Top Graders' Compensation

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

PSA used to hand out bumps like candy at shows. I know people who would travel to the shows to get the bumps. I know dealers who would personally take cards into the grading booth to argue their case. It was common knowledge. But as long as the grade was still within reason (and there is lots of subjectivity for tweeners), it caused no shockwaves. It doesn't work that way now, but I am sure that being human organizations, at TPGs some submitters are more equal than others.

Lots can happen short of blatant corruption. You don't need people handing graders bags of cash.

I don't really attend many shows, nor do I know most of the dealers, but I don't disbelieve you. This is such garbage if it really happened like this.

I'm less engaged in the "what could lead to the downfall?" argument, though I do still think a smoking gun scandal, if they're caught red handed could potentially hurt them irreparably. I am still more focused on the fact a few people, making relatively little have control over millions and millions of dollars in perceived product market value.

I don't necessarily envision the secret garbage bags of cash to bump grades, as much as I do a couple employees (applicable to any TPG) devising a system to keep a card or cards marked upon submission, and through grading and slabbing. Maybe it's 2, 3, 4 guys working together, however few could actually achieve overcoming company safeguards, but they would not need to bump more than a few cards (maybe 1 per 10,000) to make some crazy cash. They would never really need to do it on famous, high visibility cards either. Think Gem Mint Art Schell.. or maybe '79 Ozzie, or a '67 Yaz.. but given the price difference on a single point at those highest (8-10) levels is nuts.

If it is ever doable within the TPG's grading SOP, a person or people making mid 5 figures, could supplement that with 5-6 figures by bumping or over grading a just handful of cards per month/quarter/year. If done well, perhaps all messages are verbal (or via secure apps), it seems it could be really tough to detect. If done really well, I doubt most collectors would even notice the cards once slabbed, because I think most agree many 8s could be 9s, many 9s could be 10... and given there will always be a few blatant mistakes (a 10 with a print mark, etc), these cards could stay relatively under the radar.