ink/painted altered cards

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Posted By: David 

I just did a quick check, and most added materials (paint, ink, glue, etc) should be obvious under a black light on Goudeys, T206, Topps and other cards. Even Goudeys and T206s have light fluorescence under a black light, while most added inks, etc will appear as pitch black. This difference will be most apparent in the lighter areas of the card, inlcuding the white borders. On today's card, alterations like this will be even more obvious, as these cards fluoresce very brightly under a blacklight ... So this is a case where the averge collector with a ten dollar blacklight, can identify even much professional restoration.

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Posted By: MW

David --

Actually that is not always true. I have conducted some tests using a simple black light source and a multiband UV 115 V Mineralight lamp. The $5 to $10 black light only operates over a limited area of the UV spectrum whereas the multiband lamp had a range of 254/366 nm. Not all alterations would be visible using the former UV source. The difference is distinct and remarkable. Using the right detection methods, NO alteration is undetectable.

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Posted By: runscott

So do you think SGC and PSA use the black light you just described?

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Posted By: MW

Scott --

I am fully confident in SGC's methods to detect altered cards. I am not aware of the expertise (or lack thereof) of other grading companies.

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Posted By: Dr.Koos

...smoking 49 altered cards out of 60 submitted altered cards past SGC's graders (that he submitted as a "test")?

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Posted By: MW

Proof?

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

are you coming to SF this weekend????

e-mail me.

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

but those of course were just cards I wanted slabbed to protect them. No altering done at all on those. Sorry,my mistake.

To answer your question: can't speak for SGC now.this was week six of their business.The intent,for the umteenth time was to test Joe merkel who at that time was the ONLY person who graded the cards! Any cards...I have not sent them a card in over two years and that was just an accumulation of one's i had purchased all over the US*