Sources, credits & corrections

Editorial method

Each manufacturer record is written from public reference material and the PreGradeCards catalog, then reviewed against its own source list. The record carries a confidence level, an explicit list of unverified claims and a “last verified” date. We do not treat another collector's summary as a source when a primary company history, a manufacturer catalog or a graded-card reference exists.

A build validator enforces the data contract: required fields, valid enums, source references that resolve, local image files that exist, captions, dimensions and tier-specific minimums for words, sources, timeline events, charts and media. A published profile must pass the gate; a draft may be incomplete but is excluded from the public sitemap and facts feed.

Image provenance

Images are stored locally and are never hotlinked. Every media record carries a source name, an original page where one exists, a capture date, a caption and a local derivative path. Where an image is a photograph of a card in a holder, the caption says so. Where a manufacturer logo is a trademark, it is used to identify the company in an editorial reference and remains the property of its owner.

We do not generate a fake card image, an SVG stand-in or a stock photo to fill a gap. A missing image is shown as an explicit archive gap and the entry does not pass the media gate until a real, cleared file is added.

Translation policy

Non-English sources are cited in their original language and tagged as translated when the profile relies on a machine translation. The glossary used for manufacturer terminology lives in data/manufacturers/glossary.json. A translated passage is reviewed before it is quoted as fact; if the translation is uncertain, the claim is marked unverified rather than smoothed over.

Corrections

Corrections are reviewed against the cited sources. Send the claim, the manufacturer, the field that is wrong and the source you are relying on. If the correction changes a fact, the entry's “last verified” date is updated. If the correction is contested, the profile says so and keeps both citations instead of choosing a side without evidence.

Image takedowns follow the same path: identify the image, the profile and the rights you hold, and we will remove or replace it while the claim is reviewed.