trav, you have the luxury of opting out of the tpa racket because you are an expert. If i want to sell something i do need to play the tpa game because i do not have a reputation as an autograph expert. Doesn't matter that the guy i bought it from is an expert or that i conclude that the item is good: That seller isn't there when i sell and my opinion doesn't carry the necessary weight with the consumer when it comes to autographs [yeah, i am an expert in boxing cards--sgc calls me with toughies--but not autographs]. I sent in the marciano because i wanted to have that tpa warranty for resale purposes. If they won't pass the item it is worthless to me as a seller.
Richard, of course the seller has bumped his price to cover the tpa fee. I don't care about that because i am not merely paying for the tpa fee, i am paying [and i acknowledge that i am paying] a "risk premium" to eliminate the risk of a tpa rejection on a raw item. It is all about fungibility for me. I only pay what i am willing to pay and i only buy what my eyes tell me is good based on my studies but if i ever want to resell profitably without relying on an ah, i need the tpa blessing on the item.
I'm gonna say a dirty word: "investment". I am not just a collector. Card are too damn expensive and i am not wealthy enough to treat the hobby as a hobby. Everything i buy [except for memorabilia of my cousins] i purchase with an eye on the investment potential and resale value, albeit with a long holding period and/or some risks involved. That's one reason why my book only lists actual transaction prices rather than projected prices except where clearly stated as an opinion as to what i think something should cost; i don't want to be accused of pumping and dumping my own stuff. Everything i own [except for memorabiia of my cousins] is for sale--for the right price i will even help you carry it to your car. That said, i gotta be sure everything i own can be moved, sometimes on short notice, because my main business ebbs and flows.
I'm also gonna say a nice word: "aesthetics". I happen to like how cards look slabbed, and i sometimes get them slabbed for display purposes. I like the way they line up in holders, like a museum display for my own private hall of fame. Like these:
