My thoughts on these stupid grading posts

[Rob D.]

Ted,

It's easy to attempt to discredit someone or something by picking and choosing and listing only the negative. You're one of the more valued contributors to this board. You've also posted some comically ridiculous statements -- as have I and probably every other member of this board (except one). Were someone to list only your not-so-great posts in an attempt to discredit you on the whole, it would be pretty easy. Folks who are dead-set against professional grading are adept at listing all of the negatives and none of the positives.

A lot of us were active in the hobby before professional grading came on the scene. It wasn't all candy and nuts. Dealers repeatedly overgraded their cards and undergraded yours. There was fraud then -- specifically card doctoring and trimming -- just like there is now. Do I wish, like I'm sure you do, that there was a "less professional" feel to the hobby now like there was in the 1970s? Absolutely. But I also know that professional grading has done some good, and to try to turn a blind eye toward that fact doesn't help your cause.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by tedzan

The cards I love and have collected from 1887 Old Judges to 1967 Topps were more affordable back in the PPG
era.

Demand has gone up because 3PG + the Internet have made it easier and more comfortable for a lot of people to collect.

[tedzan]

I can have a discussion with Rob D on this subject.

But, I'll tell you this....your freakin attitude is what turns off a lot of us anti-graded guys. As, it is typical of a few here
that look down at collector's who talk about, or display ungraded cards on this forum (regardless of how nice or rare the
cards may be).

Here is a guy, folks, that when we once made a T206 trade deal, he demanded that I send him a check for the cost of
grading the cards I sent him.


Regarding this comment of yours........
"Demand has gone up because 3PG + the Internet have made it easier and more comfortable for a lot of people to collect."

You are so freakin wrong....it's laughable. This hobby, during the 1980's and into the 1990's, was at its zenith. Demand for
cards (of all stripes), relative to the activity in those years, has definitely diminished in the past 10 years. Ask anyone here
that recalls any of the Willow Grove Shows ?


TED Z

[barrysloate]

Ted- to the contrary, I think a fair number of people on this board do not like third party grading. Is it time for yet another poll? Maybe I'll rustle one up.

[Orioles1954]

I choose to have my cards graded for three reasons: 1.) to protect them from my children who are both toddlers; 2.) if I should unexpectedly pass away, it would be way easier for my wife and 3.) they appear more attractive to me.

James

[Rickyy]

I just like them slabbed for its appearence and protection...that's all it is for me...and though I can sympathize with the gist of this thread, I don't get frustrated or stressed reading these types of threads...it would be ironic if I came in here and get all upset...because the purpose of being here is to relieve such feelings..

[rdixon1208]

Originally Posted by Rickyy

it would be ironic if I came in here and get all upset...because the purpose of being here is to relieve such feelings..

I like your style Rickyy

[dstudeba]

Originally Posted by tedzan

But, I'll tell you this....your freakin attitude is what turns off a lot of us anti-graded guys. As, it is typical of a few
here that look down at collector's who talk about, or display ungraded cards on this forum (regardless of how nice
or rare those cards may be).
TED Z

This can just as easily be rewritten to :

But, I'll tell you this....your freakin attitude is what turns off a lot of us graded guys. As, it is typical of a few
here that look down at collector's who talk about, or display graded cards on this forum (regardless of how nice
or rare those cards may be).

Sorry that some of us intruded on your hobby and find that 3rd party grading and the internet assist us in our collecting efforts.

[Peter_Spaeth]

"I would be very satisfied with a service that marketed itself simply as:

(1) Being able to tell with 100% certainty that the card had not been altered in any way;"

I don't think that is realistic. While obvious alterations are easy to detect, sophisticated ones are not, and my own view is that the grading services don't have the time or the technology to unmask them all. They are not FBI crime labs, and there are people out there who are VERY good at what they do.

[kkkkandp]

I'm surprised no one jumped on that until now.

As I tell the guys at SGC every time I pick up my cards, they sure look pretty in those holders.

[rdixon1208]

I just started collecting pre-war cards about a year and a half ago. I always thought they were awesome, but couldn't afford them. One of my first purchases was a three card lot off the BST. I thought the SGC holders really made the cards look good, and I was curious to know how they would grade them, so I sent them in. They all came back altered. I could see the alterations after they sent them back, but I didn't notice them online or in hand before that. So I stopped buying raw cards. Since I buy graded cards, I read the threads about grading services to gain knowledge...which is what this forum is about to me.

