Is Trimmed really so bad?!???

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Posted By: Jason L

So, what do you think?
I just picked up this 1953 Bowman Campanella on the Bay for $40. Looks to be trimmed on all sides, but look at it! The thing is gorgeous!

So my question to the Board is, how much does that "AUTH" bother you?
Would you not even bother with owning this card?

I can't decide if I will worry about upgrading this card, because I was originally targeting a NM PSA 7 for my collection. Now, I am not so sure I could afford one that will look this good!

Thoughts on what you would do?

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Posted By: Paul S

Lovely card. An Authentic is neither here not there if you love that card. If you cracked it out of that case, brother, it won't even be an issue. Because if you went for the 7, the only purpose to keep it in a holder (besides condition protection) is to protect your financial investment were you ever to sell it.

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Jason L,

My collection is filled with cards I busted out of low grade or "authentic" holders. I believe that one day trimmed cards will be viewed like restored art, and not like the outcasts they are considered today. I also believe they're undervalued, although recently I've been outbid on several, including a '52 Bowman Musial that went for nearly $200. I would have paid $40 for the Campanella if I didn't have one. It's a beautiful card, one of the nicer images of one of the greatest catchers ever ...

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Posted By: Paul S

Not to wander too far OT (he said as he wondered too far OT), but what Chris says about his Musial has come to pass more and more. The Topps 52 Mantle is most obvious, people paying large sums of money for heavy alteration(s), relative to a similar looking card in unaltered condition for much more money. Money certainly IS an object to many collectors.

Frankly, this attitude might be kind of healthy for the card collection racket. Sure, we'd all prefer an unaltered card, but now that the ice is broken maybe there will be a change in the mentality of what is acceptable.

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Posted By: Tim

For a long time trimmed cards have been viewed as the red headed step child of card collecting. Rounded corners, marks, staining, surface wrinkles, or creases have been valued above a card known to be trimmed.

I think that thinking is beginning to shift a little.

If you can buy a beautiful card with great eye appeal slightly trimmed in an "A" slab versus one in a "1" or "2" with major creases, miscuts, why not save the money and get the card the card that presents better.

I know that this way of thinking could possible encourage trimming and I am definitely not for that.

I think trimming should be included in the criteria that devalues a card, but shouldn’t automatically relegate it to less than major damage a card could receive over normal wear and even abuse.

I know that purest will find my logic ludicrous.

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Posted By: Jason L

and obviously I have put my money where my mouth is.

I also bought a T206 Keeler w/bat in an Auth holder for $128 a few months back. Seems odd, but it's not an easy card, and this one is just as incredible as the Campy above, but trimmed all around....I am starting to care less and less about the purists' technical grade, vs. what it looks like for those cards that I want ....and as long as prices continue to escalate, I think this will become more common.

I agree.

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Posted By: Jason L

I don't know if others care to comment, but from my experience, my prices paid for trimmed/auth cards are about 10% of the price for an unaltered, same visual condition.

In other words, my $128 T206 Keeler if it were unaltered and looked like that one does, would be a 7 or 8, would command $1200, I would think.

This Campy in a 7 or 8 would be around a $375-400 card

I sold a really great looking trimmed 68 Mantle (with full disclosure and rejected PSA flip) a year ago for $65...probably could get someone $650 if it were an unaltered 7 or 8, I suppose...

other thoughts?

edited to add:
I also think that heavily damaged cards (such as the ones that Tim refers to above, where the image is significantly affected by creases or stains or rips and holes), are actually not collectable. I consider those cards garbage and it always amazes me that people pay money for them. that is just my personal preference, and I realize those cards have a market, but I am not in that market.

Also, similar to Tim's comment, I do not trim or doctor cards, nor do I condone it, and I would always like to buy unaltered cards. But I like to own and collect these little pieces of art, and if the only way I can participate in the market for some of these expensive things is to buy really good looking altered cards, then I will consider it on a case by case basis. That's all.

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Posted By: Anthony Clevamonte

For typical white bordered cards, the purpose of the border is to protect the image area from damage. As such, it has served its function once the card is permanently removed from circulation. And the degree of damage which the borders have absorbed are only of historical curiousity. In fact, once the card is removed from circulation, its protective borders should also be removed.

Now a grading service will never subscribe to this philosophy, because it eliminates much of the service which they provide. But to my thinking - the collector makes the rules.

And hacking the borders off does not apply to all sets. Some have the borders integrated in the card design, and others employ decorative borders which add to the card's appearance.

So, buy up the trimmed, off centered, and rounded corners all you like - and hack 'em off - usually the borders are not the card.

- Tony (the Cleaver) Clevamonte

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Posted By: Paul S

Jason, you might have a point about your 10% altered vs. unaltered theory. I'd think that might work for a 7 grade; however, there's quite a steep jump in price to grades 8 from 7, and likely for toughies and Mantles and some others it wouldn't hold true.

It goes unsaid that nobody here advocates the practices of trimming or non-disclousure, but does anything think that one day, in price guides, we will see a priceline in the new "ALT" column?

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Posted By: boxingcardman

As a general rule I don't want altered cards but when the price is right I've purchased them. I have quite a few exhibit cards with writing on them, for exampld and about 1/3 of my Exhibit PCL cards have the corner clip from the coupon.

If someone offered me a trimmed 1952 Mantle for $100 I'd buy it and happily own it.

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