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06-19-2019 To be clear, 1000s upons 1000s of trimmed cards have been graded and encapsulated by PSA. Allegedly. I'm going to include a lot of links so you can read most everything that's taking place within the hobby (it's a large story constantly being added onto), and then I'll give my take afterwards. If my first statement seems far-fetched or unbelievable, check the pictures from this thread: 
To be clear, Brian Deer is a longtime hobby veteran. How much has this scandal blown up in recent months? So much that this thread is entitled "Directory of Trimmed/Altered Threads." Directory!!! So how did this all originate? As far as I can tell, someone on Blowout Forums did some slueth work and reported on a '52 Mantle that PWCC was auctioning on eBay. It was trimmed (allegedly) and had a corner restored, yet had made its way into PSA 4.5 holder. This thread ballooned into a treasure trove of people searching for card images (using sales record images on VCP) of cards that had been bumped from lower grades to higher grades, mostly by PSA, but having been severely altered or trimmed along the way. Most were sold by PWCC. Research of masked eBay IDs showed that Gary Moser purchased a good percentage of these cards. There are 100 pages and over 3100 posts on this thread, as more trimmed and altered cards are being discovered every day through incredible work. For example: 
People are really really going all out to match paper fibers and print dots and any uniquely identifying spots possible to compare cards. And of course, they're also pointing out the obvious alterations that have happened to these cards. While I've pointed out the Jackie Robinson above that saw a 4-figure increase in price, there have been altered cards found that have values around $50. This tells you how widespread the scandal reaches. As this situtation is unfolding, both PSA and Brent Huigens of PWCC have issued bland-ass statements. If you're more into watching videos, this does a good job of explaining the basics, including VCP and how an actual person can be traced back to a "masked" eBay ID: Rigged System: The PWCC & PSA Fraud Scandal My Thoughts First, a very ungracious "I told you so." I warned customers about trimmers in back-to-back newsletters in 2015!! September and October. I also mentioned a couple cards I sold that I thought would likely end up in the hands of someone who would alter them in December 2015. Now that I have those off my chest, I'll say what I don't know going forward. Will anyone be punished, and for what? First, I know it's difficult for the FBI to look into these cases. I listened to an agent speak at the last Chicago National and he said he was the lone agent assigned to any card/memorabilia cases. They're understaffed for issues related to the hobby. And what would these lowlifes be charged with? I gather the card doctors and possibly PWCC could be subject to charges of mail fraud. PSA...it depends on their terms and conditions. Other than law enforcement, how will the hobby react to this news? I have trouble predicting this, but what I know for sure is that ultimately it all comes down to money. Even if you doubt PSA, if you have a collection full of graded cards, what would you do? Undercut yourself and the value of your assets? Doubtful. Will card doctors continue to submit cards, even if through a friend/associate? Of course. Will PSA (and other companies...Beckett is thrown under the bus in the threads on occasion too) continue to holder altered cards? Of course! Will the value of ultra high end cards come down in value? I doubt it. That would fly in the face of the value pattern of basically any collectible in the history of the world. My Feelings Here's what pisses me off. I've lamented a mysterious trend in the hobby over the past couple years. I've not hid the fact that my sales have been falling, and the prices I can get for cards has been falling, all while complete sets and large lots in auctions have been rising in price. It did not compute. Now it's clear. There are many trimmers fingered in those threads from Blowout Cards. And there are many more dealers I "know" (suspect) have been trimming cards for 20 years now. Can I name them? Yes, but sure as hell not in writing. These people have crazy unfair advantages when it comes to buying. They can turn cards into 8s and 9s and 10s! And now, with proliferation of auction houses, they can disperse these cards out through a variety of outlets that likely won't be traced back to them. If you're an auction house, making big money on fees from high end cards, it's in your best interest to stay quiet and keep the gravy train rolling. Everyone makes money: grading companies (have you seen their grading fees lately?!?), auction houses, and of course the card doctors. Why would anyone disrupt the cycle? Going back to my predictions for the hobby... People have been tampering with bids and cards for a long time, and the hobby hasn't missed a beat. This will be the same. Take a peak at any of these past scandals: Fake signatures on T206 cards (Very recent) When It Was a Game using PSA stolen holders to encapsulate cards Here's their tiny slap on the wrist. The PSA 8 T206 Wagner is well-known to be trimmed These trimmers are a big story now, but the hobby will keep rolling along and someday this will be just another ugly blip of a memory. Have fun! -T You can now find me all over the web:  Like Monster Cards on Facebook
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