A Sports Card Grading company gives it's thoughts on card cleaning.

[@IdealtheWrapper]

If a factory can scratch my chrome before/while packaging I can polish it.

[@justhockeycards]

Agreed.

[@b-n-psportscards8374]

Why wouldn’t it be ok to clean a card? It’s not altering anything. When you clean your car is that altering it? No! Be proud of what you have and make it look as good as possible.

[@pete5691]

Agreed

[@brandonduhon1933]

100🎃

[@81Justathought]

agreed, waxing a card to get out minor surface scratches or small imperfections are fine IMO, if you can fix a corner of a card thats dinged thats ok as well, but like the interviewer said the only thing that is a hard no is colouring in/touch up or trimming is an absolute no

[@jmoo876]

Cleaning is fine, waxing or polishing is altering the card. When you polish a car you are altering the paint by removing some of the clear coat, same principle on cards.

[@b-n-psportscards8374]

@@jmoo876 if that’s your argument, what about buffing scratches? Anyone would buff out scratches to better the overall look.

[@justhockeycards]

Can't have a crime without a witness. This was good to hear.

[@TheVTRainMan]

If you are taking away things that weren't originally on the item (fingerprints, grime, dings, and scratches), then you are okay. In general, if you are making the card look the way it originally was intended... how are you "altering" an item?

[@Etblackbeard]

I have submitted to SGC more in the last 2 weeks than I ever have before. I dig Peter and the $30 raw cards I buy to submit fit in the perfect zone for them. Their grading speed will allow them to set the market for optic holo's and such for 4-5 weeks before PSA will hit the market... a grader comparison in a couple months could be interesting.

[@sportsguy28227]

Get subject. Peter’s very transparent and gave a great answer.

[@brandonduhon1933]

This is the answer I expected to hear ! 100 …. SGC love em

[@kenrogers1948]

It's nice to get a frank opinion on something like this but I think the grading companies in general still could share a lot more info to make those of us who are motivated be better self-graders. I do only vintage and many hundreds of graded card subs into my 'education' I still feel like I'm totally at the mercy of the individual grader who evaluates my cards. In a word a lack of consistency.

[@Gottoyzforsale]

Considering most high-end cards during the 80's were put in screwdown holders because @ the time, that was the thing to do, deserves more consideration. I don't think a pressed card should be tagged as altered, but just graded for the damage inflicted on the card.

[@Philmington]

This is a toughie. Kudos to PS for tackling it.

[@MrMinty_Supply]

LOVE SGC

[@Silverfromjohto_]

Just don’t cut or add ink! If you’re going to polish anything, please be easy on it. Some of us don’t want any longer term corrosion appearing on cards and just want the best looking stuff for the price we’re paying. Also, remember to always disclose to buyers if you’re going to sell them.

[@sp123]

At least he is honest that they cant see polish on the cards.

[@bowmanbrent419]

I got back into the hobby in 2016 and that Kurt's card cleaning was around then.

[@mickey-eq5vw]

dont work

[@bowmanbrent419]

@@mickey-eq5vw I've never used his service or products so I wouldn't know.

[@georgeriley4818]

Isn't CGC grading cards now? Perhaps they'll offer their cleaning services for their cards as well. 😆

[@AkinaSpeedStarsAE86]

Kind of the same discussion as pressing a comic; but I kind of wanted him to know if they in fact saw that a card was "cleaned" in such a way, would sgc send it back with a altered or cleaned status?

[@custum18]

It will become acceptable because the new people who came in during the boom, who are the future, see cards as a dollar sign. It's a generational thing. The "hobby" as it was before 2020 is never coming back. $$$$$$$

[@aihsports]

Yup. It artificially increases the amount of SGC 10's, PSA 10s, etc.

[@joelebstein]

Not necessarily. People still buy cards because they like players. Not everyone is in it for the money. I’m not and I’ve only been in the hobby 3 years. I collect players I like and players on the Padres since I’m from San Diego. It’s not fair to say everyone.

[@joelhenderson-xo1lm]

​@@aihsportsHow is it artificial? Give me a break. I guess fingerprints artificially reduces the number of 10s then. 🫤

[@michaelknowsstocks5170]

so for vintage cards is there anything to really clean? i get prizm type cars bc you can have fingerprints

[@ktc629]

yea, you can clean PACK WRAPPER WAX right off a vintage card using Panty Hose, it works really really well 100% of the time. The perspective however is not so much the wax residue left on a card being removed is altering the card, the wax should not be there in the first place, the card was not produced from any factory with WAX on it, that actual alteration was the wax being left behind on the card. Removing it only takes the card to a place it was meant to be in.

[@MrPelletty]

Comics has it right. Staining or damaging a comic is restoration or damage by definition since you are altering the original state. Cleaning or pressing is no different from placing a card in a penny sleeve. They are protection measurement used to increase the longevity of the item. Placing a card in a sleeve incorrectly can cause damage to the card, so can improper cleaning or pressing.

[@mikecampbell7841]

They need to revamp their grading before this . Respect for vintage needs to be addressed !

[@davidallen2133wolfy]

Even museums use curator’s on their antiques brings back the original beauty and there is no problem with that cleanig should be okay and excepted a good curater can do it without detection

[@theslickrips5904]

Yup. If they clean it and damage it then it’s on them. If they clean it and make it look better without trimming/coloring. Trimming and coloring is an alteration in my book

[@OnGod1007]

It's absolutely wrong. A curator recommends the acquisition of artwork and artifacts and does historical research. You are the type of person the will tell a flat out lie to justify your actions.

