How common are sellers that crack out cards and sell raw?

doog71 · February 4, 2014 1:22PM

There's a seller on Ebay that defends his negative feedback remarks with lines like "This can't be trimmed, it was originally in a PSA (or SGC) case".

Do many sellers crack out sharp cards out of PSA holders then sell them raw? It seems like that would be a losing proposition, though I suppose there are small things that don't show up in scans/pics that wouldn't be picked up with the casual eye.

grote15 · February 4, 2014 1:26PM

<< There's a seller on Ebay that defends his negative feedback remarks with lines like "This can't be trimmed, it was originally in a PSA (or SGC) case".

Do many sellers crack out sharp cards out of PSA holders then sell them raw? It seems like that would be a losing proposition, though I suppose there are small things that don't show up in scans/pics that wouldn't be picked up with the casual eye. >>

It's not uncommon for mid-grade cards that are then jazzed up and sold as higher grade cards (or at least to lend that impression)..

doog71 · February 4, 2014 1:50PM

Jazzed up as in altered? So crack, trim/paint, sell as raw? That's kind of nauseating.

grote15 · February 4, 2014 1:52PM

<< Jazzed up as in altered? So crack, trim/paint, sell as raw? That's kind of nauseating. >>

Not necessarily by altering the card but certainly by enhancing the scan.

orioles93 · February 4, 2014 2:11PM

<< 

<< Jazzed up as in altered? So crack, trim/paint, sell as raw? That's kind of nauseating. >>

Not necessarily by altering the card but certainly by enhancing the scan. >>

There are plenty of psa 5s and 6s that look nicer to the naked eye. Many look very nice unless you look at them closely. They can easily be cracked out and sold as higher condition raw cards.

doog71 · February 4, 2014 2:26PM

<< 

<< 

<< Jazzed up as in altered? So crack, trim/paint, sell as raw? That's kind of nauseating. >>

Not necessarily by altering the card but certainly by enhancing the scan. >>

There are plenty of psa 5s and 6s that look nicer to the naked eye. Many look very nice unless you look at them closely. They can easily be cracked out and sold as higher condition raw cards. >>

I would think that would create rash of bad feedback once the buyer gets it in hand and examines the card.

76collector · February 4, 2014 2:34PM

Many raw cards being sold online simply have a picture of the card listed. The seller doesn't claim the card is an 8 or a 9. I think the point is that a seller, may crack a slightly OC pretty sharp card (say a psa 6) and list it raw with a nicely angled picture, and many people might think they are getting a potential 8. The buyer wouldn't really have any ground to complain, because they would get the exact card in the picture.

bobbyw8469 · February 4, 2014 8:30PM

I know of a couple sellers that crack out undergraded cards exclusively. They make a killing doing it.

swartz1 · February 4, 2014 9:07PM

Many do it here on the boards...

CubsKiller99 · February 4, 2014 10:53PM

One local shop owner has a bolt cutter behind his cases, and I've seen him go to
work with it on a PSA 5 several times. That card may end up as EX-MT in his
glass case, but I don't know of a specific instance where he's done that.

I dont' buy raw cards on eBAY or at my local card shop. Shop owners generally
overgrade their cards and this happens even more frequently with shop owners
that have little experience with graded cards.

I do buy graded cards and crack-out for my own PC. It's a good way to get nice raw
cards for a good price. I tend to buy SGC and BVG more for this purpose since
their prices are usually lower than PSA for the same quality on eBAY.

There isn't a single LCS in my town that really cares about graded cards. It's
a strange dichotomy -- the old guard with their often-overvalued raw treasures
and newer collectors that appreciate the quality that graded cards ensure.

lightningboy · February 5, 2014 12:06AM

Even for higher end PSA 8 cards, it can be a winning proposition. Without any altering, the seller advertises a card as being mint. If he/she is an honest trusted seller, there are many buyers that would gamble on the card eventually hitting a PSA 9. For many cards, we know, the difference between an 8 and a 9 can be huge. So, they may end up getting 8.5 plus money for the card that was deemed PSA 8.

bbuckner22 · February 5, 2014 12:23AM

There are still buyers out here that don't buy or collect graded cards. If you are trying to put together a nice NM/MT binder set these days it's a pretty daunting task. I've noticed a trend that most of my well centered NM cards bring more money than that same card in a PSA 7 slab. Not saying that I'm cracking them out, but it has kept me from subbing some cards that cannot recover the grading fees as a 7 or barely cover the cost as an 8.

RipublicaninMass · February 5, 2014 1:12AM

They buy nice looking 4's and 5's and crack them and list as Near Mint

Downtown1974 · February 5, 2014 1:47AM

I crack all the time for my personal collection. Never sold any, but I would disclose the info about the grade to the seller. I still have all of the old flips too. I wait until I have a small pile, then drop Cosetta an email asking her to remove them from the database.

mattinglymint23 · February 5, 2014 1:58AM

<< I crack all the time for my personal collection. Never sold any, but I would disclose the info about the grade to the seller. I still have all of the old flips too. I wait until I have a small pile, then drop Cosetta an email asking her to remove them from the database. >>

that's the way to do it...

stormtrooper80 · February 5, 2014 7:18AM

<< I know of a couple sellers that crack out undergraded cards exclusively. They make a killing doing it. >>

Do they also use the services of Dick Towle?

bobbyw8469 · February 5, 2014 9:03AM

<< Do they also use the services of Dick Towle? >>

Not sure...do you?

stormtrooper80 · February 5, 2014 10:11AM

<< 

<< Do they also use the services of Dick Towle? >>

Not sure...do you? >>

" The level of dick's work is just amazing! He was able to remove spider wrinkles from my card with no evidence of them having ever been there in the first place! I was blown away!!!!! Robert W.-NC

bobbyw8469 · February 5, 2014 10:15AM

Nevermind...I got my answer from his website!!

<< Over the past several years, I have regularly use Richard Towle for collectibles. His work is reliable, reasonable and above all he is very prompt and honest. Every experience I have had has been completely professional and I will continue to count on Richard for the future. >>

bobbyw8469 · February 5, 2014 10:17AM

so...do you really want to play this game????

I tell you what...how about you log out and log back in under your real name...oh wait...that's right....you CAN'T!!!!! LMFAO!!!!

stormtrooper80 · February 5, 2014 10:18AM

Ok, help me understand something. Are you attributing that unsigned review of Dick's services to me, and at the same time completely ignoring my repost of your signed review?

This is as classic as Bobby gets!

RipublicaninMass · February 5, 2014 10:28AM

<< 

<< I crack all the time for my personal collection. Never sold any, but I would disclose the info about the grade to the seller. I still have all of the old flips too. I wait until I have a small pile, then drop Cosetta an email asking her to remove them from the database. >>

that's the way to do it... >>

I could have sworn they offered a small rebate to be used toward grading fees when you sent the flips back...oh wait that's only for their special coin collectors. I'll be filling my pillow with flips until they offer a SMALL rebate for sending them back.

How common are sellers that crack out cards and sell raw?

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