Price is part of grading
While it is true we collectors ultimately set the prices paid, grading is or was supposed to be a way of helping to set a value. That is why PSA has its price guide by grade and is successful because they have made grading an expensive card necessary to sell it. The idea of grading is to give collectors a way to compare the net rating of a card and be able to gauge value based on the grade.
The idea that collectors paying more for a lower grade is a problem for grading companies. If SMR is to be believed then the grade highly determines a price. So if many collectors would choose to pay more for a well centered Mantle 4 over a 70/30 centered Mantle 6 then what is the purpose of the grade? It says to me that PSA and SGC are under valuing centering and other aesthetics compared to how defined are the corners.
I understand all the folks here who say the grade is just an assessment of certain parameters and we choose what we like. However if those parameters are seen as less important by collectors it is time to reassess those parameters.
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