Centering preferences - Poll

[Matt]

One other point - I care much more about L/R centering than I do Top/Bottom.

[steve B]

Centering is nice, but on older cards the overall preservation of the edges and corners seems a bit harder to find. So I'm not very picky about centering.

Even on newer stuff I'll sometimes go for a miscut card over one with average centering.

Steve B

[E93]

I like the poll but it is a difficult question for me to answer. A lot depends on the issue, how tough it is to fine a well-centered example within that set, whether I am trying to complete the set at a consistent grade (physical characteristics like centering, crease free, gloss, etc.), etc. So for me, academic that I am, the question is complicated.
JimB

[calvindog]

What JimB said.

[glchen]

Centering is important to me also as I prefer PSA's stricter grading on centering (w/ NQ) than SGC's.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Centering is important to me as well so I voted for the 50/50 option. However, IMO, centering should play no part in the numerical grade of a card. The grade of a card should be determined solely on the condition where the card is evaluated/graded based on it's own environment – good or bad – not the lack of quality control from the factory. PSA don't even follow their own standards. Taken directly from their website, "the experts are asked to grade the condition of the card on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best." Centering is not a condition. PSA's O/C qualifier is a joke! Anybody that needs to see an O/C qualifier to tell them that the card is off center probably shouldn't be in this hobby.

[kkkkandp]

Being tied almost exclusively to the Old Judge issue these days, centering means almost nothing to me. If I can find a card that is on my want list and has a nice picture, I am not going to be concerned about centering at all.

Even when I was collecting other pre-war and post-war issues, poor centering did not detract from the aesthetics of the card for me as much as bad edges, bad corners and a bad image did.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Centering is important to me as well so I voted for the 50/50 option. However, IMO, centering should play no part in the numerical grade of a card. The grade of a card should be determined solely on the condition where the card is evaluated/graded based on it's own environment – good or bad – not the lack of quality control from the factory. PSA don't even follow their own standards. Taken directly from their website, "the experts are asked to grade the condition of the card on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best." Centering is not a condition. PSA's O/C qualifier is a joke! Anybody that needs to see an O/C qualifier to tell them that the card is off center probably shouldn't be in this hobby.

I think the centering should still be part of the grade, basically b/c you can't see scans sometimes. For example, if someone is selling a set of say 7's and 8's, you would have a certain level of expectation there, and you might not be able to get the seller (or auction house) to show you 200 scans.

[emmygirl]

I have put together several sets from the 50' and 60's with centering being the most important feature for me when purchasing cards. If its centered then I'm interested in looking at the other conditions the card will have like corners,gloss ect. My centering range is 35/65 or better. IMHO the cards are meant to be 50/50 all around so anything less than that means they are "off manufacturers spec's". My 40 years in the printing industry (25 yrs. production manager) tells me however that perfect cutting of any item is almost impossible even with todays best equipment,let alone the cutting challenges printers faced from the 20's thru the 70's. The Mantle card looks great because it's well centered but I'm not sure if I could say that about it at 10/90. Just my old printer opinion. Jim

[Leon]

Originally Posted by E93

I like the poll but it is a difficult question for me to answer. A lot depends on the issue, how tough it is to fine a well-centered example within that set, whether I am trying to complete the set at a consistent grade (physical characteristics like centering, crease free, gloss, etc.), etc. So for me, academic that I am, the question is complicated.
JimB

Jim- it is probably scientifically impossible to have a perfect poll .