Posted By:
Gilbert Maines "I feel that if all these problems continue unchecked, the whole system may eventually collapse". - B. Sloate, 2007
Barry: certainly the "system" which you refer to is not the collection of baseball cards. And Barry, I submit for your consideration that the collection of baseball cards is the only system of consequence. So, allow the other systems to persist or collapse as their merits dictate. In the interim, take advantage of their characteristics, as so many are.
Lots of guys are buying raw, getting graded and with the profit upon a sale, building their collections. Others are buying graded, cracking out, cleaning up, resubmitting and with the resultant profit on a sale, building their collections. The bigger group, however, are seeking out cards which have a defect which is noteworthy to a grading company, but less so to a collector; and taking advantage of the cost impact which the holdered number has on their collectible. These collectors really dismiss the holder valuation and recognize the quality attributes which they value highest in a card.
The first two examples are individuals who prey on those who are impressed by the opinion of another. The larger, third example group are those with sufficient sophistication to determine their own criteria for card evaluation.
Third party grading is not what registry collectors need it to be. It is fallible. That is ok, so long as everyone recognizes that fact. But they don't, and prices are predicated right now on the numbers which these companies are generating. But the only thing which I could see collapsing is the faith which one puts into the opinion of a third party entity.