Posted By:
Kevin CummingsI think David has hit upon the solution - we are getting all contorted trying to force two things into one. Why not give each card two grades - picture quality and card condition? That concept is no different than assiging grades to individual components - corners, surface, etc. There's just no need to try to come up with a single overall grade.
So, a card that is perfect physically, but has a faded picture might get grades of picture quality = 40/condition = 100. Conversely, an Old Judge with a perfect picture, but rounded corners and writing on the back might get grades of picture quality = 100/condition = 40. I'm not sure what you all might think about the picture quality grade for a card with a perfect picture, but a crease that cuts right through the middle of it. My inclination is that that would make the picture quality less than perfect.
Of course, people will still disagree with the numbers (or maybe letters) assigned by the grader as being too subjective, but then if you buy into the practice of "professional" grading at all, you'll always have differences of opinion.