Posted By:
MWI think we're talking about two different concepts here.
The first is Jim getting a private opinion on a card from someone he trusts. There are many well-known collectors who do this. I see no inherent problem -- isn't Jim just as entitled as everyone else to use an additional set of eyes that are better trained than his at authenticating and detecting possible alterations and/or overgrades?
The second is employing a company or individual to validate an already graded card. In this case, there may exist a burden of liability on the company/individual providing the service in those situations where a grading company's opinion is rejected in favor of someone else's "more qualified" opinion. This would be especially crucial in situations where the card was of considerable value. Again, as previously mentioned, this type of service would need to be backed with some type of financial guarantee.