SGC vs PSA vs Beckett- BVG

[barrysloate]

Okay Jeff, since you asked:

Grading is far too subjective for a system that is based on very precise numerical grades. When you consider that grading standards vary from company to company, from grader to grader within each company, and even on multiple submissions within the same company, it's pointless to assume that cards can be graded with such accuracy. With each submission grades can go up or down, authentic cards can get numerical grades, and any number of variables can come into play. And yet collectors pay gigantic premiums based entirely on these less than reliable numbers.

I think any collector can learn to grade a card with some practice, and it's a great skill to have. The one thing collectors can not do on their own is spot alterations. Card doctors are extremely skilled and their work is very difficult to detect. That is a service desperately needed to protect collectors from all kinds of fraud.

But I have to say I am less than impressed by how grading has evolved. It's an inexact science pretending to offer a level of precision that doesn't really exist. If I apply myself I can grade just as well as the pros, and so could most of the people on this board. I say stick to examining cards for alterations only and you will provide the hobby with a much needed service.