[barrysloate]

I think we need to look at third party grading in a different light.

They provide a great service by examining a card for trimming and alterations. Assuming they get it right, that's a great thing. And if you like your cards protected in a holder, they provide a nifty one for sure.

It's the number on the label that needs to be reassessed. When you get a card back that's graded, for example, PSA 5, what that really means is: "it's an Excellent today, but tomorrow it may be an EX-MT, next week it might be a VG-EX, and the week after that it may show signs of trimming. We're sorry, we wish we could be more accurate, but we don't really know." If collectors looked at these grades as merely estimates of a general range of condition, they wouldn't obsess over the half grade bumps, and would rarely if ever resubmit their cards.

With many collectors there is far too much emphasis on the label. The advent of the set registry has been most responsible for this. If anyone cares about my opinion, I say it's time to get back to the roots of the hobby: the card, and not the slab. If you must have cards graded, fine, I'm all for it. Just learn to put it all in perspective.