Posted By:
Frank WakefieldI'm almost on board with Leon's approach... I can look at most of the cards I'm interested in, and come to a solid decision as to the card's authenticity. I usually seek G - VG cards, can live with Ex and Fair... I'd rather have a card that has a bit of wear, so I'm not afraid to touch it.
I'm not a big fan of 3rd party grading, as most folks know and few care... It has always seemed to me that I know as much or more about cards as they do. Sometimes I don't agree with their grade, and they may well be right more often on that than I am. And, sometimes I don't agree with their identification or description of a card, and I know they've gotten that wrong.
I don't have a Fro Joy card. Enough shenanigans have gone on with those that I'm not comfortable discerning real from good fake, assuming a good fake passes a black light test. If I were about to acquire a Fro Joy, I'd seek out a fellow collector that I thought could tell the difference. I'd trust that more than I would some grading company's opinion.
When I buy a gem stone, I go to jewelers that I trust. I know a bit about gems, but not a significant amount. For ball cards, I think I know enough to not get burned. After all, buying a slabbed card on eBay isn't risk free, especially if the seller has pilfered the scan and isn't going to send you the card...