How does this still happen?
LOTSOS
Posts: 1,308 ✭✭✭✭✭
I've been wondering lately how today with the way cards are printed, in an age where some packs of cards sell for over $250, why does a manufacture not take the time and energy to produce centered cards? Now I can fully understand how years ago it wasn't an issue when your selling them for $.05, $.10, hell even a buck a pack, but today? I don't get it. Here is my example and I'm sure you all have many of your own.
Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Jack Eichel Diamond Rookie Quad Diamond. This card is impossible to find perfectly centered and most of the times it's not even close. Below are images off of eBay, there is one BVG card graded 9.5 with a 9.5 sub for centering that is about the best I've seen. I have one currently in for submission now with PSA. It is close to that 9.5 but I'd probably give the edge to the BVG card from memory. It just seems nuts to me that they don't take the very little extra time to make sure they cut it right.
Of course the possibility exists that it's done intentionally but I don't know if I'd buy that.
Kevin
Comments
its the production machines that feed the paper and cut the cards. sure technology is there for those that can afford it like divinci surgeons, gmc, ford, apple but for a card company, they are most likely working w machines that are completely outta date...even if they purchased so called state of the art equipment 5 yrs ago.
and you have to remember, if there is any leeway at the top of a sheet, even a millimeter, the bottom cut/printing could angle out to actually being 5+ millimeters off on the bottom.
printing and not just of cards really is an art and science.
I agree on the centering problems, but i also do not like the thick cards with corner damage. Especially seen on black edge cards. Disappointing when you rip a pack of this to find the cards look like a dog chewed on the edges and corners
I may be the minority in this case but with cards like this (that are not a picture frame border) the centering is not too important to me.
The circle takes up most of the space between left and right borders so I'm less inclined to care about centering on a card like this. Also, the card looks pretty "busy" so that also takes my eyes away from the centering.
Just my opinion of course.
I agree that the lack of the picture frame helps but vertical writing of "Quad Diamond Relics" along with the difference in color between the main center section and the two outside edge sections still draws my eye to it.
I get what your saying Muffins about the process being both an art and a science but if cards like this are numbered to 100 or less like the gold /5 variation are the marquee cards in the set you would take the time to make them as flawless as possible. That is where the art side of the operation should come into play. I mean it's one sheet. They could use the standard printing process but maybe cut them manually.
I know that that takes some of the thrill of the hunt from us trying to find the "perfect" version of the card. But with a limited x/xx if all were 10 quality cards when they left the factory would it really be that big of a deal?
Kevin