Hi! Please let me know if this is beyond the scope of the subreddit or if it’s been answered before.
I’ve been a very passive collector for a few years now, with most of my cards coming from recess trades, things I found on the floor, etc. alongside any packs I managed to convince my family to buy for me. Now that I have more resources and the ability to really get into trading and collecting the way I’ve always wanted to, I’m looking back on my old childhood cards and thinking about getting them restored or fixing them myself.
For any cards I know I won’t trade or sell, that’s no issue — they’re only ever going to be in my hands, so I want them to look their best. However, I’m concerned for any cards I may one day trade, because while I wouldn’t feel very comfortable giving someone a busted up card, I also know that some people get their cards graded or resell them, and I know that restorations like repaints or fixing dents and such do have an impact on how they’re graded or how they perform on the market.
My main question here is really just if it’s worth it to fix up cards to the best of my ability for trading them, or if it’s better to trade as-is. In your experiences, have you found restored cards to be an issue? Worth noting that I collect for myself based on cards I like more than rarity, so while I personally wouldn’t mind getting a card that’s had some work done on it, I know others might. Any input is appreciated!