Bccg

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by GehrigFan

Sure - we are still a business. A lot of people still choose to use this for inexpensive authentication and grading of their cards, and no sensible business model would turn that much revenue away.

Mark,

I realize that BCCG wasn't your idea (at least I think it wasn't) and that the decision to use this system is one you defend, for your employer. But I have to disagree with the statement you made above.

"...no sensible business model would turn that much revenue away."

Not every business decision can be boiled down to just dollars and cents. Coachs Corner has a business model that has worked for them for many years. It generates plenty of revenue. But it's bad for the hobby.

Beckett's has always been about things that are good for the hobby. Catalogs, checklists, price guides, magazines, honest grading. Heck, I can even look the other way while you guys are grading and running auctions. The integrity of you company has convinced me that there is enough separation between these divisions that I can live with you doing both.

But BCCG is bad for the hobby as it exists now. The grading scale is confusing to many, especially any novice collectors. While the intention of BCCG is acceptable, the system that allowed anyone to use it, for any card, was bad. To many cards were entombed with numbers between 5 and 9, that aren't what they first present themselves to be.

The change to establishing a $ value cut-off of $300 is a huge step in the right direction. Whoever thought of this, decided for this, or implemented this should be commended.

But Matt's suggestion of a minimum number of cards on a submission is a great additional step. Maybe 1000 is too high for you, but there should be something that stops an individual collector from using this system.