GAI dropping the "authentic" grading classification

[Archive]

Posted By: honus3415

Not sure "altered" is the best term when trying to understand the classification of "Authentic".

As we all have seen, not all real "altered" cards were assigned "authentic", some were graded while I suppose others might even have been rejected.

Rather it seemed to have been a classification used with "hand-cut" cards (strips, post cereal....) that didn't meet the "proper" size requirements. Although if I'm not mistaken, it did also appear to include some "real" machine-cut cards that were "small" due to "natural wear" or missing something such as the tabs from the Red Man Tobacco cards.

I'm not sure "real" cards "altered" by what appeared to be an "intentional means" were ever assigned the classification of "authentic". They just appeared to have been given a grade or rejected.

But hopefully it should be safe to assume that the material in an "Authentic" holder was deemed genuine to that year and issue.

But given the state of the union.....it wouldn't suprise me if I were completely wrong.