When is a Stain NOT a Frickin' Stain????

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Something stained/spotted the cardboard before card front was printed ?

I am doing my absolute best to tell myself I do not now need a half dozen or so Topps 1969 Clementes :-{

Al,

we can create a support group if you'd like?

I am doing my absolute best to tell myself I do not now need a half dozen or so Topps 1969 Clementes :-{

My reply; sure you do Al, what is 6 more at this point in time???

Maybe I am not cut out to help you here.

[murphy8276]

You are correct, a gum "stain" is not really the same type of stain as a wax stain. Only wax stains can be removed with pantyhose. The "stain" you have really equates more to embedding sugar and moisture into a card several thousand times and extracting it several thousand times during dry months. If we did that to just about anything, there would be relevant defects.


Fwiw, Beckett will accurately grade this with only a low score for the "surface".

[JollyElm]

FYI...or should it be FAWKI (for anyone who kare's information)...

Since I'm thinking of submitting the card in Bobby's SGC group sub, here's what they told me about the phantom stain after examining the photos:

"Concerning the stain on the Clemente card, my grading team uses lights and tools at their disposal. When they see a stain on the card, they use a jewelers loupe to further investigate."

[JollyElm]

Postscript to the story:

Roberto came back an SGC 6.5, so they did, in fact, stay true to their word and use a loupe (see post #7) to closely investigate the area and determined, "You bet yer sweet butt that ain't no stain."

When I originally bought it, my brain told me it was nothing short of a 6 with that pretty centering (this is always a tough card to find decently centered), so the grade matched what it was supposed to be (for once). Of course, the black of the tuxedo slab kind of makes the corners look worse than when it was on a 'normal' background, but that's life.

1969clemente50SGC6.5.jpg

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Postscript to the story:

Roberto came back an SGC 6.5, so they did, in fact, stay true to their word and use a loupe (see post #7) to closely investigate the area and determined, "You bet yer sweet butt that ain't no stain."

When I originally bought it, my brain told me it was nothing short of a 6 with that pretty centering (this is always a tough card to find decently centered), so the grade matched what it was supposed to be (for once). Of course, the black of the tuxedo slab kind of makes the corners look worse than when it was on a 'normal' background, but that's life.

Attachment 544915

That is because you used SGC this time instead of the company that does a horrible job at getting the grade correct.

It is a nice looking card.

[JollyElm]

Interesting (well, that's quite dependent on what your definition of "interesting" actually is, but I digress) Epilogue:


Someone cue Chicago's "I've Been Searching So Long"...

I've been searching forever to track down another Clemente that looks similar to the star subject of this thread and guess what?? I finally freaking found one!!!!

Look what I ran across. The similarity here (mine is on the left) is striking. The anomaly going from the side of his face and neck, passing over his bat and continuing right into the white border. Pretty cool, indeed...

1969clementephantomstainMINEvsANOTHERcomp.jpg


By request, the owner shone a flashlight on his to see if there was anything atop the gloss, and then opined it's not a gum stain, "It appears to be as if the print rollers created a smudge."


I can now finally put this one to bed. Be sure to tell your children to never give up on their dreams. "If you continue to put the effort into something, you'll reach your goals in the end." (But also tell them not to have stupid goals, like finding a Clemente smudge. Aim higher.)

[laughlinfan]

Hey elm! Sure seems like what you are saying is correct. If it was caused during the printing process, seems like if you were able find a picture of a 69 sheet, and see who lives to the right of Roberto, you might be able to find images of that card with a continuation of the smudge/print process defect. Just a thought!