I'm surprised at everyone's patience

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Posted By: David 

I realize that many have groused here and even tried to do something about the all the AAA & NASA graded card in the Pre-1950 graded card section. I don’t deal with many of Pre-War cards, so it’s no skin off my nose. But, if I did, I would be embarrassed looking at the featured listings. If I was a seller would be furious at how it will potentially skewer bids and permanently scares people away from the area. If this was happening in areas I specialize in, I would raise bloody Hell.

I want to point out two things, on this topic.

First, AAA is an acronym for ‘American Authentication Association.’ This is not authentication. Authentication necessitates sincerity. If what you say is literally correct but presented in a way to pull the wool over someone eyes (usually to drum up more bidding), that, by definition, is not authentication. Authentication of one of these items would include the phrase of, for example, “I cut this picture out a Spalding Guide last week” or otherwise state that the item is not a card in the accepted sense.

Secondly, if they haven’t already, I think it’s a crock and an embarrassment to the hobby that Beckett, SCD, Tuff Stuff and SMR have not written explicitly about these and other graders. If they have any sense of loyalty to their readers and worry about their well being— many who are beginners, young, unfamiliar with early cards and specifically pick up the magazine for guidance— they would do this. It is apparent that these magazines have different concerns, most likely the advertising base. I hold them partially responsible, because if any one of these magazines wrote a good article on the subject, eBay would do something do something about these graders. This is my personal challenge to these magazines, and the magazine does the right thing will earn my respect.