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runscott...so it sounds like a professional grading service, if presented with a $10,000 restored card, has the technology available to catch it prior to slabbing. Good. Next question: what is their success rate? Brian claimed 11/60 for SGC...is that acceptable? What percentage of these cards were HOF'ers? ...economics would dictate that most high$$ altered cards are HOF'ers. ...gee, and I collect HOF'ers!
Once the card in question has been slabbed, there is no way to check opacity, etc., without cracking it out. And since the slabbing (authenticating) was done to boost the value, who in their right mind would remove a $10,000 card from its holder to double-check PSA or SGC's authentication process?
Thus, the importance of the question being asked. I protect myself by not buying high-end slabbed cards, but there are plenty of collectors who buy, and probably also some newbie collectors who have been told that high$$$ SGC and PSA graded cards are good, safe investments. Maybe...as long as you keep passing them around in a circle among collectors who blindly accept whatever they're handed as long as it's encased in plastic.
...so how about that re-backed Matty Red Hindu? ...or the famous t206 Wagner? I would guess that if you can slip a re-backed t206 by two major grading companies, that a trimmed and/or re-cornered HOF'er would be no problem whatsoever.
I'm still curious what methods PSA and SGC use to check for restoration and trimming...and if it works.