Posted By:
PaulI don't get it. Just about everyone who has posted has agreed that the "Gem Mint" grade is awarded arbitrarily. Some may blame the grader, some may blame bias in favor of the submitter, and some may blame random luck. But the bottom line is, almost everyone agrees it is not based on merit.
Yet, a whole bunch of people have volunteered that they seek out these cards. Why? I know people want to "win" on the registry. But why would anyone want to win a game when they know the game is rigged? And I know people want a collecting challenge. But is it really fun to try to collect only those cards that have been arbitrarily awarded an arbitrary grade? Why not just collect only "9"s that have a serial number ending in "7"? That would be equally challenging.
Someone said above that it's a marketing ploy. I definitely agree. I'm just surprised that so many people fall for it, even with full knowledge that it's a marketing ploy. It's just bizarre to me.
I know, I shouldn't be critical of what other people collect. I should just be happy that they are spending their money on cards that I'm not buying, creating less competition for the cards I really want. For that, I am thankful.