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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

This is coming from an "autograph guy" as opposed to a "card guy", but I wholeheartedly agree with the Net54 poster (is it Dan McKee?) who says, "Buy the card, not the slab". In any hobby (and, I have found, in any situation life may deal you), self-education is your best defense mechanism. Read voraciously on matters that interest you most. Seek out opinions of trusted people. Combine these two points and, eventually, your confidence will begin to build up. There is a line in Proverbs which says "...lean not on your own understanding". I wish it was followed by "it will only get you so far"! Learn as much as you can, and if you can't find the answer you're seeking, confer with those in whom you trust. After all, the good folks at Allen and Ginter were not thinking of loupes, x-acto knives and distilled water when they produced their beautiful cards all those years ago. Places such as this give everybody a chance to discuss whatever is on their mind, and end up helping many other not-so-vocal readers in the process!