high, per se, as much as it is an issue of how the card was scanned.

Here's the original scan of Mr. Abstein, and a second scan in the identical environment, same settings, only with the lid down, utilizing a white background instead of a black one.



Do you feel you get more information by having the area between the card and the gasket lighter? That's a question only you can really answer.

You always have the right, as a buyer, to ask for additional pictures. In fact, if I'm going to spend a chunk of change buying from somebody for the first time (especially if the purchase isn't being made on our forum), you'd better believe I'm asking for additional information. I'm doing so for two reasons: one, I want to see the card better (after all, I should get what I expect for the money, right?), and two, I'm vetting the seller. A big seller might be busy scanning, handling business, etc. But asking for a little more information shouldn't create a burden on them.

If you're really wanting to see the card in much finer detail, you're going to need a bigger than normal scan. The picture I just linked was done at 600 dpi with the lid down. When the image opens up in another tab, click it, and it will give you a full page image to consider. The only adjustment I did in Photoshop was a 20% unshape mask. This helps to show the grain of the card stock a bit more clearly, allowing for a better "feel" of any surface issues that may be present. It also shows the edges and corners a bit more clearly. Keep in mind that I have a 12 year old scanner. A newer scanner is going to get even better clarity. But, you should get a pretty good idea of the flaws present in the card. A 600 dpi scan will clearly show any registration issues that occurred during printing. And, if there's been any kind of alteration done, you have a better chance of seeing it. Just keep in mind that the bigger the scan, the bigger the file size. The first picture of Mr. Bill is 196 kb. The 600 dpi scan is 9.34 MB. So, it's not practical to do every scan at that size, obviously, but if this were a Ty Cobb SGC 55, I'd be putting up a big scan. When I sold my first Walter Johnson T206 portrait, I put up a huge scan so my buyer was comfortable.

I hope this helps ya, Steve. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Bill

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

This post is like a gift from above. I've been meaning to figure this out for awhile as this is the best I have done with my scanner. I might actually look for the very model you're using.

Thank you, Sam. I've been very happy with this ol' girl. As you can see, it would give you a big improvement in picture quality. However, if you're going to be doing a lot of scanning, you might consider a new model. It will be faster, and have a better picture quality, overall. The 9000 F Mark II takes some really impressive scans. My scanner has a max 3,200 x 6,400 dpi resolution, while the Mk II has a 9,600 x 9,600 dpi max.

It really depends on your budget, how often you'll use it, and just how picky you are about image quality.

Happy scanning!

[irv]

Speaking of scanners, what do you guys use to clean the glass?
I would assume Windex/invisible glass is all you need or are they not recommended?

I just scanned these cards last night, and although I don't think they are too bad, I am going to try some of the tips suggested in this post.

Thanks, BTW. Great thread

[Danny Smith]

Off topic but giolito is gonna be nasty when he gets the call.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by irv

Speaking of scanners, what do you guys use to clean the glass?
I would assume Windex/invisible glass is all you need or are they not recommended?

I just scanned these cards last night, and although I don't think they are too bad, I am going to try some of the tips suggested in this post.

Thanks, BTW. Great thread

Thank you, Irv. I rarely use any kind of cleaner on my scanner. The biggest bugaboo that comes with scanning is typically fingerprints on the glass when picking cards/scanned items up, and I've gotten pretty good about not touching the glass. Before I scan something, I hold a light to the glass, look at about a 45% angle to the scanner surface, and if I spot a fingerprint in the area I'm about to use, I just pull out a eye glass cleaning cloth, and wipe it off. I don't want to use anything that could scratch the surface, interfering with the picture quality.

On the rare occasion when the glass is actually dirty, I use the same stuff I use on my HD TV, Bryson Screen Cleaner, which I purchase from Amazon, and a micro fiber cloth. I've used it about three years, and love it.

Originally Posted by Danny Smith

Off topic but giolito is gonna be nasty when he gets the call.

Agreed, Danny. I picked up that card not long after the set came out for about $20. That should be a real good buy. I wish I'd picked up a couple more.

There's a crop of pitchers that have just hit the Majors, or are just about to, that I have big hopes for. I really like Giolito, Taijuan Walker in Seattle, and the Pirates have two kids named Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon that will team with Gerrit Cole to give them one hell of a 1-2-3 punch atop the rotation. The Reds have a kid named Robert Stephenson that has fantastic stuff. Like Walker, he needs to work a bit more on his control. His walk rate needs to come down a bit, and Walker needs to cut back on the long ball. They could be top of the rotation studs for a long time.

[irv]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Thank you, Irv. I rarely use any kind of cleaner on my scanner. The biggest bugaboo that comes with scanning is typically fingerprints on the glass when picking cards/scanned items up, and I've gotten pretty good about not touching the glass. Before I scan something, I hold a light to the glass, look at about a 45% angle to the scanner surface, and if I spot a fingerprint in the area I'm about to use, I just pull out a eye glass cleaning cloth, and wipe it off. I don't want to use anything that could scratch the surface, interfering with the picture quality.

On the rare occasion when the glass is actually dirty, I use the same stuff I use on my HD TV, Bryson Screen Cleaner, which I purchase from Amazon, and a micro fiber cloth. I've used it about three years, and love it.

That's a great idea, and one I never even thought of.

Thanks for the tip on the T.V. cleaner also, I will look into getting some.

Thanks again.

[Mdmtx]

I bought a 9000f, but my results are still weak. What software are you using? How many dpi? I am doing 600 dpi and a 10 x 12 sepia photo from about 1880 was ok in quality but also 80 mb. Help please!!!

Mark