Quote:
Originally Posted by theuclakid
Third party grading was only needed for the authenticating of a card to ensure as humanly possible that a card is real/authentic and not tampered with...and nothing more....most collectors and sellers that I have known for these many years could tell the difference between an ex, exmt and nrmt card.
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Just not true.
My buddy Ed and I traveled to the Pier 92 Show in NYC in 1989. We were teenagers and had saved up all our money for the show. He spent $250 on a NrMt Jimmy Foxx 1933 Goudey card. In the car ride home, while looking at the card over and over again for an hour or so, we both noticed a hairlines crease on the back that neither of us had seen at the show at the point of purchase. Today, that card would be an SGC 50 and Ed would not be out his hard earned money.
Grading protects you not only the authenticity but also from hidden flaws in a card. It is an invaluable resource. And one that makes the hobby better because it encourages entry into the market and the proliferation of trades and sales. Newbies feel more comfortable coming and staying because they are protected by the same thing the owner of the greatest T206 Wagners are protected by -- PSA or SGC.
To say that PSA and/or SGC are leading to the demise of the hobby misses the fact that they saved it from itself and ushered it into the internet age.