Grade or Not to Grade? Clemente w/Scratches on Back

[JollyElm]

Thanks, guys!

There are plenty of dark sides to this site, but this thread shows a great aspect of it. Some of the opinions are diametrically opposite of each other, yet each post has been spot on in its own way!!

Here's how I've decided to treat it. I rarely, if ever, sell anything, but always must imagine what would happen if I did:

Graded - Let's assume that nothing is missed at SGC and it (rightfully?) gets only an SGC 2 due to the scratches/paper loss. If I go to sell it, it will only merit the low sales price that a 2 gets, which practically isn't enough to cover the cost of grading. Plus, if I was hoping to get more for it than that, when I explain it's so much better than a 2 - and it only got that number due to the 'unseen' claw marks - a buyer will think, "No way, man, there's gotta be more to it, hidden bends or creases or something."

Ungraded - If someone's interested in buying or trading for it, I simply say it looks really nice over all, but I didn't send it in to be graded because of the minor scratches on the back. The reply? "Cool. Makes sense."

Yes, I like to gamble on cardboard, but since I do have another (unclawed) one in similar shape, I'm going to leave this one in the binder and put all of my (slim) hopes on that one instead.

[Phishphan21]

Just use a box cutter to trim that part of the card off altogether or a pair of safety scissors and call it OPC