How important is centering to you

[Casey2296]

I have centering OCD so that along with registration and color are the most important factors to me. Add those three together and you get "eye appeal", like this.
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[rugbymarine]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I have centering OCD so that along with registration and color are the most important factors to me. Add those three together and you get "eye appeal".

This is the way.

[ClementeFanOh]

Centering is vital when I consider buying a card- Trent King

[DPARK]

It is the first thing that jumps out to me. Next would be surface, then corners

[darwinbulldog]

Very little in terms of my appreciation of the card, but I'm aware of what effect centering has for other collectors so I factor it into what I'm willing to bid.

My understanding is that the aesthetic preference for symmetry in objects is probably just a side effect of evolved adaptations for preferring mates with more symmetrical faces, and I'm happy not to be beholden to that side effect when I can save some money on a card I want to keep in my long-term personal collection.

[benge610]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I have centering OCD so that along with registration and color are the most important factors to me. Add those three together and you get "eye appeal".

Phil and Ian, speak for me as well.

This is the way; I can open up my Zion cases with a smile, as I flip through each row of nice looking old cards.
I am a Pre-War bottom feeder (Raw, 1's, 2's, etc,) but it does count; even at these low depths.

Ben

"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[Orioles1954]

Centering is a factory flaw and as such is not a very big factor. Hell, some T206 people will give massive premiums for oc cards. Handling AFTER a card leaves the factory means much more. Creasing is a major factor for me and paper loss, residue, pin holes or writing is a deal breaker. So bring me your 90/10 and gum stained stars!

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Centering is a factory flaw and as such is not a very big factor. Hell, some T206 people will give massive premiums for oc cards. Handling AFTER a card leaves the factory means much more. Creasing is a major factor for me and paper loss, residue, pin holes or writing is a deal breaker. So bring me your 90/10 and gum stained stars!

+1

[jsfriedm]

For me it really depends on the set and some times on the particular card. I care more about centering on T205s than on 1933 Goudeys for example (different shape, white border), and image color/clarity is always by far the most important thing for me. When buying my 1951 Mays (rookie card of my favorite player), I wanted to make sure there were no print defects (really hard on that card), no wax stains, and great color and registration. Had to give up a little on centering to get it, but I still love this card:

[Luke]

Way down the list for me. I like cards that are really hard to find, so when I'm able to get a shot at them, I'm not too picky about condition. Pinholes, missing pieces and paper loss bug me, but centering doesn't. It's always nice when I find one and it has nice centering though.

[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by jsfriedm

For me it really depends on the set and some times on the particular card. I care more about centering on T205s than on 1933 Goudeys for example (different shape, white border), and image color/clarity is always by far the most important thing for me. When buying my 1951 Mays (rookie card of my favorite player), I wanted to make sure there were no print defects (really hard on that card), no wax stains, and great color and registration. Had to give up a little on centering to get it, but I still love this card:

Jeremy - That's a gorgeous Mays.
I've always felt that if a card is going to be OC that when the player faces the wide border side in the image it fairs better on eye appeal then when he faces the narrow border side.
Examine a few card scans you see and test that for yourself.
The Mays, for instance seems right.
RayB

[jsfriedm]

Originally Posted by RayBShotz

Jeremy - That's a gorgeous Mays.
I've always felt that if a card is going to be OC that when the player faces the wide border side in the image it fairs better on eye appeal then when he faces the narrow border side.
Examine a few card scans you see and test that for yourself.
The Mays, for instance seems right.
RayB

Couldn't agree more.

[Leon]

Personally, I generally buy on eye appeal and one of the biggest components, if not the biggest for me, is centering. I will take a small flaw or two, but centering is what my eyes focus on. And of course with many cards I/we collect we have to take what we can find (hence the beater thread).

I really like cards with somewhat of a wow factor, so to speak...
They have to be paid up for but I don't think I have ever regretted it.

[MattyC]

To me, bad centering or poor focus is a defect in the card at birth in the factory. I want the card as it was intended by design: centered and focused. In contrast, in terms of corners, the card was intended to be handled by young people; hence some corner wear has always felt totally acceptable to me.

