Card doctoring...

[packs]

A margin of error doesn't really have a place in card collecting. You would have to take it upon yourself to decide that a grade is subjective. I don't need a guy to tell me my card is in "Fair" condition with a margin of error between "Poor" and "Very Good".

[Rich Falvo]

How can you have a margin of error on an opinion (which all that a grade is, ultimately). How would that work - "I believe the grade is a 6, but my opinion may be wrong" ?

I could see the authentic vs non-authentic determination having a margin of error, but not the grade.

[drcy]

Originally Posted by packs

A margin of error doesn't really have a place in card collecting. You would have to take it upon yourself to decide that a grade is subjective. I don't need a guy to tell me my card is in "Fair" condition with a margin of error between "Poor" and "Very Good".

Many collectors, including many on this board, are already keenly aware of the margin of error and look at the cards themselves when pricing and buying. Just as many autograph collectors educate themselves, and don't rely only on a TPA LOA because they know TPAs make mistakes. That was an integral part of my advice to the proverbial new collector, along with buy cards that look nice to you, keep mid/lower grade cards and bypass that Gem Mint 10 nonsense.

However, doing such things as registry numbers charts and rankings are, quite simply, a joke. There's nothing wrong with it as a game, but people actually take it as serious and it effects values and prices.

[packs]

I agree about the registry. That's why I'd love to see TPG's simply authenticate cards and leave it at that. The numbering system, as discussed, is so flawed that it's become nothing more than a marketing scheme when it was supposed to standardize the hobby. There is no standard though because cards get different grades on different days. I say do away with them entirely and simply authenticate.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

I agree about the registry. That's why I'd love to see TPG's simply authenticate cards and leave it at that. The numbering system, as discussed, is so flawed that it's become nothing more than a marketing scheme when it was supposed to standardize the hobby. There is no standard though because cards get different grades on different days. I say do away with them entirely and simply authenticate.

Yes but you might as well also say do away with nuclear weapons, or guns, or whatever. It won't happen.

[drcy]

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked." - Warren Buffett

[packs]

The registry is artificial though. A 10 could be a 7 tomorrow because there's no consistency day to day. Collectors should decide what cards are worth paying for.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

The registry is artificial though. A 10 could be a 7 tomorrow because there's no consistency day to day. Collectors should decide what cards are worth paying for.

A 10 will always be a 10 because collectors will always pay for the flip.

[swarmee]

The registry system is also the "tide that lifts all boats" and is the reason the card market is booming, in my opinion +/- 4 points.