Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth
I think they had more realistic standards back then. More in line with old school grading. Not grading based on the prevalence of amped up doctored cards where a microspeck on a corner gets you a 7.
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The "microspecking" of self-submitted cards is the primary reason I sold off two complete registry sets this past Spring and retired two others that were about 25 percent complete. I honestly thought those would be with me for life.
I stopped buying graded cards altogether in May, when all of this started coming to the surface. Since then, I've spent close to $1K, all on ungraded cards and most being under $25 apiece. I don't need a professional grader to help me navigate those safer waters.
Am I having more "fun" now? No, but it's about the same "fun" as before, except that the difference is nearly all of the frustration and anxiety associated with expensive graded cards has gone away. If a VG raw card worth $3 turns out to be trimmed, so what. I can just buy another one at that price.
Bottom line: collectors either quit or adapt. I've chosen to adapt. I can't imagine myself buying a graded card again until there is a meaningful change in management starting at the top. An apology would help as well. I will allow my membership to expire in the meantime.