Heritage Results

[glchen]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

I doubt very seriously Joe Orlando looks at a single card. When CGC used to be booming, I knew without uncertainty that Steve Borock looked at every single "worthwhile" comic that came thru CGC. I don't think Joe Oralndo looks at anything. I see him more as a figurehead.

I obviously have no idea what actually happens at grading companies like PSA, etc. However, I would think for six figure cards, somebody high up, maybe even Joe Orlando, looks at the card. Obviously someone like Joe is probably not a grading expert, and he has to trust his grading team. However, PSA also has to back that card and grade. If there is some obvious flaw like a crease that is somehow missed by the graders on a PSA 10, and that card is resold after grading, the new owners can come to PSA for compensation on a mis-grade. This probably wouldn't matter for most cards, but for really expensive cards, that's a lot of liability for TPG's that perhaps someone like Joe may want to take a peek at the card before it goes out.

I agree with most that the minute differences between a PSA 9 and 10 make the prices for a 10 seem absurd. I don't collect 10's, and I think the only 10 in my collection is a card from the 1980s that I purchased in a 10 for twenty bucks because it was one of my favorite cards from that era. (and that card is never going to rise in value.) However, there are some people with a lot of money who all they buy are the best of the best. I think I read in some article from Heritage's magazine Intelligent Collector that Ken Kendrick has stated he only collects the absolute best cards. So be it. That doesn't mean there isn't a legitimate market for cards in that stratosphere. There are some really rich people that buy art just because some art critic or dealer say that this is a masterpiece, and is worth $$$$. However, to us, that art looks like something my five year old could draw. However, these folks still shell out the dollars, and ask where they can buy more of those. When prices for cards hit six figures, it's so out of my means, it's just rich people buying things rich people buy to me, and that's all there is to it, with reasonable value rarely part of the equation.