MBA Grading Heat Map
 

Heat Maps - it's an interesting way of highlighting areas of concern on the cards they grade. It is certainly helpful and MBA graded cards (the few I have tracked) have done surprisingly well compared other graded cards.

Any thoughts on MBA graded cards and the use of the "heat map"?

From Mike Baker's mbadiamond.com website - here is info about their "heat map":

"The MBA Heat Map, a service provided for every trading card submission, employs an extensive 20-point grid to show the location of condition flaws. The MBA Heat Map provides collectors with the education and detail they need to manage their portfolio and make smarter collecting decisions."

Interesting concept.

Certainly helps to identify where they found issues. At the same time, it doesn't really seem to shed a lot of light on the reasons for the grade.

And unless there are flaws that are just from the image, it looks like they could have highlighted a few other areas as well.

Agree. It would be nice if they added some other information as well

Yeah, seems strange they would go through all the trouble of a heat map, but then not give any details for “altered” cards…like just spell out the alteration. It’s so dumb we have to guess or just be in the dark from most of the TPGs.

If that's the heat map and the card looks like that, how is that a damn 4.5?? It's so clean it looks like a reprint! haha