How's the centering?
 

Hey guys I just picked up this Joe D and am just curious if 1. this would be considered a miscut/diamond cut and 2. centered to the point that it really hurts the value and/or grade of the card. In person, the card as a whole looks really nice...but The OCD in me is kinda stuck on the centering :o:D

The value is what someone will pay for it, so it's tough to say what impact the centering has on that specific example of the card. It's a card that is hard to find with both great centering and great focus, and this one is clearly a well-focused example; centering is not its strong suit. So it all depends on what attributes you prefer, and what attributes future buyers will prefer. If someone seeking a well-registered example in that grade or thereabouts comes across this one, he will likely love it and pay strong. A centering guy won't not pay as much as for a better centered specimen. Then someone seeking both attributes will likely have to be very patient and wind up with a higher graded, more expensive example. I'd say the grade looks fine/accurate.

Thanks Matt! I agree this card is def tough to find w/ the best of both worlds..and I accept the fact that I'd probably have to go to at least a PSA 6 to get there. I got a good deal on this so I'm going to stick with it. The registration is probably the most important thing that I was looking for with this card... I have seen higher graded (7+) examples that I would never want because the focus is so terrible, imho it ruins the card. The centering isn't that bad on this... I guess...lol

Doesn't look diamond cut to me...more like the image is just a bit "tilted" but I could be wrong. I love the card personally and am sure you probably got a decent deal on it since the centering is not ideal. I'm a centering guy too but am much more liberal when it comes to certain cards that on the higher end of budget, and for those I look for other attributes long strong corners and image quality. Nice pick-up!

It's not particularly well centered, but for this issue it has superb focus in my opinion.

The "baggie" bothers me much more than the centering ever would!

Thanks guys.. Honestly in person the card's focus looks even more clear then in the scan. I have seen centering that was much worse, but I wondered if, for example, this would get a qualifier of (OC) if it were re-submitted in a modern PSA slab.

Why would you re-submit it? Just have it re-holdered without the baggie.

OK I didn't know you could do that. Good to know. Thanks!

Sweet Joe D Dave, I'd take that as upgrade on mine any day!

I'd always prefer good centering, but it's rarely a deal breaker for me if the other traits (especially image clarity, sharp/clean surface, corners and borders, which are more my drivers) make the card attractive as a whole. Just a case by case thing more so than a rule for me. I've seen lots of fuzzy imaged but centered cards command hefty premiums, but I choose a sharp image of the player over uniformity of its framing. Hope you enjoy your DiMaggio.

I agree with you man. And what I realize is that you have to be realistic for the price and grade. This card with better centering is probably a 6. And in this case, if you get a 5 for what a 4 commands, especially a nice 5 like this, than you did pretty good, right?:D

But I still am wondering does the image being slightly tilted and off center make it a diamond cut?

Looks D-cut to me.

It doesn't to me, I think the image is just tilted, but I could be wrong.

Looks diamond cut to me too. I think that's what makes the centering look off when actually I think the centering is quite decent from L-R, in a diamond symetrical sort of way. Great card!

I'm kinda confused as to what a diamond cut is..I searched the forum and see that some say a diamond cut refers to the actual shape of the cardboard vs. the "tilt" cut which is the picture being tilted on the card. This card appears to be the right "shape" but the pic itself is a little tilted and off center. I'm interested to know how this particular "cut" is generally perceived when considering getting a particular card you really want...some seem to be bothered by it...others not so much...like it is a flaw in a card that doesn't make it an "error" if you will...just a flaw like a wrinkle or crease etc.

It's funny how you talk about OCD. Haha!! I, for one, am not bothered at all by that centering (I would call it 'slightly tilted'). And the great focus, as many have already mentioned, makes it especially suh-weet!!!

Dude I'd prolly find something in a GM MT 10 that would bug me lol

The only thing about that card that bugs me is that
it's not mine. Couldn't care less about the centering. Bad focus is worse than a a heavy crease to me, but then I'm not interested in graded cards or investments.

My understanding is that diamond cut refers to the actual shape of the card, not the way the image is centered on a perfectly rectangular card. If you're convinced that the card is squared at the corners and perfectly rectangular then it's not diamond cut, the image is just off center. If your OCD won't allow you to enjoy the card it sounds like there's a few people in this thread, myself included, who would be happy to take it off your hands. For your own good of course!