<< <i>I collect this set and bought my first complete set right out of packs with the gum powder still on many of the card's surfaces back in 1988 at a card show. With that said, both the Wilt and Oscar above have really nice colors, corners, and eye appeal, but both appear too short to make it into holders with a number grade.
Yes, '61 Fleers do vary in size but my experience tells me both are too short to be assigned a number grade. Both are definitely authentic and nice cards to own however.
I remember seeing a PSA 8 or 9 Oscar a few years back that was way too short too, but it somehow made it into a holder despite this, even though it was under their minimum size criteria. So I guess you never know what may happen if you send your cards in for grading. >>
Do they both looked trimmed?
The top edge of the Wilt is a lot more smooth then the rest of the card. I have a little loop with a light and it was easy to see the little fibers hanging off the card on all of the edges but the top.
I noticed that many of these cards have a little white strip on the back that extends past the blue area and perhaps someone cut it off.
The only edge that looks odd to me is the top and that would coincide with the white strip issue. >>
I've subbed several '61 Fleer cards, and remember having the same concern about the top border being smooth. I remember buying a complete set from an original owner and all the cards had smooth top borders that felt like they had been trimmed. It must be a characteristic common to this set as PSA graded all of them. I have to believe it is related to the cutting process, but if this is the case, one would think the bottom border should share the same characteristic.
DP, here's a couple for you to compare yours to......both measure up, have no doubt they're non-Exacto quality cards.
i didn't use the Auto Correct feature as it makes the cards look overexposed, so the color isn't perfect, but you can look at the cuts......notice both examples have a little band of color at the bottom on the reverse.
what does it prove? probably nothing. my opinion is that if your card measures up, it's worth a shot at a grade instead of AUTH.
i've been happy to keep them raw and continue searching for a nicer graded example. the chances of finding a raw example which can be converted into at least a well-centered PSA 7 are pretty slim.
David and Barry, congratulations on a couple of very nice raw pick ups. They both look a bit short IMO, but this set is all over the place in terms of cards being larger than normal or smaller than normal. So it is hard to predict what might make it into a holder. If either of you guys were to get numerical grades you will have hit the jackpot as those are some very sharp cards. If they end up only in an Authentic slab, you will still not lose money as those cards look so good that they could always be moved at good prices even in Authentic holders. Both are easily worth submitting, just on the chance that they make it into holders with grades. Here are some scans of my graded Wilt and Robertson cards if you want to compare the top bottom border sizes.
I just renewed my PSA membership recently and have the voucher for 15 submissions so I need to pick some stuff up quickly to send in.
My goal is to get it in a holder and if that happens I will be thrilled. If by some minor chance it gets a numerical grade then that would be amazing but I am not even remotely getting my hopes up.
As I said prior, I think a nice looking card that grades AUTH is still a great piece of basketball history and a fine addition to any collection.
This card is at PSA now and I really hope it makes it into a holder either way. I put on the submission form in several places please grade AUTH if trimmed.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha
<< <i>This card is at PSA now and I really hope it makes it into a holder either way. I put on the submission form in several places please grade AUTH if trimmed.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha >>
Love the card. Don't think I would have put the please grade AUTH if trimmed. Probably lowers the chances of it grading. Makes it sound like you think it is trimmed. The power of suggestion, LOL. Good luck. Can't wait to see hat happens.
<< <i>This card is at PSA now and I really hope it makes it into a holder either way. I put on the submission form in several places please grade AUTH if trimmed.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha >>
Love the card. Don't think I would have put the please grade AUTH if trimmed. Probably lowers the chances of it grading. Makes it sound like you think it is trimmed. The power of suggestion, LOL. Good luck. Can't wait to see hat happens. >>
The reason I did this is I listed the card at $475 on the submission form. If this card is trimmed and gets in an Auth holder that is probably accurate. If it gets slabbed I would think it is easily a $2,000+ card and perhaps much more. I also had a Mike Tyson 1987 Panini in the batch with a very odd looking bottom edge too that came from a seller in Italy. I have read they are prone to alter cards.
A few months earlier I was speaking to an SGC phone rep and asked the question on what it would cost to submit it to them. I told him I bought it for the price I did and that it was listed as likely trimmed. He recommended that if you want it slabbed to notate it might be trimmed and I said essentially the same thing as you. He said if it is trimmed our graders will catch it so it won't matter anyway.
My gut tells me the top edge has been altered and hopefully I am wrong!
<< <i>The 1961 Fleer basketball cards differ in size. I graded out a beautiful set and 12/66 came back minimum sized required. That Wilt looks fine to me. >>
You and a few others nailed it on the Wilt.
Are there collectors who will pay decent prices for smaller cards from this set that are not trimmed?