[@brendanbullock9468]

My thoughts exactly. Restoration is done on priceless paintings and works on paper all the time. It extends their life span and restores some of their beauty. If it's done WELL on a card - so well that graders can't see any issue - then I don't see a problem with it.

[@FromTheBenchYT]

Thanks for the interview

[@Hardball247]

Here's a video the PSA fanboys would meltdown on. PSA's #1 status is in deep trouble

[@claythomas9467]

Thinly veiled statement: "Do it, because it will help you get a 10, which helps us get more business. But if you do it poorly and are sloppy, we will reject it." Makes everyone happy...Those against it feel they are doing something about it, those who clean cards understand they can continue to do so without ramifications, and SGC laughs on the way to the bank.

[@CollectingCardboard]

Just as with the collectibles grading industry.... _IN GENERAL_ ; cleaning, is subjective & open to opinion. There's no _RIGHT_ ,....no _WRONG_ "answer". Anyone who adamantly tries to sell you,...that their _OPINION_ (keyword: *OPINION* ) is the "correct one",....and that you're wrong if you disagree with them, is just blowin' hot air!! I personally am on the side of cleaning/wiping-down Ultra Modern cards. I don't view this as....."altering" the card. If for nothing else, by definition,....to _ALTER_ something ,...is to _CHANGE_ it. You're not *CHANGING* the card by cleaning it. Take for example, a '69 Fastback Mustang. Car is a _BEAUT_ but could use a good cleaning/polishing/waxing. So you do as much. Did you,.... *ALTER* or *CHANGE* the car....?!!? *NO* !! You simply,... _cleaned it_ !! Take that same vehicle; you drop a 5.2L V8 from a '23 Shelby in it,...upgrade the suspension & brakes, etc. Is this...." *altering* " the car...?!? Anyone in their right mind would acknowledge that it is! Perhaps, not the most practical of examples/comparisons, but I think that it conveys the point. At the end of the day, however; _EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION_ .

[@RyanRammel]

Great content

[@b-n-psportscards8374]

He didn’t give an answer

[@magemarshall3139]

What’s crazy about this Is you have a marvel card sub That you even say There was some stuff on the cards but you where able to get that off So You clean those cards

[@NEO_Cards_Comics]

I wipe them down I don’t use any product. Marvel cards are paper not chrome you can’t use the cleaner products on them even if you wanted too.

[@joelhenderson-xo1lm]

They will kick your card if theres cleaning residue on it, but if theres a fingerprint on it they will gladly accept it and give you a crap grade.

[@budgetcardbreaks]

They cant catch kurts...thanks fot psa 10 galore kurt ur my boy blue

[@El_Supaiku]

yessir!

[@nickyp3510]

Another thing so you're telling me it's acceptable to alter comics stamps but not cards again that makes no sense at all and you guys buying back bulks of cards you're a business The question is what you guys do with the cards when you get them You have everything at your hands to alter them correct literally at your disposal so come on now You know what somebody wants to wipe down their cards they want to clean it they want to press it and make their corners straight I'm off for it

[@josegarrido8650]

That against, the free market system we live in, why do you have the power to be the gate keep of my property.

[@tgwhisp200]

The entire grading thing is a scam. I find it hard to believe that people out there can watch a video like this, listen to the dude at the very top of the company talking about buying baseball cards from Target, for his personal collection, and then talking about what grade those cards would come back... Then making a joke about how he clearly would never great his own cards to resell... If you guys can't see the conflict-of-interest here I don't know what to tell anybody. When the dude that runs the company is also a collector himself you can bet with 100% certainty he's grading his own cards and giving them tens to put out on the market. It's a completely Shady practice and there's really nothing to stop it.

[@wickerman4609]

I see your point, hes grading his own cards but I think that most of the industry isn't but PSA I'm not sure how they are the top I mean you see 10s that you can tell are off centered.

[@wickerman4609]

People who put stuff on there cards who knows in 20 years what that card will look like. It might last so long then it becomes visible again so buyer beware

[@andrewmarks4640]

Putting wax on a card is altering (it can flatten out dimples or fill in scratches).....you don't put wax on collectable coins or else it doesn't get graded. Unfortunately PSA business model is built on submitters putting wax on the card to get the 10

[@nickyp3510]

You mean to tell me if I take off my fingerprints from my card it would be considering altering my card wow come on you guys give it up That's a a scam. Would you wipe down a coin before you submitted it I'm sure you would right okay

[@code_name_ninja]

No that's not what they were saying. They are saying if you add wax/polish then it's altering. Wax can smooth out dimples and fill scratches

[@code_name_ninja]

Just wiping a card means nothing

[@DrSleep-ep6cw]

cleaning cards is cheating, just like marking, cutting.

[@ShinobiXXXBDO]

thats like saying a car company cant clean a car before selling it to you, and be like sorry that dirt came from the factory, so deal with it... Silly ... so your the type that would get a 5k card with a fingerprint on it and say well ... ok guess i gotta send it in with a fingerprint cuz if i wipe it off thats cheating

[@EbbTide33]

@@ShinobiXXXBDOo

[@natethegreat3602]

It's fine because it's a fucking piece of card board it's not a jewel it's not a game worn helmet or jersey or ball. Yeah maybe trimming is a no no and very hard to actually do but touching up cleaning pressing to get bends out is good.

[@brianogrodnick1382]

No not good altering Is the problem it mu have problems in the future

[@joelebstein]

@danthecardman