Grading discussion- Revolutionizing :) the hobby...

[barrysloate]

Al- I would be less of a stickler with regard to accuracy if there really wasn't that big of a price differential between grades. But we've all seen how the value of a card increases exponentially between a 7 and an 8, an 8 and an 8.5, an 8.5 and a 9, etc. I find it truly shocking that collectors are willing to pay these enormous premiums when the grading companies themselves can't even guarantee the accuracy of their grades. As I noted earlier, you can submit a card three times and receive three different grades. How do collectors pay such huge premiums under these conditions? It makes absolutely no sense to me. Given how subjective and often inaccurate grading is I might imagine a marketplace where a 7 sells for $100, an 8 for $110, and a 9 maybe for $120. Because who is to say that today's 8, upon resubmission, might not be tomorrow's 7?

Frankly, I find the whole thing goofy. But nobody listens to me.