Posted By:
JimBDave,
It is not a "chunk". There is absolutely no paper loss. It is a chip of the surface enammel. As I said, I think the grade roughly follows their guidelines (though nobody would blink if it were graded a 60 or 70), but I think their guidelines are harsh on chipping.
Grades are supposed to reflect the appeal of the card. Sometimes I think the grading companies give disproportionate weight to certain characteristics, as in this example. If techinical grades are not about the appeal of the card, then tell me some technical flaws that do not affect the appeal. Corners? Creases? Stains? Centering? These all bring down grades because of their affect on the appeal of the card. People also complain about the disproportionate emphasis on minor back flaws on blank-backed cards like the Zeenut above or N172s because the back of a blank-backed card has little affect on the overall appeal of the card to the vast majority of subjective observers.
JimB