I plan to try and send it elsewhere and try my luck but curious what an estimate on fair market value might be.
Re submit. Maybe through another member. I've had previously graded "min size" come back with numerical grades the next time out. I personally don't think a grader can tell min size from trimmed.
Comments
<< <i>
<< <i>I collect this set and bought my first complete set right out of packs with the gum powder
still on many of the card's surfaces back in 1988 at a card show. With that said, both the Wilt and Oscar above
have really nice colors, corners, and eye appeal, but both appear too short to make it into holders with a number grade.
Yes, '61 Fleers do vary in size but my experience tells me both are too short to be assigned a number grade.
Both are definitely authentic and nice cards to own however.
I remember seeing a PSA 8 or 9 Oscar a few years back that was way too short too, but
it somehow made it into a holder despite this, even though it was under their minimum size criteria.
So I guess you never know what may happen if you send your cards in for grading. >>
Do they both looked trimmed?
The top edge of the Wilt is a lot more smooth then the rest of the card. I have a little loop with a light and it was easy to see the little fibers hanging off the card on all of the edges but the top.
I noticed that many of these cards have a little white strip on the back that extends past the blue area and perhaps someone cut it off.
The only edge that looks odd to me is the top and that would coincide with the white strip issue. >>
I've subbed several '61 Fleer cards, and remember having the same concern about the top border being smooth. I remember buying a complete set from an original owner and all the cards had smooth top borders that felt like they had been trimmed. It must be a characteristic common to this set as PSA graded all of them. I have to believe it is related to the cutting process, but if this is the case, one would think the bottom border should share the same characteristic.
"Common sense is the best distributed commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it"
i didn't use the Auto Correct feature as it makes the cards look overexposed, so the color isn't perfect, but you can look at the cuts......notice both examples have a little band of color at the bottom on the reverse.
what does it prove? probably nothing. my opinion is that if your card measures up, it's worth a shot at a grade instead of AUTH.
Did you send those in and if so what did they grade?
i don't think either of them fit that profile.
It is interesting that the top edge tends to be smooth on these cards.
This is such a cool set.
I just renewed my PSA membership recently and have the voucher for 15 submissions so I need to pick some stuff up quickly to send in.
My goal is to get it in a holder and if that happens I will be thrilled. If by some minor chance it gets a numerical grade then that would be amazing but I am not even remotely getting my hopes up.
As I said prior, I think a nice looking card that grades AUTH is still a great piece of basketball history and a fine addition to any collection.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha
<< <i>This card is at PSA now and I really hope it makes it into a holder either way. I put on the submission form in several places please grade AUTH if trimmed.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha >>
Love the card. Don't think I would have put the please grade AUTH if trimmed. Probably lowers the chances of it grading. Makes it sound like you think it is trimmed. The power of suggestion, LOL. Good luck. Can't wait to see hat happens.
<< <i>
<< <i>This card is at PSA now and I really hope it makes it into a holder either way. I put on the submission form in several places please grade AUTH if trimmed.
I am on business day 9 and I just have to laugh at myself since I have probably checked 75 times or more since day 3. Even in the early days when I know there is no chance it will pop I still finding myself checking it a few times just in case. Haha >>
Love the card. Don't think I would have put the please grade AUTH if trimmed. Probably lowers the chances of it grading. Makes it sound like you think it is trimmed. The power of suggestion, LOL. Good luck. Can't wait to see hat happens. >>
The reason I did this is I listed the card at $475 on the submission form. If this card is trimmed and gets in an Auth holder that is probably accurate. If it gets slabbed I would think it is easily a $2,000+ card and perhaps much more. I also had a Mike Tyson 1987 Panini in the batch with a very odd looking bottom edge too that came from a seller in Italy. I have read they are prone to alter cards.
A few months earlier I was speaking to an SGC phone rep and asked the question on what it would cost to submit it to them. I told him I bought it for the price I did and that it was listed as likely trimmed. He recommended that if you want it slabbed to notate it might be trimmed and I said essentially the same thing as you. He said if it is trimmed our graders will catch it so it won't matter anyway.
My gut tells me the top edge has been altered and hopefully I am wrong!
<< <i>The 1961 Fleer basketball cards differ in size. I graded out a beautiful set and 12/66 came back minimum sized required. That Wilt looks fine to me. >>
You and a few others nailed it on the Wilt.
Are there collectors who will pay decent prices for smaller cards from this set that are not trimmed?
I plan to try and send it elsewhere and try my luck but curious what an estimate on fair market value might be.
<< <i>That's probably the first time Wilt and minimum size have ever been used in the same sentence.
This looks like the same size card and cut.
This card will definitely be sent to get graded again.
The top edge is just the same. After looking at tons of cards it appears that most are hacked on top just like OPC is super rough cut.