Hey! Just thought I’d share this here!
I created a thread about half a year + ago asking about the best way to clean a base set holo. The reason for this was because I found a shadowless PSA 9 Charizard I wanted to buy. This specific Charizard was extremely clean on all accounts. I’m talking 10 centering, a flawless back with no whiting, and a clean surface… With Two MASSIVE fingerprints on it… Hence my interest in how easy a holo can clean. All things considered, I passed on the purchase. Fast forward to about a week ago, and the card presents itself to me a second time, in the hands of another seller, at a far better price. So I bought it. It arrived to me yesterday and it’s exactly as I thought it would be, a PSA 10 quality card, with fingerprints on the holo. So I decided to drive to a cardshop about a half hour away, to purchase a couple played base set holos, to practice on. I told the owner of the shop I needed a couple cheap holos, and I explained to him the reason. His response was. “No need to buy, I’ll just show you how to do it right here. I’ve been doing this for almost 35 years and I’ve seen it all”. So he grabs a Jungle Vileplume holo, proceeds to put a nice big nasty fingerprint on it, and then runs into the back of the store. He returns with a bottle of Windex, and a micro fibre cloth for his eye glasses. A couple squirts of the windex in his cloth, and a few good rubs, and the holo looked good as new. I was obviously very thankful and excited to get home and try.
So last night I cracked this baby. Set it down on a nice soft cloth, gave my eye glasses cloth a spritz of good old Original Windex and gave my card a little rub down (the whole thing). Wouldn’t you know it, the card was vivid and bright like the day it was pulled, and the holo was 100% fingerprint free. I wish I took some before and after photos capturing the fingerprint, and then after now without it, but I was too eager to free this thing and start the process… I just wanted to share my experience with you all!!! I’m not saying crack your most valueable 9’s just by my word or anything, but if you’ve got some raw cards, or if you just wanna give a try on a cheap base holo. It works amazing!!! I’ll be sending this thing off to BGS .
Ps. Yes Gary, I’ll send in the old tag back to PSA
Also, if you want to see the card it’s on my Instagram . @britishcolumbiacards
Also highlights the value of a fingerprint on the holo of a high value card. I’m unsure where the conversation became about the perceived value of a grade and not about cleaning an ugly fingerprint off a card? The one fellow was simply pointing out the difference in price between 9’s and 10’s. Which isn’t just perceived, it’s also tangible. And Pokeboob commented that I turn 9’s into 9.5’s which I feel paints a picture though not entirely untrue, or something other than what it actually is. I’ve had a couple 9’s become 9.5’s. But a very small percentage… not only that but I’m not sending every 9 I get my hands on. I’m sending high end 9’s, and even then the percentage is low. I currently have 3 Shadowless 9.5’s and have purchased all 3 as 9.5’s. The latest being the high sub one that sold on PWCC. My sole reason for cracking this 9 was not to cross the card, but instead to clean it, and then submit it to the grading company I personally prefer. If it receives a 9. I’m happy to
This was a long winded response to your short comment . But I hope it sort of addresses the overall “theme” of this thread.
. Just to touch on your last point. It’s hifhly unlikely that anybody is going to turn a PSA 9 card into a high sub BGS card. There’s always a reason that a card receives 9. BGS isn’t going to miss that. I also send cards I feel are shoe ins as PSA 10’s to BGS. Because I prefer the grading company. If you see a BGS card with higher than quad 9.5 subs. You can pretty much assume that it went to BGS first. I’ll also say, when purchasing cards I look at available PSA 10 copies. I don’t feel a lot of them would qualify as strong BGS 9.5’s. If 9.5’s a all. I do respect both grading companies though.
.
. But I hope it sort of addresses the overall “theme” of this thread.