Buying a Raw 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle, SGC "NO", & Dealer Responsibility

[G1911]

Selling raw is not a license to commit fraud and omit important, relevant information. At the same time, a seller is not any more responsible for something they didn't notice either. It is why raw cards are cheaper, because they have not been placed into the holy slab that is surely correct.

Especially in person, if one examines a card, is happy with it and buys it, and then wants a refund because it didn't get the slab one wanted, that's utterly ridiculous. If one chooses to gamble, they don't get to undo the loss if they don't win. At some point one is responsible for their choices.

If a seller is upset one wants to inspect a card, compare or measure it, run for the hills - they are probably committing fraud. I have never once had a potential seller object to me examining a card, because that would make it transparent there is something wrong.

$700 is about the exact value of an SGC 5 1959 Topps Mantle (one sold just yesterday for $700 exactly). If one wants slabs, paying the slab price for a raw copy that may or may not get the grade (even if unaltered they may wrongly flag it, or give it a different grade rightly or wrongly) makes no sense.