PSA vs. SGC - consistent and accurate?

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Posted By: Kevin Savage

I think the grading services have their place in the marketplace- and all of the majors(SGC, PSA, GAI, BGS) do their best to accurately grade cards to the best of their ability. It is not an exact science and in my opinion- is not that easy.

I am convinced that some cards would and could receive a different grade from a particular grading company depending on: which grader or graders look at the card, what mood the grader is in, if it is the best condition card in a submission(or the worst), if it is the first card the grader looked at that day(or the last),the graders' experience with a particular issue(Old Judges vs. '33 Goudeys vs. 1987 Topps), what the grader had for lunch, and the current phase of the moon that day.

I go to this one restaurant which has a fantastic chef- but every once in a blue moon- I get a bad meal-but I still go back- because by and large he's a great chef and I almost always get a great meal..... My point is human's are not always 100% consistent......

I think it is easy for all of us to take pot shots at particular "grading mistakes"- (I admit I do it too)- I think all of us would feel better if we knew the background of all the graders(how they learned about cards, their experience, if they were Canadian...). I hope they all continue to strive to improve- as professional grading does make many transactions easier to complete....

I also understood Nelson's message just fine.... but then again I vacationed in Quebec City as a child....