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I have to assume this is a well populated board with no junk that would go with high grade telecom.
I would also still assume if the same well populated board manufactured without the gold fingers it still would be high grade telecom??
So is it an ethical practice not to remove the gold fingers or is it an acceptable non talked about common practice to remove the gold fingers?
Also here to learn

Yes,
Yes,
and yes...In examples as such.

If the board cannot get upgraded or is already of low class with gold fingers or ICs, it is safe to remove for better profit.
... or as this situation, the board makes High Tel already with and without. It would be safe, if you are collecting gold fingers for a turn in, to remove them and save.
This is not always the case though. Mostly we tell everyone to not remove anything from boards besides Low and Mid grade class.
Be careful at what you're doing, make it clean, and then look back and calculate was it worth it. It takes a lot to get even a couple lbs of gold fingers.
Check that socketed chip in there too. Make sure its not something gold capped or gold pinned. I always just socketed chips. Be careful removing, those plastic sockets are always fragile.