So for those of you that can spot a fake a mile away and don't need the services of a grading company...I'm happy for you. Your experience does you a service. But I'm not as experienced as you. If there weren't grading companies doing what they do, I wouldn't be able to participate in this hobby.

All that being said, I do get tired of reading about the same subject at times. It's cool though because I have a solution. I just go to the next thread.

[HRBAKER]

As I stated bf I collect both raw and graded and will continue to. May very well have the raw graded at some point maybe not. I can tell you this, I have a drawer full of several EXMT and NRMT beauties from the glory days of pre-TPG that are trimmed, colored, bleached and so on. Many and I mean many of these came from regular advertisers in the glory days of the SCD, many of whom are still in business.

[Fred]

Not to change the topic but just try to sell a real D304 Cobb that isn't graded and see how much money you'd lose because it isn't encased in plastic with a number on the label.

I don't mind threads about grading but I do agree that threads that rip third party grading companies because the poster received sub-expected grades is kind of boring. If you send in the cards then don't cry at what you get. Just accept it and move on. You can always bust the cards out and resubmit.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by tedzan

your freakin attitude is what turns off a lot of us anti-graded guys. As, it is typical of a few here
that look down at collector's who talk about, or display ungraded cards on this forum (regardless of how nice or rare the
cards may be).

I have no attitude, man. Calm it down.

Originally Posted by tedzan

Here is a guy, folks, that when we once made a T206 trade deal, he demanded that I send him a check for the cost of
grading the cards I sent him.

I've never dealt cards with you in my life or, in any event, demand that someone send me a check for the cost of grading cards.

Originally Posted by tedzan

Regarding this comment of yours........
"Demand has gone up because 3PG + the Internet have made it easier and more comfortable for a lot of people to collect."
You are so freakin wrong....it's laughable. This hobby, during the 1980's and into the 1990's, was at its zenith. Demand for
cards (of all stripes), relative to the activity in those years, has definitely diminished in the past 10 years. Ask anyone here
that recalls any of the Willow Grove Shows ?

Prices of cards have gone way up. The reason for that is because demand has gone way up. Simple math, man.

I am trying to be respectful because you obviously have a lot of knowledge to share, but you continue to turn off a lot of posters with your insensitive and rude remarks.

[FUBAR]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

but you continue to turn off a lot of posters with your insensitive and rude remarks.

This is just my opinion, but i have never found Ted to be rude nor insensitive.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

This is just my opinion, but i have never found Ted to be rude nor insensitive.

In all fairness, and this isn't a criticism at all but rather a possible explanation, four months on the board isn't that long.

[chaddurbin]

the TPG bus with its dead, battered, beaten horse has been around the block a few times. everyone knows about the game. stop crying in the intances when it doesn't favor you, we don't want to hear about it and don't care.

also selectively nitpicking random examples to bolster your stance whether TPG is good/bad instead of looking at the whole picture is stupid. it's like looking at a small sample size and saying you'd rather have a team of david ecksteins in the playoffs than arods.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

This is just my opinion, but i have never found Ted to be rude nor insensitive.

Ted is clearly, by far and away, one of the most knowledgeble people on here. He has an incredible amount of valuable information to share, particularly about the set I love -- T206. I would want to do nothing to diminish his contribution to this Board and I always try to remind myself of this whenever he makes over-the-top comments that can be insulting.

But Ted does make such over-the-top comments, and they can easily be construed to be rude or insensitive. In fact, I found his latest comments to me on this thread to be such -- he made up a story about me "demanding" to be paid for the cost of grading cards from him, when I've never even exchanged a single card with the man or otherwise demanded to be paid for the cost of grading the card. And he called my opinion "laughable."

[bcornell]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

A lot of us were active in the hobby before professional grading came on the scene. It wasn't all candy and nuts. Dealers repeatedly overgraded their cards and undergraded yours. There was fraud then -- specifically card doctoring and trimming -- just like there is now.

This gets a huge amen from me. There were no "good old days" in collecting, at least not by the late 1970's, when I started. Dealers were, by and large, not to be trusted. The hobby hasn't devolved due to grading and the Internet, it's gotten much, much better.


Bill

[calvindog]

Bill -- great avatar.