Posted By:
Joe PelaezI always appreciate someone that's straightforward and honest to themselves first. ... I applaud you.
I do have a question?
You wrote:
"and those "old time collectors" who fought the trend and laughed at graded cards have completely missed it."
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Now Jim, I don't know if you were around to perceive that, but I was.
1. -"fought the trend" ... Fight what trend? ... we knew how to grade our own cards. .. we didn't need them.
Besides, aren't you having the same grading questions with whatever third party? 
2. -"completely missed it" ... Missed what? .. throughout my entire collecting experience, I have maintained only one mindset.
My hobby is for fun, and the enjoyment of filling an empty slot of the set that I'm collecting.
It was my sublimation from the world, the job, and the stock market.
Because of that, ... I didn't miss out, I made out.
First of all, when I re-entered the hobby in 1982, and I say re-entered because I flipped my first cards as a kid in 1940-41, and also was into numismatics ..... grading cards as a collector was something that we had to learn and do.
I done it for years in coins before the graders made the scene.
What grading did was create a numismatic investment game, of what use to be my hobby.
Others like myself, swung over to the cardboard hobby, so when the graders came over we just continued grading our own cards.
I refused to go along with the investment mindset.
To each his own, and my choice works for me.
Jim, again thank you for your candor, and honesty.
And as for Judge Dred (Fred)
You can consider me your Amen's Corner. (you nailed it.)
Joe P.