Ty Cobb Card Market?

[barrysloate]

Part of the problem with grading is that some cards are undergraded and some are overgraded. Not all grading is accurate.

If someone with better skills than me could post images of the two 1951 Bowman Mantles just sold in Heritage, it would be useful.

The one graded by PSA was poorly centered and out of register. Given those two crucial flaws, it never should have been graded higher than VG 3.

And the SGC example was as nice a VG-Ex as you could possibly hope for, with near perfect centering, very strong corners, and deep rich colors. It had two tiny gum stains on the reverse. At minimum, it was a very strong VG-Ex and should have easily qualified for the 4.5 grade.

So the latter was easily a grade and a half better than the former, which the market perfectly recognized. Had each been accurately graded, the cards wouldn't even be worth discussing.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I can live with grading disparities. What is far more troubling is the number of doctored cards in holders. FAR more troubling.

[barrysloate]

I agree Peter, but why have grading disparities? If you understand how to grade a card, it shouldn't be hard to be more consistent and accurate. It's doable.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

I agree Peter, but why have grading disparities? If you understand how to grade a card, it shouldn't be hard to be more consistent and accurate. It's doable.

Different people doing the grading is part of the reason. If it were all one guy there might be less variation. And there may be some politics.

[orly57]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Different people doing the grading is part of the reason. If it were all one guy there might be less variation. And there may be some politics.

Card A: should be a 6, but gets a 7 due to politics or incompetence.
Card B: was a 6, but dick Towle removed a wax stain. Gets a legit 7.

Both sell for the same price.
Which is worse again?

[Peter_Spaeth]

I don't care about wax stains. Not what I am talking about.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Different people doing the grading is part of the reason. If it were all one guy there might be less variation. And there may be some politics.

There shouldn't be any politics with card grading. You assess a card, give it the most accurate grade you can, and then move on to the next one. If any special favors are going on, then the system doesn't work (and since I believe funny stuff happens, that's why I think third party grading needs an overhaul).

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

There shouldn't be any politics with card grading. You assess a card, give it the most accurate grade you can, and then move on to the next one. If any special favors are going on, then the system doesn't work (and since I believe funny stuff happens, that's why I think third party grading needs an overhaul).

Any small business heavily dependent on a relatively small group of customers and where people know each other is, to some extent, going to be subject to influence. Just the way of the world.

[BeanTown]

Graders are just giving a "unbiased" opinion. It's subjective and there is literally no accountibility. So, if they give a bad grade who cares. If an attourney does something wrong or unethical then they are held accountable from the Bar of their State.