What do you do with suspected trimmed cards?

[MU Wally]

I did not see a thread on this issue, so decided to try my first open question to this group...

I'm curious what some of the more experienced collectors / dealers on this site do with cards that they find are likely trimmed. I moved into set building lately and when selecting cards from lots will 'measure' (or at least compare) cards that look small or that have 'wonky' edges.

When I find ones that are definitely short/trimmed I take them out of 'circulation.' If they are cards with some value I have been stashing them away, if they are commons of a set, say in the '70's, I'll actually throw them out. My feeling is that I don't think they should be in 'circulation' for some other less-honest collector/dealer to resell.

Am I being overly paranoid/worried?

What do others do with cards like this? I don't see Ebay listing cards that are 'trimmed.' So where are these ending up?

I look forward to any comments/debate on this...

Mike

[bnorth]

They are great for those of us that don't care about condition. If selling them expect not to get much for them. Nothing wrong with selling a trimmed card as long as you let everyone know it is trimmed.

[G1911]

Put them into my set and never think about it again.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Nothing wrong with selling a trimmed card as long as you let everyone know it is trimmed.

I agree with this.

I also have seen plenty of trimmed cards on eBay. They just tend to say so using more “colorful terms” than just admitting it’s trimmed. Any reference at all means 100% it’s trimmed and it’s a CYA for the seller.

“Possibly trimmed”
“Seems short top to bottom”
“May be thin left to right”
“Size seems off”
“May be altered”

Etc, etc, etc…

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by G1911

Put them into my set and never think about it again.

Survey said...number 1 answer!

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Survey said...number 1 answer!

Haha no.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[steve B]

The production quality and QC were pretty bad at Topps. Back when dealers had boxes full of 70's stuff just boxed with no sleeves I used to deliberately look for cards that were a bit "off" cards that were a tiny bit short or narrow I usually ignored as I was looking for more interesting ones. I did get a couple oversize cards, and some other really odd stuff. Not as often as you'd think.
Even crooked edges can be factory.

And I saw someone at the LCS pull a card from a classic pack that was literally torn in half. (The shop gave him a new pack free. )

The size of the card isn't the tell for trimming, although it can make it obvious.
It's how he edge looks and feels.

Grading won't grade anything strange, but I think that's more about appearances. Lately I wonder if they can even tell.

I do have a handful of cards I know are trimmed, but most are prewar.
Any modern ones, and I do have a handful that are are obvious. Like totally missing borders obvious.

On most commons, I would just relax and call it Topps being Topps. There just isn't time to obsess about measuring every card.
In general, I'd look at the circumstances of how I bought it. If it was a single card I was buying for full retail, then yeah, I'll check a little maybe..
If I buy a box full of cards at the flea market? Not really. Something like he batch of 75s I saw a few years ago that were all over the place for size, I just didn't buy.

[Bcwcardz]

Where did this paranoia come from that everything that’s cut odd is trimmed? I’ve got tons of diamond cut 75s , zero are trimmed but with this current thinking would someone throw them out?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bigdaddy]

We should all agree to put the ‘Scarlet T’ on all cards that we know are trimmed. Even if a seller discloses a trim job, there is no guarantee that it will be disclosed down the road.

So I suggest that we all mark the back with a capital T in pen. Or better yet, get a stamp that we all could use. Didn’t the FBI do this with bats and balls from Operation Bullpen - and donate them to local ball teams?

Surely an ink mark on the back of a trimmed card wouldn’t devalue the card, but it would guarantee that the alteration is known to all future owners.

[Eric72]

Topps cards from ‘52 through ‘80 can vary in size without being altered.

Check the edges for even oxidation. Although not perfect, this is a good way to tell if a card has been trimmed recently.

If possible, take a look at a stack of other cards (preferably commons of relatively low value) from the set. Study them, use a loupe, get familiar with the fine details. Develop an eye for the way the edges look in their natural state. Again, this isn’t perfect. However, you’ll more easily spot trimmed cards this way.

[Exhibitman]

Funny story on this issue:

I bought a collection of 19th century boxing cards and one of them was obviously trimmed. I offered it for sale on eBay with the statement "in my opinion this card has been trimmed." I didn't trim it, so I cannot be sure what happened, but it looked trimmed to me and since I am an expert on those cards, my opinion should be credible. Heck, if any seller discloses a flaw on a card, I will take it at face value and be glad the guy is honest enough to say it. I then got a series of pissy PMs from someone demanding that I measure the card and if the measurements were ok, change the listing. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before or since. Why not just buy it as is and if I am wrong profit on my error?

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by MU Wally

I did not see a thread on this issue, so decided to try my first open question to this group...

I'm curious what some of the more experienced collectors / dealers on this site do with cards that they find are likely trimmed. I moved into set building lately and when selecting cards from lots will 'measure' (or at least compare) cards that look small or that have 'wonky' edges.

When I find ones that are definitely short/trimmed I take them out of 'circulation.' If they are cards with some value I have been stashing them away, if they are commons of a set, say in the '70's, I'll actually throw them out. My feeling is that I don't think they should be in 'circulation' for some other less-honest collector/dealer to resell.