[3-2-count]

As others have already stated superior color and registration is key when I'm looking for a card.

In regards to centering, its very important to me as well. Although I have a little bit of tolerance when it comes to top to bottom centering, side to side centering must be close to near perfect.

[Eric72]

I judge a card on five broad categories. The following is my order of preference:

Print Quality - (Registration/focus/color, etc.)
Surface - (how clean and free from damage are the surfaces)
Centering
Edges
Corners

Notable is the fact that extreme examples of extremely poor centering or print quality appeal to me, too. I enjoy seeing two (or more) images on the same card.

[edjs]

Depends on the series. If it’s a series that is near impossible to find a card of, or if it’s “that” player, I am willing to overlook things that I would not overlook in a more prevalent card or series. Here’s an example of a card I’m just happy to have one, regardless of it’s flaws:

[brianp-beme]

Come join me over on the dark side. Some may call them off-center, while others might call them miscut. I just call them cards.

WARNING! Do not look at the below cards if you know it will spoil your day.

Brian

[benge610]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Come join me over on the dark side. Some may call them off-center, while others might call them miscut. I just call them cards.

WARNING! Do not look at the below cards if you know it will spoil your day.

Brian

I got a little, "dark side" in me as well.
Sometimes, it's just for the special personality of the thang!
Ben

[puckpaul]

I like centered cards, but how much it matters really depends on all other attributes of a card, particularly its beauty and registration. I find lots of eye appeal in some cards that aren’t perfectly centered. Creases however always disturb me, and i prefer off-center with great registration to creased, weathered and well-centered. Here are a few cards which i cherish despite the fact that they arent centered better (every thread needs some cards!):

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Come join me over on the dark side. Some may call them off-center, while others might call them miscut. I just call them cards.

WARNING! Do not look at the below cards if you know it will spoil your day.

Brian

Those are WAY better than centered cards. Centering is by far the least important to me, unless I am selling it.

[yanks87]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Come join me over on the dark side. Some may call them off-center, while others might call them miscut. I just call them cards.

WARNING! Do not look at the below cards if you know it will spoil your day.

Brian

+1 must be a Brian thing....

[DeanH3]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I have centering OCD so that along with registration and color are the most important factors to me. Add those three together and you get "eye appeal".

100% agree with this.

[Dandor]

It depend on the card for me. 50's to 70's I Chase centering. The print quality is typically decent for those years and the cards are more numerous than people realize. What separates the cards in collectability and makes them special is often times centering. Finding a perfectly centered 1979 Ozzie Smith sets it apart from the high volume of off centered cards. Prior to 1950 I really go after print quality and color over centering.

[JustinD]

The single most important aspect of the card to me.

I won’t even open an auction with a an OC qualifier in the description and in well over several hundred thousand cards I don’t believe I own a single graded card with a OC qualifier.

Here’s the odd part, I am an error collector though, so if a very significant amount of the card next to the subject is showing I will pay a premium. It makes no sense and I am very comfortable with that.

[sreader3]

Centering is important to me mainly because it has recently become important to other collectors. It didn't used to be that important.

We kids who grew up with '70s and '80s Topps realized that when you busted a pack you would get a certain fraction of cards that were off-centered or even miscut. No big deal. The off-centered cards were just as valuable as the 50-50 ones.

Fast forward. Centering has become a huge issue.

[MikeGarcia]

[QUOTE=J

Here’s the odd part, I am an error collector though, so if a very significant amount of the card next to the subject is showing I will pay a premium. It makes no sense and I am very comfortable with that.[/QUOTE]




....we need to talk .......


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[G1911]

I pay more for a card with terrible centering.

[glchen]

I'm in the opposite camp as centering isn't that important to me as long as the card isn't horribly miscut. I prefer the card to look more "pack fresh" than centered, and I always hope to pick up good deals where some collectors reject the card because it's too off-centered for them. Here are a couple of examples.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'm in the opposite camp as centering isn't that important to me as long as the card isn't horribly miscut. I prefer the card to look more "pack fresh" than centered, and I always hope to pick up good deals where some collectors reject the card because it's too off-centered for them. Here are a couple of examples.

nice looking Eastern Exhibit Ruth. Great Card