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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Leon, I wrote that only because I figured you were going to lock up that thread quick, because you locked the other one. Kudos for letting it go a while.

Jim, I wouldn't say "most" collectors, but I'd definitely say "many." In the case of someone like you, who collects 100 different sets, or someone like Leon or me, who collects multiple types, it's sometimes difficult to get to know everything about each issue in your collection. I know that I can easily spot problems with '38 Goudeys, and to a lesser extent Henry Johnsons, but when I start looking at issues where I only plan to own one or two examples of that card type, it doesn't make much sense to learn everything there is to know about the issue before buying that one card.

There are probably 15-20 million graded cards out there, most of which are accurately authenticated and graded within a reasonable range of their true condition (realizing that different card attributes are important to different people). I do think it's also important to recognize that many of the very best examples reside in people's collections - it's not uncommon to see overgraded cards or mistakes more frequently on the market, because collectors are generally unhappy with those cards. So they sell them. As such I would venture to guess that a greater percentage of the cards that are for sale at any given time are questionable in terms of the grade than the percentage of "bad" cards in the overall graded population.

For example, I've often "upgraded" my '38 Goudey cards by buying nicer examples within that same grade, or even occasionally a grade lower. As an illustration, I once sold a '38 HOFer with a grade of 8, and replaced it with a nicer-looking example that was graded 7. When I sold the 8, someone could easily have used it as an example of a card that was unworthy of the grade - and meanwhile the 7 remains tucked away in my collection, a gorgeous example that one might say is UNDERgraded.

I do think that's an important distinction. When I have a card I'm not happy with, it remains in my collection only temporarily, until I have the inclination to replace it with a better one or a different card altogether.

So we see mistakes on eBay every day. In a way, it's no different from buying used cars directly from the dealer - if you don't kick the tires and check under the hood before you buy it, at least a portion of the mistake is your own fault. You rely on the expertise of the dealer, but the reality is that a portion of the used cars out there are not sitting in people's driveways because the original owner didn't LIKE them.

-Al