Fatal Flaw - What's the one thing that will keep you from buying a card?

[rhettyeakley]

For whatever reason I HATE CLIPPED CORNERS! I don't know if I was born w/an aversion to octagon's or something but I hate i when cards have had their corners clipped...this isn't a major problem for most sets but as a Zeenut collector you find them trimmed like that all the time, apparently octagons were popular in Northern California during 1911-38. Many Zeenut guys don't seem to have a problem w/ it but I basically would rather not own the card then own it w/ an octagonal shape... I never realized I was neurotic until right now!

2nd tier pet-peave is the face mutilation. I hate it when there are major creases through the guys face (obviously any damage to the face itself is a deal-killer, with obvious rarity considerations as I'd still like to own the 1911 Zeenut of Bohen even if someone damaged him)

-Rhett

[rholmes]

I haven't put a lot of thought into it, maybe once or twice on seeing a clipped corner octagonal card...but does anyone have a rational explanation as to why anyone would have done that? I just don't get it. Seems very anti-scrapbook, or something. Like, ain't no one gonna put THIS card in a scrapbook (takes scissors to corners)...

Although I did just have the thought that maybe it's the opposite. Were these cards clipped out of scrapbooks? I guess that would make sense.

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

For whatever reason I HATE CLIPPED CORNERS! I don't know if I was born w/an aversion to octagon's or something but I hate i when cards have had their corners clipped...this isn't a major problem for most sets but as a Zeenut collector you find them trimmed like that all the time, apparently octagons were popular in Northern California during 1911-38. Many Zeenut guys don't seem to have a problem w/ it but I basically would rather not own the card then own it w/ an octagonal shape... I never realized I was neurotic until right now!

-Rhett

[Kawika]

Ray: Folklore has it that kids would trim corners to make them more aerodynamic for tossing and flipping games. Seems to have been done to Zeenuts more than any other issue for some reason. I just love the fact that some ancient youngster slowly beat this card to hell ninety years ago; that trumps all its flaws. Had it have been however, say, a '22 Zeenut Thorpe I might not be so generous in my affections.

[rholmes]

Thanks, David. I actually like the idea of cutting for aerodynamics, but I'm sure glad the practice wasn't more widespread. Imagine all of us having to pay out big dollar premiums for cards just because they have any corners at all.

[drdduet]

A bad seller.

[E93]

I don't know any longer. Blemishes or missing paper on the front of the card used to rule them out for me, but I just broke my own rule this week with a card that I thought I may never have another chance to get.
jimB

[steve B]

I'm not sure there's any one thing that would be a deal breaker for me.

I have backed way off on poor condition commons of some sets now that I can afford VG or sometimes better. But if the price was right I'd still buy them.

Certain types of sellers are a put off too. Given a choice I'll spend my money with someone I like or respect. But I have and will sometimes buy from sellers I don't like. There were a few flea market guys like that, obnoxious and clueless. But sometimes they underpriced things far enough to be worth dealing with them.

Like the guy that argued up and down that I didn't want the shopping bag full of early 70's football and hockey when I asked the price. he absolutely insisted that I should want some rookie card. I think it was Gooden. Eventually he gave in and said the whole bagful was $2. Nice stuff and a few nearly complete sets.

My stock answer to offers of stuff I didn't want was "I think I have that". One guy came to believe that I was a bigtime collector/dealer. When I mentioned I might setup to sell a few things I didn't want he began offring me boxes of new stuff to stay away. ---Yeah, it was probably "wrong" but I took the freebies when he offered. made up for it by sellling a little kid as many commons as he could grab in both hands for 5 cents when I eventually did setup.


Steve B