General Forum

when it comes to choosing a card? Do you look at corners? Centering? Creases? Wax stains on front or back?

I have a tendency to look at centering first. A card can have corners that will cut glass but if its really off center, I'm like nahhhh.

I know this can be a real problem with the vintage cards since they didnt have great quality control. (1975 comes to mind) This is an issue for me since I want to build a 75 set as it was my second year collecting cards. Im really thinking I may have to relax my criteria a bit.

For me I'm more picky on creases. I would gladly take an off centered card over a creased card. I do look at corners as well so the first things I notice are Creases, corners, then centering.

If it's off center but the border still exists on all four sides, I'm ok with a card. Writing and diamond cut cards are biggest turnoffs for me.  Or if a piece of the card is missing. I can tolerate creases, worn edges and corners, paper loss if it isn't real bad, and wax/gum stains though.  Even a marked checklist doesn't bother me.  But if a kid marked out Mets and wrote Reds under it, that's what I don't like.

I didnt even think about ink markings. I ruined tons of checklists when I was a kid. What about pin holes in the top of the card like it was stuck on a bulletin board?

If it's an old enough card, I think I would be fine with it.  If it's a 1993, forget it, but I'm assuming this conversation is specific to older cards like your 1975s.

I can't stand when parts of the card are missing. Holes are just about the worst. Writing is also bad. With that said, I still accept them into my collection...but I won't pay much for them. I had cards in my collection that I do believe spent time in the street. I eventually upgraded them. 

For modern cards, I do not like surface scratches. 

I actually have a dilemma. 1994-95 Fleer Pooh Richardson. I have one copy that is otherwise perfect but is missing a corner. I also have a fully intact copy that is scratched to heck and has soft but complete corners. I can't decide which one to consider part of my collection, but I'm actually leaning towards the missing corner card. 

I actually like and collect off-center cards. If they have a piece of another card, even better! Production errors fascinate me.

I've never heard anyone say that last part before, Billy.  And I absolutely do NOT mean that in a bad way!

These are what creates a "poor" card in my book, starting with the worst offenses:

• Paper loss (includes holes)
• Water stain
• Writing
• Creases
• All 4 corners rounded or soft
• Wax stains on front
• Wax stains on back
• Off center to the point of having another card on it or part of the card missing

This is as far as my 1970s sets go. (My Phillies are a little different.)

I generally agree with vrooomed, however most wax stains on the front of a card can be removed easily without damaging the surface, so I rank that criteria lower.  For many vintage OPC Hockey sets, nearly all cards were miscut, so centering becomes less of a concern than other the criteria for those sets.

All my 1968 Topps Game cards have thumbtack holes.  I was only eight and I vaguely remember my cousins having something to do with it.  Still irks me when I look at them.