[Throttlesteer]

Originally Posted by AGuinness

But grading cards by use of descriptors (EX, Mint, Poor, etc. etc.) predates TPGs, unless I'm severely mistaken. I'm not sure when the grading scale terms entered into the hobby (much less became the standard), but I believe it was a long time before the same terms became associated with the number scales attached to them by TPGs. In that way, the TPGs didn't create the system, they just codified it with numbers.

I'd guess that one of the early hobby publications might be the source of the grading system, but it may have even started earlier. I am pretty sure there are people on this board who can help with when and where it all started (and even any influences from other hobbies - coins, perhaps?).

And considering the long history of the grading system in place, the current terminologies (regardless of having numbers associated or not) have likely been very deliberately created to not have evenly distributed or smooth gradations.

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing it was borrowed from coin collectors.