Quote:
Originally Posted by ullmandds
What about PWCC's reputation for pushing altered cards through grading? Is this a concern?
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Pete,
It absolutely is, but why is there so much anger and resentment apparently being directed at CSG, who haven't even done anything with PWCC yet? Just because they are agreeing to grade cards submitted through PWCC doesn't automatically mean they are in cahoots with anyone in passing altered cards as something they're not. There are various reasons I can see and think of to at least give CSG the benefit of the doubt, and not just wholly condemn them right out of the box simply by guilt from association with PWCC.
1. CSG's goal is to get their graded cards out in the marketplace, and accepted and respected by the hobby. It is not to boost their bottom line by falling in with parties known for providing altered items, and then committing fraud by knowingly concealing such alterations from the public.
2.. Their parent company, CCG, already has I believe the largest and most respected comic book and currency grading/authenticating companies in the world as part of their holdings. Why would they ever in their right minds want to then take any chance of tarnishing those existing businesses and reputations by suddenly having this latest venture of theirs knowingly become involved with known fraudsters, and actively take part in supporting or facilitating such fraud?
3. I would have to believe CSG is fully aware of the past accusations and issues directed at PWCC and some parties they have worked with, as well as the FBI investigations supposedly that have (Still are?) taken place. I would think (hope) that CSG had seen fit to do enough due diligence before entering into this new venture with PWCC so that they didn't just start this new service up, only to have the FBI come knocking on their door a few weeks later to confiscate suspected fraudulent items, and inform them they had shut PWCC down and indicted and arrested various PWCC personnel for criminal activities.
4. And because of the past accusations and continued scrutiny/ongoing investigations, I would find it extremely hard to believe that if PWCC had ever been involved with any fraudulent alteration activities in the past, that they would not now still be knowingly involved and continuing those same fraudulent activities, and to have somehow gotten CSG to be an accessory to them.
5. As I mentioned in an earlier post, CSG charging a flat fee for grading services removes a bias and potential conflict of interest. In the past, and really still today, a TPG that charges a grading fee based on the value of a card would have a possible incentive to overlook alterations and give cards high numeric grades, thus increasing the card's value, and as a result how much they get paid for grading it. If CSG charges a simple flat rate for all cards, that removes an incentive for them to willingly/knowingly give any altered card a higher numeric grade, and thus a higher than deserved value.
The main thing to watch for is that once this new program is up and running, how good are CSG and their graders at detecting and reporting doctored and altered cards? We already know through the BODA efforts that tons of altered and doctored cards have gotten past graders and into numerically graded slabs of all the major past and present TPGs. Maybe with the exception of CSG, I honestly don't know. Have the BODA guys detected and reported any doctored/altered cards in CSG slabs yet? Regardless, I think that with the apparent tools and abilities of these card doctors today, it is inevitable that some altered cards will continue to get into numerically graded slabs of all the TPGs, including CSG. The test for CSG will be if after partnering up with PWCC there starts to be an inordinate number of altered cards being discovered in CSG slabs sold through PWCC's marketplace. I hope not, for various reasons given above, and for CSG's sake.