PSA Response from President Steve Sloan

[jhs5120]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

A number of us have explained until we're blue in the... fingers?

Apparently willful obtuseness is a sign of intelligence and debating skill now-a-days.

People are casting wide nets and using terms like "fraud" and "illegality" a little too loosely. I don't see too many people here disclose every wax stain removed or pencil mark erased.

People in glass houses I guess...

[drcy]

Originally Posted by jhs5120

People are casting wide nets and using terms like "fraud" and "illegality" a little too loosely. I don't see too many people here disclose every wax stain removed or pencil mark erased.

People in glass houses I guess...

I used the term illegality and fraud correctly.

Trimming and recoloring are clearly financially material. Whether or not a wax stain removal is financially material, and if so how much, I'll leave others to debate. There is a spectrum, and I don't think any collector thinks all alterations are equal in seriousness and financial consequences. Maybe one collector thinks removing a wax stain reduces the "natural state" value by a nickel, and no one is going to be prosecuted for fraud, or labeled a fraudster, over a nickel. I think your argument, not mine, is casting too wide a net.

[CobbSpikedMe]

Originally Posted by jhs5120

People are casting wide nets and using terms like "fraud" and "illegality" a little too loosely. I don't see too many people here disclose every wax stain removed or pencil mark erased.

People in glass houses I guess...

I don't see a lot of folks disclosing wax stain removal or pencil marks erased either. But that doesn't mean it's ok just because most people aren't disclosing this stuff. If they know about the alteration, and don't disclose it, it is fraud. I would bet a lot of the guys selling on the BST honestly don't know of any alterations to their cards, so there is no fraud there. The debate should remain with situations where there is a card doctor knowingly submitting altered cards to a TPG with intent to deceive buyers. These little one offs about what if this or what if that or why is it illegal to trim a card are just distracting the conversation. At this point, it should really be clear (if you read the threads) why it is fraud and illegal to not disclose alterations if you know about them.