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Question about Recolored Borders

I am putting together a raw set of 71 baseball and was wondering how easy is it to tell if someone has tampered with the black borders?

When someone does recolor is it normally to fill in an area that was chipped?

If anyone has an example they could show me that would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Rick
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My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

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Comments

  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    You will be able to tell, the recolored ink almost always bleeds into the edge.

    Also, many times the recolored ink is a shade lighter then the original black.
    If you are still concerned look at the card with a black light


    Steve

    Good for you.
  • nam812nam812 Posts: 10,600 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Also, if you have a 10X loop (one with a light is even better), you can't miss it.
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,810 ✭✭✭✭
    I had a Seaver LL card came back as recolored and for the life of me could not find it?
    I looked at it with a loupe a million times and basically gave up.
    If your looking for a Dick Drago LMK I have one in NM condition I
    will send to you if you would like?
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    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • purduepetepurduepete Posts: 791 ✭✭✭
    Rick, whenever I have run across recolored 71's, the corner wear is what has been covered up.

    Sometimes the black magic marker is easy to spot with the naked eye, but I've heard that a foolproof way to tell is to put a suspect card under a black light - the marked spots will then stand out like a sore thumb.

    Another way to tell if a card has been tampered with is to look at the edges of the card - if a magic marker has been used, some of the black ink will have seeped down the edge.

    (Edit: Basically what everyone else has been saying...)
    Hope this helps.
    Tom

    Collecting: Topps 1952-79, Bowman 1952-55, OPC 1965-71, and Pre-War White Sox cards
  • cwazzycwazzy Posts: 3,257
    I got a stack of around 40 '71 Topps from a board member as part of a grab bag a few months ago. All but 1 card had been recolored. Not only were they recolored but it was a bad job, too. The marker that was used actually bled through to the backs of the cards. I ended up throwing them in the trash. image
    Chris
    My small collection
    Want List:
    '61 Topps Roy Campanella in PSA 5-7
    Cardinal T206 cards
    Adam Wainwright GU Jersey
  • Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,327 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I got a lot of 62 Football that was re-colored AND trimmed!!! Just a horrible job too. Came as part of a lot of about 2000 cards at 20 cents each, so I can't complain, even though I should have spent more time looking. Still, I wouldn't throw them out, just sell them as altered. Someone must want them....tons of sp's included.
    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
  • cwazzycwazzy Posts: 3,257
    I wouldn't sell them as altered because, even though I would disclose the issue, that doesn't mean that the next person would. And total I may have gotten $5 delivered for them. LOL
    Chris
    My small collection
    Want List:
    '61 Topps Roy Campanella in PSA 5-7
    Cardinal T206 cards
    Adam Wainwright GU Jersey
  • Beck6Beck6 Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭
    I just got back a 1971 from the last group sub marked as recolored if you want me to send it to you for reference. Shoot me a PM and I will send it out.
    Registry Sets:
    T222's PSA 1 or better
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In addition to what others have said, you can also tell by the fact the recolored area has no sheen while the legitimate top black surface reflects light. So if you see a spot of dull black, that's recoloring.
  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,688 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>In addition to what others have said, you can also tell by the fact the recolored area has no sheen while the legitimate top black surface reflects light. So if you see a spot of dull black, that's recoloring. >>



    If you don't have a black light, this is how you can spot the recoloring along with looking at the edges where the marker would tend to bleed out.

    Donato
    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

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  • Mickey71Mickey71 Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭✭
    Some might laugh at this response. When you are completely not sure at all----smell the card. It will have a distinct magic marker odor. I hand them to my daughter and ask, recolored or not. She smells them and lets me know.image
  • KbKardsKbKards Posts: 1,782 ✭✭✭
    They also use ink, crayon and all kinds of different magic markers or sharpie. Some will be very obvious and some will be very well done. If you some doubles mark a tip with a sharpie to see what it looks like. Stuff marked will look different, both dull or shiny or just odd. Take a real good look at a few hundred corners and edges on your known good cards, under both magnification and card in hand. Get accustomed to what good corners and edges are supposed to look like. Then when you see a bad card it will stick out like a sore thumb.
  • BunkerBunker Posts: 3,926
    One of the reasons why I love this place...Thanks for all the responses!
    image

    My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

    JDRF Donation
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>They also use ink, crayon and all kinds of different magic markers or sharpie. Some will be very obvious and some will be very well done. If you some doubles mark a tip with a sharpie to see what it looks like. Stuff marked will look different, both dull or shiny or just odd. Take a real good look at a few hundred corners and edges on your known good cards, under both magnification and card in hand. Get accustomed to what good corners and edges are supposed to look like. Then when you see a bad card it will stick out like a sore thumb. >>



    I agree. After you've looked at enough of these cards, some with recoloring, it's not difficult to tell the recolored ones. I've only ever submitted one '71 that came back as 'recolored' and it was my fault for not inspecting it in decent light before submitting it.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,449 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What everyone else said.

    Also, just hold the card under a good light - like an Ott light - horizontal to the table and tilt is slightly back and forth - as was said - the "recolored" area will stick out like a sore thumb!

    I - unfortunately - have a 65T RC that I missed - the white was slightly touched up.

    mike
    Mike
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