As above really.

I have received a few cards recently that have a bit of a curve to them and can't make my mind up if this characteristic warrants replacing them wondered what other collectors thought?

The curve is gentle and there is no creasing to the card. There are no other defects.

I have looked on grading websites and there is no mention of curvature of cards as a defective quality, but rather, surface, edges, corner, borders etc. so wondered if this really is a non-issue and is something I have just noticed after years of collecting.

Question:
Is a curved card a "damaged" card?

Choices:
Yes
No

 

With no other choices besides Yes Or No, I had to vote for Yes, although I don't like to use the term damaged. A "bowed" card is not likely to ever grade a 10 unless every card of its type were also curved in the same manner. So if it were in a grading situation, and absent that all these same cards have a curve, I think that there would be a deduction of some small decimal to account for it. Damaged might be too strong a word, but not perfect for sure.

You don't say what cards you picked up. I'm thinking that they are of an older issue because I have not seen bowed cards in quite awhile. It used to be a rather common problem with Topps cards that were stored in those 1000 and up count boxes. The cardboard reacting to humidity and the lack of strong support seemed to make them turn in slightly.

If the card was otherwise in mint condition and I really wanted it, a little curve probably would not bother me.

Curved cards can generally be safely flattened over time by putting them in a rigid holder (with weight on top of them or packing them tightly together, if necessary), so I would say it's not damage unless the curvature has caused notable bends and the accompanying color breaks to the card itself.

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Curved cards can generally be safely flattened over time by putting them in a rigid holder (with weight on top of them or packing them tightly together, if necessary), so I would say it's not damage unless the curvature has caused notable bends and the accompanying color breaks to the card itself.

See I haven't really found that to work on cards that are actually bowed. They flattened out with the weight it's true, but once you take them out they assume the curve again.

Also if you try to force them to be flat you can induce those tiny cracks in the card surface. Then you have real damage.

The cards are modern autos.

My OCD says "replace". Common sense says there is no such thing as mint and in a toploader you'd never know anyway. The problem is I like the signatures.

Modern autograph cards, that is strange. I wonder if the whole run came out like that?

Well this is just me, but I hold autograph cards to a slightly different standard. The signature is the most important thing on the card to me. If the signature looks clean and legible and is situated well in the designated space it would go a long way to making me forget about a curve.

But if these are common cards and you can find replacements that look just as good, then it couldn't hurt to get a back up. The problem is, until the new cards are in your hand, how can you be sure you are not buying the same thing when you can't see it in photos. I guess the issue is what made these cards curve in the first place? If it's the manufacturing process they will all be like that, but I can't recall encountering this in any recent product.

Cards with all-chrome surfaces, such at Lord of the Rings Chrome Trilogy and the recent Star Wars Perspectives tend be warped right in the pack. Since the autograph cards in those are on actual chrome finished cards, those ones tend to be bowed as well. I don't think too many people hold anything against those.

The recent Wacky Packages Chrome set is another "warped" set. I have those in a binder though, in card pages, so they'll flatten out nicely over time. Album binders can work well for that, too.

I didn't get the Star Wars cards, but I have the LOTR Trilogy Chromium because the autographs in there were cheaper than in any other LOTR issue. Those cards are indeed severely bowed, but they are all like that. Anything that makes cards shiny seems to have unintended drawbacks.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Modern autograph cards, that is strange. I wonder if the whole run came out like that?

Well this is just me, but I hold autograph cards to a slightly different standard. The signature is the most important thing on the card to me. If the signature looks clean and legible and is situated well in the designated space it would go a long way to making me forget about a curve.

But if these are common cards and you can find replacements that look just as good, then it couldn't hurt to get a back up. The problem is, until the new cards are in your hand, how can you be sure you are not buying the same thing when you can't see it in photos. I guess the issue is what made these cards curve in the first place? If it's the manufacturing process they will all be like that, but I can't recall encountering this in any recent product.

Both from the new Bond set.

One is Mary Stavin (very slightly curved) and the other Roger Moore (a bit more curved).

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Cards with all-chrome surfaces, such at Lord of the Rings Chrome Trilogy and the recent Star Wars Perspectives tend be warped right in the pack. Since the autograph cards in those are on actual chrome finished cards, those ones tend to be bowed as well. I don't think too many people hold anything against those.

The recent Wacky Packages Chrome set is another "warped" set. I have those in a binder though, in card pages, so they'll flatten out nicely over time. Album binders can work well for that, too.

My Goldfinger throwback cards all warped in the space of a couple of months, similarly due to the cardstock. Truly authentic vintage style!

quote:

Originally posted by X:

Both from the new Bond set.

One is Mary Stavin (very slightly curved) and the other Roger Moore (a bit more curved).

I opened only one box and got the Chitwood and Arthur autographs. Whoopie! Just checked now and they seem fine to me.

