[Archive]

Posted By: Kevin

Hiding in plain sight alteration.

As you are aware a pinhole, regardless of he card condition, will be given a grade of 1. In the card below a tack was placed through the card and twisted, opening up a two nice sized holes.

Filler was used as well as several other techniques and steps to both fill the holes and disguise their existence. Because the holes were filled in a colored area, a heavy scuff was created to hide the filler. The alteration is now hiding behind another alteration. The back is completely undetectable...really. I know you may think "there are the holes" but the indents are not them .

When looking for a filled hole use a halogen light as well as a fluorescent black-light (50+ watts) to pick up on any starches or bonding compounds used in the mix. Also look for light that may shine through the now thinned cardstock area.

When a hole is filled is not uncommon to have one side look great and the other needing work. It’s very difficult to make both sides look perfect. Don’t always think that worn, scuffed or other flaws are there by accident. It’s always an area of concern.

This card was shown to two graders, one "very well known." The quality of work was such that the alteration within the alteration was not detectible and it also remained opaque. As told...it would have received a grade of 2 or 3. Not much but enough to raise the value considerably if this was an ultra high-end card.



Now take an alterated card, put it in the hands of a $10 hr post-teen with little or no experience and an under-a-minute per card time frame to work and you have yourself a new business.


Enjoy!

Kevin Saucier