[jmc316]

Sorry if I'm late to the party on this, but noticed on ebay a listing for the sale of both the H Wagner AND E Plank tobacco cards together...It shows the cards in a PSA graded case and it listed as authentic but listed as altered...So I'm curious as to what the grade is being used for...If the card is authentic then why on earth wouldn't you assign a grade? Also what does the altered mean? The description below the listing is more confusing than the grade...It says "The owner innocently wanted to improve the imagine"...assume he meant image and also says "The Wagner was altered many years ago, before these cards were in such high demand and brought such astronomical prices."...Really? I started collecting in 79 and it was the holy grail of cards back then...so exactly what year was the card altered and how would one know the owners' intentions?

The whole thing to me smells...and especially for 360K...As a simple man who understands only simple things...what am I missing about this listing that would make it such a good deal?

[86champs]

Maybe its altered cause they shaved the sides a little bit to make the card have sharper corners.

[ricelynnevans75]

I hate descriptions like that in auctions. It tells me you're hiding something when you have to add all that fluff. If a card is altered (trimmed, color restoration, erasing of pencil marks, etc), the best it's going to get is authentic because even though it's a legit card and not a reprint, it's been purposely "fixed" somehow to enhance the card.

With that said, this same auction was mentioned on another board. Someone said he lost his business in the flooding that happened up that way. Hope he managed to save the cards!

[jtulliakat0628]

As a simple man, just like you said, this card altered or not, would be a brand new life for myself and most people on this site.

Unless you're a millionaire, I dont even know how you would consider keeping these cards.

[hellsbells]

I have this one on my Watch List - just curious (not interested in buying!) - seems to me that he might do better in another arena for a card that valuable. I know that a couple of key auction items have used eBay recently (Window frame that Oswald used shooting Kennedy), but still think that the high dollar items are better using auction houses......

Unless they don't want anyone to look too closely at the card??