Should cards be cleaned or left alone

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Posted By: Hankron

I am curious as to how the top professional graders approach this issue eye view inviable but infrared apparent pencil marks. It is certainly understandable that they would use advanced techniques to try and identify alterations on T206 Magie's and 'Snodgrass variations (Whether they do or not, is another question). It would seem that the removal of a stray pencil mark or a spec of album residue would, if anything, be an issue of condition grade. It can be reasonably be argued that a pencil mark or a piece of album paper is not a part of the original card, and it's removal itself is not an alteration of the card. On the other hand, it can be reasonably argued that a gum stain on a Topps or Bowman or a greese stain on a Wilson's Weiners card is, for better or for worse, an integral part of the card, just as are print dots or bad registration.

Such alterations, if detectable, are relevant, at least financially. All other qualities even, each of us would pay less for a Mint card that we know had a pencil mark removed or gum stain 'erasued' even if we cannot see the alteration.

In the end, I'm sure that PSA, SGC and Beckett are not running 1980 Topps Rickey Hendersons or T206 Christy Mathewsons through a gambit of scientific tests to see if anyone has surgecly removed a 3mm pencil mark. They're most likely looking for obvious naked eye signs, like discoloration or loss of gloss.



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