Who needs a scanner?

ReggieCleveland

Sorry, no I'm not giving one away.

I was just commenting in another thread and it got me thinking. If I'm buying a card that I really want to make sure I like what I'm getting or if I'm spending decent coin on it, I'll skip all listings that don't use a scanner for their image. I've gotten hit too many times by sneaky angles and poor light. Am I alone in this?

Why would anyone that's even part time selling cards on eBay not invest $100 on a good scanner bed?

Arthur

ahopkins

I agree, Arthur. I skip those listings, too, that don't use a scanner especially if it's a high-dollar, condition-sensitive card. On occasion, I've asked sellers to take additional pics of a card if the pics they provide are potentially hiding a potentially flawed part of the card.

Andy

ZTarg

I do Arthur.

PM with my address forthcoming so you can get it ready to ship.

Very generous of you.

Mickey Mays

Anyone who sells cards needs a scanner. I've come across sellers with 100's of cards for sale, each a picture of the card and not a scan. Makes no sense to me.

prgsdw

Agree. Similarly I wonder why people invest a tremendous amount (time, effort, money, etc.) in acquiring a highly ranked registry set without any scans of the items.

brad31

@prgsdw said:
Agree. Similarly I wonder why people invest a tremendous amount (time, effort, money, etc.) in acquiring a highly ranked registry set without any scans of the items.

To me they don’t need a scanner because they can look at the actual card!! I agree that sellers should invest in one.

maddux69

Next to buying a thermal printer, it is the best inverstment I have made.

NGS428

I love my Epson V600!

I deal with a seller on eBay who regularly uses his camera with the card at an angle... not what I would choose to use when selling.

rcmb3220

I don’t have great scans but it does annoy me when someone puts a $500+ card up for sale and they are holding it in one hand while taking a picture, always with the shadowy figure in the background.

KendallCat

Agree on the scanner and scan with the lid up provides better results and clarity imo.

HighGradeLegends

V600.

prgsdw

@brad31 said:
To me they don’t need a scanner because they can look at the actual card!!

Of course the owner can look at the actual card. However, the cards may be off site in a safe deposit box (mine mostly are). The scans would also be helpful for insurance purposes in the event of theft, loss, etc.

Beyond those practical matters, this is a hobby - and for some an investment or mix of the two. Many posts here are made about "Is this really a 10?" and "Buy the card not the holder" and "That has great eye appeal for a x grade". Finally all the posts about "share your this or that cards" indicate that many people have an interest in seeing the actual cards and judging them for themselves.

I know when I'm looking at a high end item, one thing i like to do is compare it to other items in the same grade - which can't be done with sets that don't contain images.

Yes, it's each person's individual choice, but I can say for certain I've been contacted and thanked for having scans of items in all my sets.

Mickey Mays

Delete

brad31

Someday I am going to pull the trigger and buy a nice scanner. The printer/scanner I have does no better than my iPhone.

prgsdw I was kind of making a bad joke. I do like looking at scans of amazing cards and sometimes cannot believe how perfect a card can be. It takes a lot of time to scan a collection and agree with your points on comparisons. Seeing several cards in the same condition help you know if a card has a prevalent issue. May make you know you have to pay more if you fund a card without it present.

ReggieCleveland

I would think, as a seller, you would want to minimize the amount of returns you get based on "not as described." A NAD return means you pay for the return shipping so you basically paid to send the card to the prospective buyer so they could take a look at it instead of just having a good scan in the first place.

As a buyer, I like to find "just the right one" for my collection and look forward to showing it off with my online card nerd buddies as often as possible. That's why we're all here, right? We love to show off our stuff and see the cool stuff that everyone else has? You need an Epson/Canon flatbed scanner as much as you need internet access.

This might sound weird but mail time isn't as fun for me as scan time is.

Arthur

PaulMaul

@prgsdw

I too agree that registry sets without scans are a.) no fun and b.) cannot be regarded as among the finest sets no matter their rank in the registry without scans. Because we all know that the easiest shortcut to a highly ranked registry set for someone with no patience and a lot of money is to buy based only on PSA grade and not on actual eye appeal of the card.

The unfortunate part is that beautiful scans like yours have their quality degraded when uploaded to the registry, presumably due to file size limitations. My biggest concern in bothering to invest in a really good scanner is that registry scans are my primary use of a scanner, and if the scans are going to be degraded it hardly seems worth bothering.

NGS428

@PaulMaul said:
@prgsdw

I too agree that registry sets without scans are a.) no fun and b.) cannot be regarded as among the finest sets no matter their rank in the registry without scans. Because we all know that the easiest shortcut to a highly ranked registry set for someone with no patience and a lot of money is to buy based only on PSA grade and not on actual eye appeal of the card.

The unfortunate part is that beautiful scans like yours have their quality degraded when uploaded to the registry, presumably due to file size limitations. My biggest concern in bothering to invest in a really good scanner is that registry scans are my primary use of a scanner, and if the scans are going to be degraded it hardly seems worth bothering.

While it is true that the image shown in your registry inventory will be downgraded, if you create a digital album (highly recommended by the way), you will have your higher quality image presented. Check out my digital albums in my signature. You will see what I mean.

I love to scan. Sure it takes time, but to me it is all part of the finished product. After taking pictures of my coins it makes card scanning seem super simple!

skrezyna23

YES YES YES. Anyone consistently selling cards needs to buy a nice scanner.

Cakes

@skrezyna23 said:
YES YES YES. Anyone consistently selling cards needs to buy a nice scanner.

I agree, plus they are pretty cheap.