What is Your Opinion About Grading?

[barrysloate]

Okay, I'm going to try and create a fair poll but I know someone will say the questions are biased. Here goes:

[Cat]

Barry: I think you need to follow this up with a poll about our opinion on grading threads!! Perhaps a poll about grading thread polls.

[barrysloate]

How about a poll on "do we have too many polls?"

[barrysloate]

Now I'm thinking that my option #3 wasn't worded correctly.

[E93]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Now I'm thinking that my option #3 wasn't worded correctly.

"overhaul" may be a bit strong for #2. How about just "in need of some changes"?
JimB

[E93]

It baffles my mind too how image quality seems to be irrelevant for N172 grading, particularly when it is the most important quality for the vast majority of N172 collectors. I think because of the severity of fading on some N172s, image quality is more of an issue here than on virtually any other baseball card set. However, I do not think the companies should have a completely unique set of criteria for this set. If a card has back damage, it probably should be knocked down substantially. I think with N172s, it is just an example of the market correcting itself. A strong image on a card graded SGC 10 due to back damage will sell for more than an SGC 80 that is extremely faded. At least I would pay more for it.
JimB

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I started collecting in the era of no price guides. I still think the dumbest thing that ever happened in the hobby was the "rookie card" phenomena. Why should a rookie card be worth more than another year? It makes no sense to me at all.

As far as grading goes, if a person owns a nice card and it enhances the cards value or protects it's value for the future then I can understand having the card graded.

[Robextend]

I use TPGs primarily for protection and display. If you look at it like that, there can't be much wrong with TPG at the moment.

[bigtrain]

I prefer my cards raw but there is certainly a need for a service to verify that cards are authentic and not tampered with.

[judsonhamlin]

I went with Number 3 - I have recently started to get some of my nicer (for me) cards graded for protection (actual and insurance) and, in the context of buying cards, there are very few dealers, with whom I have dealt with for years, whose descriptions of raw cards I trust. I also don't get in a tizzy if a card I send to SGC comes back lower than I had it "graded" in my mind.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Robextend

I use TPGs primarily for protection and display. If you look at it like that, there can't be much wrong with TPG at the moment.

My thoughts exactly. The only problem I see is in the value people put on those grades, but I'm in the minority because I prefer "character cards" with a little tobacco staining and wear verses a vintage card so nice it looks fake and boring. As such, the only improvement I would suggest is to eliminate grading, but keep slabbing for authentication/protection.

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

How about a poll on "do we have too many polls?"

Yes, we need a poll tax. That'll curb it. Actually you could use a fifth option which is "this angst is much ado about nothing."

[barrysloate]

That fifth choice is really not a bad idea. But the first choice would be closest to it in spirit: everything is fine and just leave it as is.

[T206Collector]

...leave it exactly as is, but if I were the God of Grading I am sure I would make a few tweaks. (A few tweaks wasn't an option.)

And for whatever it's worth, most of my T206 collection is now raw.