Stunning quote on altered cards

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by WhenItWasAHobby

Nothing shocks me anymore when it comes to altered cards. It's the best example of a true-to-life Bizarro World.

I predict that sometime in the near future, the only problem in the sportscard business will be the so-called "purists" with their disparaging and damaging rhetoric about alterations being bad or unethical thus being a major threat to the industry, third-party grading and investors.

To me whomever made that last statement he or she is exactly whom I don't want in this hobby.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I've been doing this for decades and I've had a pretty good education but particularly with cards in a slab where I can't examine the edges there is NFW I can be absolutely sure that 100 percent of my cards are completely original. Sorry but I am skeptical of anyone who claims they can, and no disrespect intended.

[benjulmag]

So if it becomes generally accepted that the (great) majority of vintage cards have been altered, why in time wouldn't the price of condition rarity specimens plummet? Is someone really going to be willing to pay multiples more for a slight bump up in grade simply because the card doctor who worked on the higher grade card was better than the card doctor who worked on the lower grade example?

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

So if it becomes generally accepted that the (great) majority of vintage cards have been altered, why in time wouldn't the price of condition rarity specimens plummet? Is someone in time really going to be willing to pay multiples more for a slight bump up in grade simply because the card doctor who worked on higher graded card better than the card doctor who worked on the lower grade example?

Correct.... It pretty much renders grading as meaningless.

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I've been doing this for decades and I've had a pretty good education but particularly with cards in a slab where I can't examine the edges there is NFW I can be absolutely sure that 100 percent of my cards are completely original. Sorry but I am skeptical of anyone who claims they can, and no disrespect intended.

It's not even specific to cards, I just wouldn't trust anyone who claims to be "100% certain" of anything.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

It's not even specific to cards, I just wouldn't trust anyone who claims to be "100% certain" of anything.

Are you 100% certain you wouldn't trust them?

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

It's not even specific to cards, I just wouldn't trust anyone who claims to be "100% certain" of anything.

I'm 100% certain Britney Spears won't show up at my house tonight for dinner.

[Peter_Spaeth]

When I started this thread I was fairly certain it would not end up mentioning Brittney Spears, but you never know, do you?

[G1911]

I collect the card, and not the holder (I collect low grade cards and snap the slabs 100% of the time, unless the card is remaining in my trade bait box), but I think we all have altered cards. It's hard to have a lot of cards and not end up with a significant number of altered cards, altering has been common for decades. I have many I know are trimmed, recolored etc., but I'm positive I have many more I don't realize are altered. However, I personally don't really care, and remain confident I am correctly identifying that they are original authentic cards, if not able to detect all microtrimming or other alterations (I really don't check carefully for it, because I don't care much). My cards have round corners, creases, bites, holes, missing pieces, tape stains, trimming, recoloring, probably rebuilt corners and a whole lot more. None of that ruins them for me, my card isn't mint, if some one micro-trimmed an edge, that's just another type of damage.

If/when it gets to the point where I am no longer positive I am correctly identifying an authentic card, that's where I have a problem.

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by G1911

I collect the card, and not the holder (I collect low grade cards and snap the slabs 100% of the time, unless the card is remaining in my trade bait box), but I think we all have altered cards. It's hard to have a lot of cards and not end up with a significant number of altered cards, altering has been common for decades. I have many I know are trimmed, recolored etc., but I'm positive I have many more I don't realize are altered. However, I personally don't really care, and remain confident I am correctly identifying that they are original authentic cards, if not able to detect all microtrimming or other alterations (I really don't check carefully for it, because I don't care much). My cards have round corners, creases, bites, holes, missing pieces, tape stains, trimming, recoloring, probably rebuilt corners and a whole lot more. None of that ruins them for me, my card isn't mint, if some one micro-trimmed an edge, that's just another type of damage.

If/when it gets to the point where I am no longer positive I am correctly identifying an authentic card, that's where I have a problem.

I don’t look at micro trimming as you say just another type of damage. I look at it as a Alteration.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by G1911

...if some one micro-trimmed an edge, that's just another type of damage...

The type done purposefully, with the intent of deceiving and defrauding an unsuspecting buyer.