Guru
Grading
by Larry
"Guru" Tipton
In an effort to standardize OBC grading
procedures, I have been asked to post my Condition Guide. Dealers are hereby
warned that reading any further is likely to cause stomach pains.
Mint (MT): The
front of a Mint baseball card will include most of the original paper. Normal
"in the shirt pocket" creases are allowed, as are thumb tack and staple holes.
You should also be able to read most on the back of the card. The only writing
allowed on a Mint baseball card is scratching off the old team name and inking
in the new team. I have received numerous e-mails asking about "gloss" and
"centering". Since I do not know what these are I cannot comment on it. Any
Mickey Mantle card grades Mint. Early 1900 tobacco cards can never grade lower
than Mint.
Near Mint (NM): A Near Mint baseball card will at first appear to be perfect,
but upon closer inspection some minor flaws may be discovered. For example, your
favorite Milwaukee Braves pitcher is Joe Jay, but you can never pull a Joe Jay
from a pack. You have seven cards of Braves pitcher Don McMahon, so you
carefully cross out Don McMahons name and replace it with Joe Jay. It goes
without saying in this example you would also have to thicken up Don McMahons
eyebrows a little too. When examined closely, staple holes may actually be nail
holes which would downgrade a Mint card to NM.
Excellent (EX): An excellent condition
baseball card should have at least three corners. Hole punched cards and cards
with BB holes will normally not grade above EX. Any kind of writing is allowed
on cards in excellent condition. Added nasal hair, arrows through the players
head, black eyes, and blacked out teeth are certainly allowed. I have a 1958
Topps #5 Willie Mays with a penciled in goatee, blacked out teeth, and a large
chip out of Willies left nostril. When the dealer told me he would take five
dollars for the card I replied "Excellent Dealer Dude!" Bicycle spoke creases
are allowed on EX cards, and any stain from any source are allowed on EX
condition cards. To read my award winning dissertation entitled "Baseball Cards
and Stains Accomplished By Ten Year Olds" click
(http://www.tenyearold.stain/ballcards.htm). ANY BROOKLYN DODGER CARD CAN
NEVER GRADE BELOW EXCELLENT!
Very Good
(VG): If less than 10% of the card has been burned
up, this would classify as a VG card. Cards that have been cut in two and taped
back together normally grade VG. EXCEPTION: 1941 Double Play Cards that have
been cut in two. If both sides have been taped, stapled, or glued back together,
these normally grade NM. If only half of the card remains, it grades VG.
Remember your least favorite card when you were a kid? Somebody like Frank Zupo?
You take your Frank Zupo card and lay it down face first in the street and then
get on your bike and get going real fast. Just before your rear tire runs over
your Frank Zupo, hit the brakes! You could drag that Frank Zupo card ten feet if
you timed it right! Mouse damaged cards normally grade VG, however, cat damaged
cards (if you know what I mean) normally grade a lot lower than VG.
Good (G): Good
condition cards can be bent, cut, hole punched, taped, stapled, wrote on, eraser
damaged, torn, ripped, scuffed, stained, creased, chipped, chewed, and glued. VG
cards could have been used for target practice, dunked in the toilet, set on
fire and dropped from your upstairs bedroom, used to mix model airplane paint,
and definitely thrown at your sister. No matter WHAT a card looks like, if you
need it for your collection, it looks GOOD to
you!