[thegashousegang]

For me (a generally low to mid-grade collector), part of collecting is the 'travel' a card or item takes before it arrives in my hands. Since I can't afford high grade, I'm not overly concerned about a card being altered...unless it's clear that it has been altered only to fetch a higher price. It would depend on who did own a card previously to warrant a higher price. But for other items, like postcards, I really get a kick out of purchasing something with some handwritten notes on the back (stats, notes about a game, etc).