Posted By:
Gilbert PorterThis exchange has gone on with the usual pungent exchanges on the joys and sorrows of grading. I for one am grateful that there are grading companies, perfect though they may not be. As much as I understand grading standards, characteristics of genuine and "non-genuine" cards, and the history of different card issues, my eyes are simply not as good as others in picking out the problems. I am grateful for experts at the grading companies for their help and advice. I value the knowledge and discrimination of Mike Baker and others, who can see things in mere moments that I will not notice for days or weeks.
The question was raised in this posting whether there is a good online source explaining grading criteria, with sample images. There is one at:
http://www.seanet.com/~brucemo/card_articles/grading.htm
I do not know the author, and I may not agree with every one of his/her statements. But this is an excellent primer on grading standards - well-written, well-reasoned and with useful images.
That said, understanding the standards and being able to apply them in the real world are two separate challenges. As much as I have learned about cards, and as much as I still have my differences with grading companies, I have found their input invaluable in my collecting efforts. I continue to rely on SGC and GAI extensively for my collection - not to displace my personal evaluation of my purchases but to supplement my limited skills and failing eyesight.