Posted By:
Al CrisafulliI never used the term "old timer". I don't know if I'm an "old timer" or not - I've been collecting since 1976, but took a few years off after being turned off by shiny stuff.
There absolutely is a tangible difference between an 8 and a 9. I'm not sure I can always say the same about the difference between a 9 and a 10, but that's just me. However, for most issues, my personal preference is to keep my collections at the 7 level and below, because PERSONALLY, I don't have the stomach to pony up the kind of incremental cash that Ted refers to in his post.
However, I also recognize that there are others who want what they perceive to be the best cards available, and I'm not about to begrudge them the right to collect any way they choose. I'm certainly not about to indict the grading industry because of it.
The grading industry thrives because there is a need for it. Period. Some may choose not to embrace it - a big percentage of my collection remains raw as well - but it isn't going anywhere, and it has far-reaching benefits for the hobby. Those benefits are recognized by people all over this board who choose to keep their collections raw, but ship everything else off to an evil grading company prior to selling.
Indeed I have also had cards returned as trimmed, only to have them grade later. One of the inconsistencies of having human beings interpret what they see, I suppose. Still, this is the exception and not the rule, and I refuse to indict an industry based on exceptions.
Sorry if I'm against the grain on this one,
-Al