[Leon]

SB1 nailed it. If you collect vintage cards you probably have some that have been soaked. Sometimes when soaking a card a little water stain will be left and sometimes not. IF the soaking can be detected by a water stain, the TPGs will deduct for it as they would a smudge or dirt, in my experience. Most times they can't tell and therefore won't deduct. It doesn't bother me to own, buy or sell cards that have had something erased or have been soaked. I feel the same way about anything that can be taken off of a card that wasn't there from date of mfg, and is taken off with water and/or an eraser (that is the extent of my leniency). Everybody has their own view but I don't personally think these previous things constitute "alterations", in the trimming, bleaching, stretching sense of the word. We have had good discussions as Rob linked to. And btw, power erasing is in fact taking off layer(s) of paper, so to me that is altering in a bad way.