Alteration vs. Conservation Defined

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by steve B

The Philatelic foundation (One of the authenticators for stamps) showed a collection of alterations they'd caught.

I can tell you after having spent the past 15 mins or so on the website of the Philatelic Foundation, that it's a very interesting place. And funny enough I ran into no registry competitions or SMR-type price guides...

[Throttlesteer]

PWCC's recent inclusion of high-res scans should help with some of this stuff. But, nothing is going to be 100%.

[barrysloate]

The irony of developing sophisticated technology to detect card doctoring is that if it were incorporated, thousands of previously slabbed cards would fail, and collectors would be demanding refunds en masse. As such, it may not be in the best interest of the TPG's to look at things too closely.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

The irony of developing sophisticated technology to detect card doctoring is that if it were incorporated, thousands of previously slabbed cards would fail, and collectors would be demanding refunds en masse. As such, it may not be in the best interest of the TPG's to look at things too closely.

Another irony is that I think submissions would be just as high if they removed that guaranty. I mean where else are people gonna go?

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Another irony is that I think submissions would be just as high if they removed that guaranty. I mean where else are people gonna go?

Sadly true. Which is why we are moving towards the standard becoming authenticity and nothing else. If a card looks nice and is at least an "A", then go for it, money-hungry investors and nostalgia-hungry collectors alike. Increasingly we can offer no guarantees other than the card is authentic...