Trimmed T206 in ASA slab...

[molen]

So, I picked up this T206 Reulbach on EBay a few weeks back.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...T#ht_500wt_909

I don't know much (anything) about ASA, but I figured it's slabbed, it's a 6 in their book. Ok, maybe SGC can crossover and I can get at least a 20 or 30, maybe a 40. Great. Good price, none the less. Good addition to my Cubs T206 collection.

So I get a package from SGC yesterday with the card marked as "evidence of trimming." Unbelievable. So here are my questions...

What do you all do when something gets returned and marked as trimmed? Try to resell with a disclaimer that it has evidence of trimming? Toss in a card saver and just enjoy it for what it is?
Who the heck is ASA and why did they not notice the trimming?
Do you think the seller (who has 100% positive feedback) also tried to crossover, got the bad news and just relisted it without the disclaimer?

Live and learn. Stay away from ASA, whoever the heck they are...

[canjond]

ASA was actually the first TPG, set up and run by Alan Hagar. I believe it mainly graded his own cards, but yes, a lot are trimmed.

That being said, I do think its pretty clear from the photo that the card is trimmed and the price it sold for is also an indication that buyers didn't think the card was a true 6. To be honest, for $23.50, that's a pretty nice looking card, trimmed or not. Just enjoy it.

[ullmandds]

+1...card is obviously trimmed, combined with ASA/PRO slab...which in and of itself should set sirens in motion. Lesson learned. Personally I'd have kept the card in the ASA slab as more of a historical nod to one of the 1st slabs...even if it was by entombed by Hager...for Hager.

[molen]

It's still in the ASA slab, I didn't crack it open. Now it is a little more interesting, considering it was one of the first. I will definitely enjoy it...

Teach my untrained eye...how can you guys tell it's trimmed? Because the corners are so clean? Do the dimensions appear "off" to the trained eye, hence, the trimming?

Thanks for the good info!

[wolterse]

Net54 has a great resource to answer your question on trimming...

http://net54baseball.com/forum/content/trimming.html

[smtjoy]

Also if you dont know who the grading company is then do not buy from them, I have seen a list of some 50 bogus grading companies and they are 99% of the time used to decieve or get auth cards graded.

Stick with the big 3- SGC, PSA and Beckett

[campyfan39]

Great article Thanks for posting that!

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by molen

It's still in the ASA slab, I didn't crack it open. Now it is a little more interesting, considering it was one of the first. I will definitely enjoy it...

Teach my untrained eye...how can you guys tell it's trimmed? Because the corners are so clean? Do the dimensions appear "off" to the trained eye, hence, the trimming?

Thanks for the good info!

The giveaway to me is the bottom border. All wrong.

I concur with the advice given in this thread.

Cheers,
Blair

[molen]

Thanks everyone for the advice and teachings. I have read through the Detecting Alterations Archive before, but I guess my eye just isn't trained well enough yet. But now I have an alteration "sample" to study and familiarize myself with.

All in all, lesson learned. At least it wasn't an expensive lesson. And I still have a pretty interesting card for my collection.

Thanks again, everyone...

PS - I'll be at the National Friday, and if anyone is interested in a T206 Reulbach, with nice sharp corners, good color, it will be available! ASA 6!! (that was sarcasm)

[T206Collector]

When you see sharp cards in strange holders, you were not the first collector to consider having them crossed over. The fact is, i would wager the good folks at SGC and PSA have seen this card before, perhaps many times.

Frankly, your best shot at getting this card graded as not trimmed would have been to crack it out, because the presumption is that any cards remaining in these holders is obviously still there for failing to cross.