[ValKehl]

IMHO, here is a good example of where an "A" graded card is much nicer than the same card with a numerical grade. A few years ago, I had both of these vary scarce 1953-54 Briggs Meats Mickey Mantle cards - neither one was graded. I traded the worse condition one that has surface paper loss affecting part of Mantle's printed name - this card was subsequently graded a 10/1 by SGC (I believe it was submitted to SGC by the first auction house that sold it back in 2011). I still have the nicer card, which I submitted to SGC at the 2012 National and received an "A" grade. This is why I'm not a big fan of card grading - and, I wish TPGs offered an alternative service to just tell me if my card is authentic or not and whether or not it has been altered.
Val