It baffles my mind too how image quality seems to be irrelevant for N172 grading, particularly when it is the most important quality for the vast majority of N172 collectors. I think because of the severity of fading on some N172s, image quality is more of an issue here than on virtually any other baseball card set. However, I do not think the companies should have a completely unique set of criteria for this set. If a card has back damage, it probably should be knocked down substantially. I think with N172s, it is just an example of the market correcting itself. A strong image on a card graded SGC 10 due to back damage will sell for more than an SGC 80 that is extremely faded. At least I would pay more for it.
JimB
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