Why do we even need TPGs?

[Cozumeleno]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

If I am going to spend real bucks on a card I want a TPG opinion that it's authentic. As counterfeiting and just plain old copying gets more and more sophisticated, I just don't trust myself eyeballing something. Particularly scans of something. People on this board who know a lot more than I do debate all the time whether a scan looks authentic.
Like the kid in the deli doing the quick swipe of the $100 bill . . . . .
And, yes, I realize they make mistakes too.

Same - and I'd add that I also like the protection of slabs on expensive cards. They certainly are not foolproof when it comes to authentication but if I'm buying a card over $500 or so, there's an added level of assurance for me.

Not to mention that high-dollar slabbed cards are much easier to sell.

I'm mostly a raw collector myself but there are advantages to TPG-gradedx cards.