My proposal

[Throttlesteer]

Originally Posted by TimCarrollArt

I'm sure it's been mentioned somewhere before, but how realistic would it be for a company to leave off the grades and give only facts from the examination? Example: "card measures exactly 2.48" x 3.5"; centering 52/48 L/R, 54/46 T/B; print defect near top left corner; 7/8 inch crease on left arm; chipping on back right edge".

No adjectives necessary. No "looks better than a 3" listings. A reputable, 3rd party, semi-scientific examination that lays out exactly what a card is - good or bad.

It would be up to the buyers to take a closer look, interpret that information, and make a judgement call on the card's value.

This has me thinking about a grading system similar to GIA for diamonds. Instead of having a single numeric grade, each attribute would be rated on its own scale. Sure, it adds complexity. But it would somewhat normalize lopsided characteristics that end up creating a lot of confusion with single numeric grades.