Why can't an altered card be graded?

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Posted By: warshawlaw

The difference is the difference between "authentic" and "unlatered" and I will give you a concrete example as to why an authentic label for an altered card should either say "altered" or specify the alteration . I saw a dealer selling trimmed but authenticated cards who was telling collectors that he had the cards authenticated rather than graded because of writing on tbe backs that would have brought down the cards to poor. If the cards were labeled altered, that sort of nonsense would not happen. It would also allow a collector who wants a card that isn't altered but is low grade the option of having it slabbed as authentic with no qualifiers so that buyers would know that the card is authentic and unaltered. As it stands now, the "authentic" label is worthless because it means anything goes with the card.