Article about Collecting and Fraud in the Hobby

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Snowman

If this is indeed the standard, then some remarkably large percentage of collectors who submit cards for grading are guilty of criminal activity because massive numbers of ultra-modern collectors are polishing out surface scratches on modern chrome cards or at the very least sending them off to a submitter who does this for a fee on their behalf, referring to it as "prepping the cards for grading". I believe the TPGs say it's a no-no, but it's very much so the standard operating procedure for probably nearly half of the hobby, and the only reason the other half doesn't do it is because they simply don't know it's a thing.

And in vintage there are a large number of submitters who take time to prepare their cards making them look as nice as possible short of trimming, recoloring, rebuilding corners. My guess is that in both of our examples fraud is being committed if there is not disclosure at the time of sale, even if whatever steps were taken are not detectable.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

And in vintage there are a large number of submitters who take time to prepare their cards making them look as nice as possible short of trimming, recoloring, rebuilding corners. My guess is that in both of our examples fraud is being committed if there is not disclosure at the time of sale, even if whatever steps were taken are not detectable.

Great points! And to take it a step further...............

Wouldn't/shouldn't that go for cards that have been soaked as well then. Last I looked, water is a chemical - H2O. Or what about people who erase light pencil marks. I've heard people who think doing those things are okay, and rationalize like heck to justify (in their own minds at least) what they are doing is technically not an alteration or type of restoration to a card, so they believe there is nothing they need to disclose. I've got news for people who believe doing things like that are okay, but then criticize others for not always disclosing other types of alterations or restorations they may have done to cards. No one appointed you to be in charge of deciding what is or isn't considered a card alteration or restoration for the rest of us. So for those of you who pick and choose what YOU want to believe is or is not an alteration or restoration that needs to be disclosed, yet complain about others that don't disclose everything either, you can end up coming across to many people as nothing but hypocrites.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by BobC

Great points! And to take it a step further...............

Wouldn't/shouldn't that go for cards that have been soaked as well then. Last I looked, water is a chemical - H2O. Or what about people who erase light pencil marks. I've heard people who think doing those things are okay, and rationalize like heck to justify (in their own minds at least) what they are doing is technically not an alteration or type of restoration to a card, so they believe there is nothing they need to disclose. I've got news for people who believe doing things like that are okay, but then criticize others for not always disclosing other types of alterations or restorations they may have done to cards. No one appointed you to be in charge of deciding what is or isn't considered a card alteration or restoration for the rest of us. So for those of you who pick and choose what YOU want to believe is or is not an alteration or restoration that needs to be disclosed, yet complain about others that don't disclose everything either, you can end up coming across to many people as nothing but hypocrites.

I agree with you Bob. I think the honesty in fully disclosing what one did to a card prior to it being submitted would be great. If a seller is ok with taking out a wrinkle then tell us and let us decide if we care. Not sure I have ever seen anyone disclose anything. Everyone defers or relies on the holder to cleanse whatever steps were taken. I guess to some, as Travis pointed out, it does exactly that.