I used to be among the crowd who wanted just an authentic-unaltered notation-- in fact I probably posted to that effect 10 years or so ago. Upon reflection though I prefer having a technical grade assigned, for it helps alert me to flaws that are difficult to see, especially in a scan when scanners have such variable settings.
I hate wrinkles or creases, certainly more than most other defects, and am no fan of even minor paper loss or stray pen marks. Oftentimes these are very difficult to spot in scans. I would be unhappy to buy an otherwise real nice looking card graded simply "Authentic-Unaltered" only to find these defects when I had the card in hand. I probably wouldn't want the card at all and certainly would not have paid anywhere near as much. I suppose I could inundate the seller beforehand with all sorts of questions as a preventative measure and return it if unsatisfied, but these are major hassles to me. Instead, give the card its proper grade and let me decide when I buy the card not the holder, with a lower grade number serving to tip me off to look more closely.
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If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other. - Ulysses S. Grant, military commander, 18th US President.
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