Help with a Mantle

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Agreed. It was well written. Doesn't change my feelings at all but it was a good read.

Assess everything, not just a picture on a computer screen...and trust your gut more than anyone else's.

And of course...Use your eyes to view the autograph. That helps immensely.

Thanks for the compliment, but honestly, I did not write it to change your mind. I wrote it for all those members who might be new or inexperienced with autos and are reading it. I want them to know that your assessment that people's opinions on autos are arbitrary and dubious is, in fact, incorrect.
We agree that using common sense like Steve suggested is worthwhile. You also seem to think that the "gut feeling" is more important than the study of letter formations, the study of the evolution of a specific player's autographs, and player habits. It is not. It is all important to consider when evaluating an auto. You focusing on the gut feeling alone shows your inexperience.
IMO, ignoring the opinion of someone who has more experience and knowledge than you is stupid. It's exactly what you would call someone who has cancer, goes to an oncologist, and then decides they are going to choose different chemo meds because they feel it's better in their "gut," rather than using the opinion of the person who actually knows what they are talking about. It may seem different, but it is not. Refusing to accept knowledge from others who have it is stupid regardless of the circumstances.

You are certainly allowed to have your opinion, but it doesn't make it right. Plenty of people thought the world was flat. Perhaps sticking to offering opinions on football pennants might be better for you as it is what you collect and admittedly autos are not. Your continuing this conversation trying to prove your point, especially reusing the comment about using your eyes to view the auto over and over, reminds me of a famous quote often credited to Abe Lincoln... "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."