[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Runscott

To me, the entire thing is incredibly ironic.

The following, of course, is all theory

• An amazing card is 'found' by a businessman ($$$-driven) who loves cards
• The card is oversized, so he has it made 'normal' size, realizing it will look even better and be worth even more $,$$$,$$$,$$$
• But he also realizes that altering cards is still sort of frowned upon in the hobby. So a plan is formed, and here is where the irony is born:
• A grading company is created for the express purpose of grading this one amazing card, therefore authenticating that it is unaltered. You are wearing blinders if you think anyone involved didn't understand 'the plan'. But maybe everyone was just incredibly naive?
• Hobbyists knew nothing about grading companies or slabbed cards, because this was the only one of either in existence (But I'm sure they could relate it to stamps or coins)
• Now, the irony: This card in its new-fangled plastic slab, created the importance that we, as collectors, have put on card-grading and plastic slabs.
• ...so, if the Feds had gotten involved as soon as this card was slabbed and sold, everyone would have laughed. The perpetrators created a future hanging for themselves that could only occur if they were hugely successful.

Mastro sold the Wagner to Jim Copeland in 1987. PSA was formed in 1991. And Alan Hager was slabbing cards before PSA did, through ASA.