[MattyC]

So if I understand the conspiracy theory that was advanced above correctly, Rick's in cahoots with a guy buying and bumping cards to make what score again?

He'd have to be whacking up these alleged proceeds with...

1. This buyer/bumper...

And...

2. The hypothetical "inside man" at the TPG.

Is this nefarious Parallax View conspiracy theory enterprise so profitable that it is worth it to Rick, when he clearly has a lucrative business running? Is there enough profit in this alleged three-man at minimum operation to go around?

I for one ain't buying this as a consignor issue.

My opinion is worth precisely what any other is of course, but to me this is about wildly inconsistent grading, plain and simple. Everything else is noise and seeing bogeymen. Too many collectors out there treat those red flips like they are the star of the show. The star is the card. If a card has stains and problems and it's a true 7, I don't care what some "professional" grader says it is, be it a 9 or a 5.

The secondary problem, after the grader bumping those cards, is on whoever wants to pay top dollar for a stained 8.5.

If I was to buy a more nefarious scenario, I find the only plausible one to be a two-man affair with a buyer and an inside man at a TPG. Neither of those has, hypothetically, another very high-paying gig. More plausible could be a grader as "boss" who spots the cards and his buyer/subber is merely getting a tiny cut. But a big consignor as part of it just doesn't hold water to me. Not enough profit to risk a good business.