Posted By:
mikeThis thread is informative. And interesting. Ah yes, the old generosity in the selling grade and misery in buying grade.
There are those entrepreneurs that live on turnover and there are those that live on inventory. The dealer in question appears to be able to live on inventory; my bro used to buy the special sets and reprints; back then, I could never afford the inventory. One comfort may be my 10 year catalog is still useful (On the other hand, wasn't 1994 a market peak in raw cards?). A discomfort arises if I suspect the seller is no longer selling that card but another card from the bottom inventory. It's probably the same card!
To comment on one of the above posts, grading interpretation has always been between the buyer and the seller. That was a problem; even after SCD published standards, they were not followed by the advertisers. Sellers still sold cards around book for cards but delivered overgraded, thus overpriced, things. That is dishonest in my book. The "old-timers" still do it in my limited buying & budget constrained experiences. My bad, for continuing to buy from them, on occasion. Another issue has been the undisclosed modification of lower grade cards so to achieve a higher price sale. I'll pay a higher price for a lower grade as long as I think the lower grade card is not altered.
Grading interpretation and modification issues continue since raw cards do not sell for the premium 3rd party graded cards receive. I suspect sour grapes by some about the discussions in these boards about PSA and SGC: many cards that appear high grade are relegated to 3rd tier holders if graded at all.
imo, better to pay the high prices for 3rd (legitimate) party graded cards; smaller problem with the grade and the price; no muss no fuss, very likely no need to return the card.
Standardization increases the liquidity for cards sold by me, when necessary, too. Nobody knows me, but the cards sell for better than the old days buy prices. 