Another issue raised by this incident, and one that continues to baffle me, is the disparity in value between high-end grades. The difference in appearance between an 8.5 and a 9 is, in the best of worlds, miniscule, and, in reality, I suspect frequently non-existent or at least unreliable given the inherent subjectivity in the grading process. Accordingly, it strikes me that over time this disparity should be reduced as a general proposition. Whether or not there is any evidence of such a trend to date I couldn't say.
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