But if it really bothers you I might be persuaded to take that Moore off your hands at a healthy discount.

If ever there was a set that bowed like crazy it was the Batman & Superman Holo sets. I've had these sets tightly packed in a 9 pocket and hard up on a shelf and been that way for years. In light of this thread I have just checked and they are still seriously bowed.
But then we are talking about an entire set that is bowed and not an individual card or two. I just write the problem off by saying "Hey, it's a manufacturing idiosyncrasy not a fault"

I voted NO

No.

I also have OCD when comes to condition of my cards and I do not see curved cards as a problem. In SOME cases they can flattened back into shape depending on the type and thickness of the card although a little patience may be involved.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JR2D2,

I pulled an Upper Deck Christina Aguilera autograph that was curved like this. It was pretty bad but not bad enough to leave a crease. Just badly warped. I sent it in to PSA to be graded just hoping for a 6 or 7 to make it respectable, and here it came back a NM/MT 8. And the corners all had minor touches of white so that's most likely the reason they gave it an 8. It appears they didn't punish it at all for the curving. There's no doubt it bothered me just knowing it wasn't flat. You could tell even in the slab. So with my card collecting OCD I definitely considered it "flawed". Just saying PSA are supposed to be the professional condition evaluators and they did not care much.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Logan,

There are lots of really high end sports cards that are warped like crazy in the pack, so if PSA marked those down for that to begin with, I don't think people would even bother sending them in, so that may have something to do with their overlooking that condition.
In the case of these kinds of cards, I guess the idea is that if all of them are "flawed" in that way, then none of them are. To PSA at least, warping is not the same as a crease.

If it's the new Bond set, maybe contact RA and ask about it? They might shed some light on if yours were an anomaly or not?

There were a few foil insert sets from the Harry Potter sets that bowed/curved really badly. Along with the other examples that have been brought to light above. But I've never come across any autos like that.

quote:

Originally posted by Logan:
I pulled an Upper Deck Christina Aguilera autograph that was curved like this. It was pretty bad but not bad enough to leave a crease. Just badly warped. I sent it in to PSA to be graded just hoping for a 6 or 7 to make it respectable, and here it came back a NM/MT 8. And the corners all had minor touches of white so that's most likely the reason they gave it an 8. It appears they didn't punish it at all for the curving. There's no doubt it bothered me just knowing it wasn't flat. You could tell even in the slab. So with my card collecting OCD I definitely considered it "flawed". Just saying PSA are supposed to be the professional condition evaluators and they did not care much.

I have issued with graders, so I don't know how they view a curved card in their evaluation. If the whole product bows, then they should not be deducting points. But if the card presented is curved and others are not I don't see how you ignor it. They might not have a specific catagory, but it might be rolled into corners or surface.

As for the 8 on that card coming straight from a pack, it is unfortunate. You would be better served to bust it out. I know you were expecting lower, but really it will be hard to move a recent card with an 8. Anything below a 9 is not wanted by most collectors and will not get the premium to make up for the grader's fee.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by Logan:
I pulled an Upper Deck Christina Aguilera autograph that was curved like this. It was pretty bad but not bad enough to leave a crease. Just badly warped. I sent it in to PSA to be graded just hoping for a 6 or 7 to make it respectable, and here it came back a NM/MT 8. And the corners all had minor touches of white so that's most likely the reason they gave it an 8. It appears they didn't punish it at all for the curving. There's no doubt it bothered me just knowing it wasn't flat. You could tell even in the slab. So with my card collecting OCD I definitely considered it "flawed". Just saying PSA are supposed to be the professional condition evaluators and they did not care much.

I have issued with graders, so I don't know how they view a curved card in their evaluation. If the whole product bows, then they should not be deducting points. But if the card presented is curved and others are not I don't see how you ignor it. They might not have a specific catagory, but it might be rolled into corners or surface.

As for the 8 on that card coming straight from a pack, it is unfortunate. You would be better served to bust it out. I know you were expecting lower, but really it will be hard to move a recent card with an 8. Anything below a 9 is not wanted by most collectors and will not get the premium to make up for the grader's fee.

I pulled 6 Christina Aguilera autographs and that was the only one that was like that. I bought an enormous lot of loose packs and some of them were a bit bent and warped just from being knocked around and thrown in the gigantic shipping boxes. But as far as the one the was warped I sold it on eBay right after I got it back from PSA.

You talking about the WOB Halle Berry autograph card, by any chance, X? Mine came through yesterday and was bowed slightly...I don't see it as damaged though.

quote:

Originally posted by RP01:
You talking about the WOB Halle Berry autograph card, by any chance, X? Mine came through yesterday and was bowed slightly...I don't see it as damaged though.

No, it was the Moore full-bleed and Stavin WOB although the latter to a much lesser degree.

My Berry was flat for what its worth.