PWCC's mission is to empower clients with the finest suite of tools and services that uphold trading cards as the world's premier investment-caliber tangible asset.
PWCC is committed to maintaining an honest and safe marketplace and providing a frictionless buying and selling platform for our clients. The following summarizes the procedures we've followed since PWCC's inception.
PWCC uses custom software to allow for automatic and instantaneous vetting of the following bidders in each PWCC Auction.
Conservation. PWCC believes conservation of trading cards, as defined below, to be healthy, sustainable, and supportive of the marketplace and the investors and collectors who participate. Assets that have been conserved can be sold on the PWCC Marketplace.
Conservation is defined by PWCC as an act which returns an asset closer to its as-manufactured condition but does not otherwise enhance or artificially distance the asset beyond the as-manufactured status. Conservation leaves no identifiable impact to the asset, and generally leaves no evidence of the conservation having occurred. An act which removes a foreign substance from an asset and does so in a way which doesn't otherwise alter the condition of the as-manufactured product is usually considered acceptable. Dirt, glue, writing, wax and other foreign substances can be removed from an asset and the result is considered acceptable conservation, so long as the professional Third-Party Authenticators agree the asset is void of unnatural aspects induced as a result of the conservation. Lying flat a warped or bent region of a trading card so long as it doesn't disrupt the card's natural properties is generally considered acceptable conservation, whereas pressing a card and thereby changing its as-manufactured properties (i.e. thickness of the card stock) is generally not acceptable and may render the card altered. For example, laying flat a nonplanar corner, crease, or edge, so long as the card stock is not pressed to a state of artificial thickness (i.e. in a screw down holder), is typically acceptable so long as no other unnatural change to the as-manufactured card stock is discernable.
When PWCC has proof that an asset was conserved as we prepare the listing (either through direct knowledge from the submitter, validated physical evidence in the presence of the card, or otherwise) PWCC will include in the listing a description of the conservation acts as they were described to us, or as they appear.
Alteration. PWCC believes alteration of trading cards, as defined below, is damaging to the marketplace. Altered assets cannot be sold on the PWCC Marketplaces unless this detail is disclosed during the sale.
Alteration of trading cards, as defined by PWCC, is the presence of physical evidence of a change to the as-manufactured qualities of the asset, outside of the normal wear and deterioration inherent to circulation. Any purposeful material addition or material removal to or from the as-manufactured asset, outside of normal wear or environmental degradation, is generally considered alteration. Furthermore, trimming, recoloring, autograph retracing, rebuilding of corners or other surfaces, swapping of patches, cleaning which leaves a detectable impact on the asset, or any other action which distances a card from its as-manufactured attributes is generally considered alteration. Altered cards which are stated as such in a transparent nature are permitted for sale on the PWCC Marketplaces.
Alteration is only officially determined by the presence of physical evidence in support of that designation. Speculation is not considered evidence. Evidence of alteration can only be determined in technical review by a reputable Third-Party Authenticator. Important to note that the presence of digital content (i.e. before and after photos alluding to trimming, recoloring, etc) may assist the professional graders in reviewing their work more accurately and as such is a powerful tool, but this alone is not evidence. Physical evidence is only ever determined in the hands of a Third-Party Authenticator.
All purchases of assets with approved Third-Party Graders are sold in accordance with the standards of the Third-Party Graders who rendered the original assessment at the time of sale. Professional grading is an arbitrary opinion of technical condition only, and PWCC stands behind the respective opinions of the approved Third Party Graders.
Should a previously sold asset with a Third-Party Grade later be determined inaccurately assessed by the respective Third-Party Grader, that sale becomes null and void and the buyer is entitled to a refund of the original purchase price, if desired. Assets must be submitted to the Third-Party Grader in its untampered, original slab for review. Confirmation of the original grade inaccuracy must be presented to PWCC for the Marketplace Guarantee to apply. Any avoidance of this procedure or manipulation of the asset, grading slab, or grade review process voids applicability of the PWCC Marketplace Guarantee.
Any applicable warranties and guarantees provided by the Third Party Grader must apply prior to applicability of the PWCC Marketplace Guarantee. Any financial recourse with the Third-Party Grader must precede implementation of the PWCC Marketplace Guarantee. Outside of ensuring the steadfastness of the Third Party Grade, PWCC is not responsible for Third-Party Grader errors, loss, damage, or other aspects of their supplied service(s).
Any asset being sold which has credible reason to have authenticity or technical grade reviewed will be removed from public sale until the Third Party Grader can review their original assessment. PWCC will not sell any asset which we believe could be inauthentic or graded inaccurately with regards to the respective Third Party Grader standards.