Describe the condition please...

[Aaron Seefeldt]

Today's newer "collectors" are being trained to buy cards strictly on 3 things: 1) the slab 2) the centering 3) the corners (in no specific order). Nothing can show/describe the characteristics of a card (or memorabilia item) better than the seller. There are so many variables that can be hidden from the cpu screen (even if you have an 8 foot wall mounted screen!) and can only be seen by the holder. Through direct sunlight or tilted a certain way or under high powered magnification, etc.

Did you ever buy a card in a 4 or 5 holder only to see it had a "hidden" crease on the back? Was the picture of the back of the card even shown?

A friend of mine bought a card in a 4.5 holder only to find out later, it had a tiny tear in it...

So please, describe the condition in detail, it is after all, kind of important in determining the value.

[T206Collector]

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

As long as the AH describes the card correctly there is no issue. I try to skip the hype about who Ty or Babe was and find the description of the card. Usually there are 3 paragraphs about Babe and all of the homers and his greatness....and very little about what we are actually buying. Maybe we could have AH's put the card description in red or something, so we can skip the other crap. Now if the item or card is very esoteric then a description about what it is, is fine. No need for that with the major HOFers...

[barrysloate]

Unfortunately, as the hobby has evolved, far too much weight has been placed on what the label says. If the label says "4", who is going to dispute it. And if it's a weak "4", the flaws will likely not be mentioned.

As Aaron says, the card should be described in detail, flaws and all, so that prospective bidders can make sound decisions. I already know how many home runs Babe Ruth hit, but I have no idea whether the card has a surface crease that can't be detected from a scan.

In a perfect world, cards would be graded more accurately, but that isn't happening

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

As a buyer, I agree. But, if I'm an Auction House, why would I do that?

1. The card will probably sell for more based on slab alone.
2. If I describe just 1 wrinkle and it has 2, then I am now opening myself up to liability.

If you're an auction house, you'd want to describe the card accurately because you want to establish integrity and trust, two attributes that could be huge differentiators in an otherwise crowded market.