Am I being overly paranoid/worried?

Thats a honorable thing to do ( throw out trimmed cards) .. But I just cant see the guy who got " taken for $1500 on an altered trimmed Bowman Musial..to just " chalk it up to being honorable ..and throwing it out

What do others do with cards like this? I don't see Ebay listing cards that are 'trimmed.' So where are these ending up?

I look forward to any comments/debate on this...

Mike

-

[Harliduck]

I don't know why I feel the way I do, but I absolutely hate trimmed cards. Even for my set building. You can't buy the volume it takes to put a vintage set together and not come across a few trimmed cards from time to time. I remember I had a 66 Topps Roger Maris that was slightly trimmed that came in a lot I bought off a local card shop...it was tough to tell unless you put it with another card...and every time I would scroll through my 66 set I would see it and just get annoyed. I replaced it and threw the trimmed card in my doubles binder, and then eventually just ripped it up and tossed it. Now every time I see my new Maris I have a much bigger appreciation that I replaced it...it's become one of my favorites in the binder because of the story...

I will return on ebay anything trimmed, every time...even if I got a good deal. I will never knowingly buy something trimmed, even if it's an almost give away. I just can't take it. I am sure if I may still have a few in my binders that have slipped past me...and I guess as long as I don't know, I'm good...haha. I just hate them.

One more story...I won a 67 Brooks Robinson once for way too cheap. I should have seen it was trimmed in the picture alone and for sure others did and steared clear. Once in hand, I didn't need to put it with another card or measure, it was that obvious. I wrote to the seller who immediately just refunded me the whole value, and said keep it, he didn't want it back. He clearly gave it a shot to sell and slide it out there, and failed...kinda sketchy but again, immediately took care of it. There was a post here on net54 on trimmed cards and I mentioned I had a trimmed 67 Brooks. I didn't know what to do with the card and a member here offered me half what I paid, even though I got a refund. I knew him well enough (forgot who it was now) and at first said no...he talked me into it and for the first and only time I knowingly passed on a trimmed card instead of me just throwing it in the garbage out of circulation. It worked for him too as he said he was just trying to put the tough 67 set together and most of his high numbers were Poor at best...just wanted a representation. I figured that was the perfect scenerio for that card to someone who appreciated just having a Brooks. That's a tough one to throw away. I won't do that again, and reflecting back I should have sent it to him for free.

[midmo]

For common stuff trims really bug me. I was recently sorting my boxes and ran across a trimmed 67 Steve Carlton. I immediately tore it up and pitched it without even thinking about it. For vintage/rare stuff it's a case by case basis. I have a trimmed 1919 Zeenut Dazzy Vance that I'm happy to own.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

I don't know why I feel the way I do, but I absolutely hate trimmed cards. Even for my set building. You can't buy the volume it takes to put a vintage set together and not come across a few trimmed cards from time to time. I remember I had a 66 Topps Roger Maris that was slightly trimmed that came in a lot I bought off a local card shop...it was tough to tell unless you put it with another card...and every time I would scroll through my 66 set I would see it and just get annoyed. I replaced it and threw the trimmed card in my doubles binder, and then eventually just ripped it up and tossed it. Now every time I see my new Maris I have a much bigger appreciation that I replaced it...it's become one of my favorites in the binder because of the story...

I will return on ebay anything trimmed, every time...even if I got a good deal. I will never knowingly buy something trimmed, even if it's an almost give away. I just can't take it. I am sure if I may still have a few in my binders that have slipped past me...and I guess as long as I don't know, I'm good...haha. I just hate them.

One more story...I won a 67 Brooks Robinson once for way too cheap. I should have seen it was trimmed in the picture alone and for sure others did and steared clear. Once in hand, I didn't need to put it with another card or measure, it was that obvious. I wrote to the seller who immediately just refunded me the whole value, and said keep it, he didn't want it back. He clearly gave it a shot to sell and slide it out there, and failed...kinda sketchy but again, immediately took care of it. There was a post here on net54 on trimmed cards and I mentioned I had a trimmed 67 Brooks. I didn't know what to do with the card and a member here offered me half what I paid, even though I got a refund. I knew him well enough (forgot who it was now) and at first said no...he talked me into it and for the first and only time I knowingly passed on a trimmed card instead of me just throwing it in the garbage out of circulation. It worked for him too as he said he was just trying to put the tough 67 set together and most of his high numbers were Poor at best...just wanted a representation. I figured that was the perfect scenerio for that card to someone who appreciated just having a Brooks. That's a tough one to throw away. I won't do that again, and reflecting back I should have sent it to him for free.

I hear ya. I've got a 1966 set that my dad and I put together in the 1980's and it has a trimmed (on all four borders) Koufax. At the time, it didn't occur to me that it was trimmed - who would trim a ballcard in the 1980s? Anyway, when I see it now, all I can do is cringe. Will need to replace it down the road. Luckily it is a dp and not very expensive.