Posted By:
Al C.risafulliI disagree that the grading system is broken, even at the "poor/fair" levels.
It just is what it is.
It's like cars. I used to know a guy who thought that Mercedes-Benz made the "best" cars. He was pretty wealthy, and so he had a small collection of 7 or 8 Mercedes. He drove them around, showed them off, and felt like he had a nice investment in classic (and new) vehicles that, by his standards, were "best." He'd buy one with the help of his mechanic, and give it to him, and a few months later he'd have a new, restored Mercedes.
I knew another guy who thought the first guy was ridiculous, and that the "best" cars were classic American sports cars - Corvettes and Mustangs, stuff like that. He had restored a '63 Vette and a Mustang Fastback all by himself, polished them up every Saturday, and took them out on weekends, being careful not to damage them or anything.
At the same time, I had a coworker who drove a Honda Accord, thought the other two guys were insane, and felt that he could drive his Accord for 500,000 miles without any major repairs, and that meant his car was the "best" buy out there.
During that time, I drove an Isuzu Rodeo SUV that Consumer Reports could not recommend, because there were not enough cup holders in the cabin and because the footrest for the driver's left foot was too narrow. I loved the car, though, it was perfect for me.
Who cares?
I know an SGC 10 might have a massive burn mark on the front of the card. It might also look great on the front but have a bunch of back damage. I make my decision based on what the card looks like, and I'm usually happy with what I decide, for my collection.
Someone else might not even look at an SGC 10, though. They might think the "best" card is an SGC 84 or better and nothing less. Even if the card looked great, they want Consumer Reports to say they "recommend" it for whatever reason.
All it is is a relatively objective look at a card, using a predefined set of standards that collectors can use - or not use - depending on their own preferences.
It's a big hobby, lots of room for all the opinions.
-Al