The Opportunity

[Promethius88]

Originally Posted by timn1

the OP is offering a serious idea for a serious problem. Who knows whether it is feasible, but I for one would like to see threads like this remain serious rather than become yet more occasions for people to demonstrate how clever and cynical they are-

Wasn't meant to be "clever" or "cynical". This exchange could be looked at in a couple different ways. Is the person giving the guarantee PSA or is it the group of "trusted" card dealers? Obviously Chuck sees it as PSA, and that's fine, but really the same could be said if the hobby decides to elevate certain sellers to this "elite" status just so it makes us all feel better about our buying again.
I believe that trusted dealers that have been around for a long time are just that because they don't attempt to screw people or get too greedy. If those are the dealers you are comfortable buying from....buy from them. The problems are...
A. There are a ton of good dealers or collectors/part time dealers that are good, honest, hardworking people and you can trust them til the cows come home. Those folks can't have a say or be trusted anymore?
B. I see very little chance that a dealer is going to want to, much less have the time to scrutinize every single card that goes thru their hands, then guarantee what they are selling is 100% legit with a money back guarantee. Again, we don't know how detectable this work is that's being done. Yes, an honest dealer will back up his/her items but what are we going to do, funnel every single card thru just this group?
C. Conflict of interest. Unless a dealer is willing to give up buying/selling, there would always be that possibility for conflict of interest. Yes, they are honest and have been for years. But we have all seen what dangling a potential windfall in front of faces has done to good people in the past.

I don't have the answers and nobody else does at this point either. I get that there are a lot of problems and the blame falls in many laps. I think all the information needs to come out, the dust has to settle, cooler heads have to prevail. Then, and only then can we come up with some changes that are going to be positive and lasting.
Personally, I can't believe the hate and nastiness that I have seen posted all over just due to differing opinions. I remember a time when people could have different opinions and not be blasted for them. I think that might have been a time when we actually respected each other....before the internet.