Posted By:
JimCrandellFirstly thank you all for the outpouring of support. I think almost everyone supports this in concept and as long as the boards are not crowded with the other posts I think almost all will be happy. I have gotten a lot of e-mails regarding ideas and I wish you would all post them here so they can be talked about. I would also refer you to Bruce Dorskind's post a week or so ago where he proposed a number of things. Lastly before listing my ideas of steps I would ask you all to remember that many dealers are taking light creases out of cards(some think this is fine) and that the microtrimming/reshaping of cards has been described as an epidemic--hopefully the top grading companies can stay on top of this.
Anyway, these are my ideas:
1)Establishing what is permissable and what is not permissable to do with cards. Which alterations are acceptable and which are not.
2)Forming a Collectors Association that speaks for the Collector(or should it have representatives from dealers and graders?)
3)Coming out with a Code of Ethics for dealers
4)Disclosure items for auction houses such as do they own the items or are they consigned.
5)Establishing a Board of Directors for this collectors advisory association that can set policy with imput from collectors.
6)Get commitments from dealers , graders and auction houses on this Code of Ethics.
7)Award the so-called Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval(Jay Miller's idea) to dealers, graders, auction houses who agree to abide by the industry's Code of Ethics.
8)Dealers can advertise that they are an approved dealer of this Collectors Association or something to that effect.
Other steps such as some of the ones that Bruce suggested take time and money and the dedicated time of one or more people.
Anyway, I look forward to everyone's comments.
Jim