Card Grading/Authentication Company Files for Chapter 11

GAI - Global Authentication Services filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

I found the story on the SCD site, the GAI site didn't mention anything and was still promoting their services.

Should You Remove Stains from Trading Cards?

Gone with the Stain - Cleaning Baseball Cards

Is it unethical to get a stain removed from a trading card for resale? What if the grading companies can't detect it the chemicals that are used to remove a stain?

This is the sports card collector's dilemma if they get a card cleaned by "Gone with the Stain." Chris Nerat at the Gavel Chat blog had a great interview and article with the founder of "Gone with the Stain."

According to "Gone with the Stain," they remove gum stains, etc from cards without being detected by the major card grading companies. They say the chemicals they use remove the stain only, do not make the card brittle, and do not have any odor.

I see the point that the cards shouldn't be touched or enhanced in any way especially if you are selling it. Or is it the same as washing/waxing your card before selling it to the car dealer?

Operation Foul Ball Strikes PSA

The FBI is investigating the sports card and memorabilia hobby and PSA could be standing in the batters' box.

The NY Daily News reports that the FBI swarmed the PSA booths at this year's National to investigate card doctoring.

The article in the NY Daily News doesn't say whether the FBI was talking to PSA about their involvement in card doctoring or if they were leveraging resources. I hope they just wanted to learn more about it from one of the leading card experts. But lets be honest, police officers don't pull you over on the highway because they want to learn how you were driving so fast . . . they pull you over because you were driving fast.

This investigation could strike at the very heart and core of the PSA business. PSA was founded to protect collectors from card doctors and frauds, now the FBI could be investigating if they are part of the problem.

The FBI investigation is terrible news for the hobby. It's the equivalent of a DARE officer being accused of selling drugs inside a junior high school. I hope it's not true.

If the investigation goes forward, and charges are filed, then what? What do collector's do if they have PSA graded cards? Does this affect the PSA/DNA autograph authentication program?

The PSA site doesn't mention the investigation or the NY Daily News article that came out on Saturday. PSA needs to stay ahead of this story and issue a statement to explain what's going on to calm the nerves of collectors.

Look for other authentication companies to take advantage of this PSA bad press. I think we can expect other grading companies (like Beckett) to offer discounts to PSA card holder for getting their card re-graded through them.

I'm anxious to hear PSA's side on this and if the investigation goes deeper than card doctoring. And is PSA the only company the Feds have talked to so far?

A couple of sites/blogs that are doing a good job of coverage include:

• Gavel Chat
• Sports Collectors Digest
• Sports Card Info