The Art of Collecting Strat-O-Matic Baseball

So let me start with what collectors do NOT like
1) Incomplete sets, missing teams, missing cards, no XP
2) Mislabeled or honest misrepresentations of years. This usually involves saying 1969 team for example, because that is what the roster sheet said, but they were actually 1968 teams. Other minor but problematic descriptions are "original" when they are in fact reprints, recreated, past season versions, etc.
3) Ink, Ink. Ink. A major problem as it can not be corrected. This may include inadvertent nicking the cards while playing, but more often they are deliberate, such as team name changes for traded players, added ratings or stars, etc. Sometimes even changing the name for a newer player. Results changes can be included here as well.
4) Pencil marking - somewhat better than ink as many can be partially or fully erased.
5) Tears or rips in the cards - another major problem as this can not be corrected
6) Soiling - from heavy use, quite often the best players in a set for obvious reasons
7) Shading or other staining, including the top cards in a pile being exposed to the sun and other elements
8) Rubber band stains - everyone hates these. Typically a set sitting around for years and years and the rubber bands dry crack and stick to the outside cards in a pile.
9) Blood, food, coffee, soft drinks or other stains. More common than you think.
10) miscut cards, just like miscut (miscentered) baseball cards - the worse the miscut the more collectors dislike them
11) odd sized cards and teams - not that common but original 1964 would often include several over-sized teams usually AL
12) poor service - slow as mollasses ground shipping like the old parcel post, more currently media mail, no tracking, poorly packed, not addressed properly, improper postage etc - UGGH. Also cards not sent organized into teams but just a huge glop of cards.
13) misgrading - all too common - saying excellent when they would barely pass for average to good etc. Or not identifying a few cards with rubber band stains, ink or other blemishes.
14) no roster sheet or other paper items (super advanced charts etc). Having original roster sheets is an absolute must to ensure completeness of a set (or team).
15) mismatched sets - slightly different colors or other mismatches that obviously came for 2 or more source sets
16) and I have felt the sting of this one once or twice - deals gone bad and the other party gets vindictive and anonymously attacks you on forums misrepresenting the entire episode and worse yet, others believing them or perpetuating the falsehood