Argument for why Tobacco insert cards cannot realistically be Grades of 8 or 9

[barrysloate]

It is no doubt a hoax Corey, but it is the engine that propels this hobby forward. If we all agree that the registry is what brings the big money into the hobby, then the hobby needs as many high grade cards as possible. So wouldn't it make perfect sense to turn a blind eye to the chicanery of the card doctors, since they are providing a service that is desperately needed? They are supplying the hobby with high grade cards, thus making access to the registry that much easier. The more high grade cards out there, the more well pocketed collectors can play.

Third party grading was never about accuracy and precision. It was always about keeping customers happy and coming back. When I was active in the business, I remember having a number of conversations with customers that went something like this: I sent five cards to the TPG, and four of them came back with evidence of trim. As such, I will never do business with that company again. Those conversations stuck with me. That's when I realized that collectors don't want a blunt assessment, they want good news. Good news is what keeps them in the hobby and makes them repeat customers. Bad news sends them someplace else.

Third party graders never entered the hobby to clean it up and expose all the fraud. They came in to make a lot of money. And the way to do that is to make people happy. Why do you think when a collector resubmits a card for a regrade, the condition can only go up but can never go down? Because that's the only way to keep cards coming back for a second or third or fourth grading fee. If the card's grade could go down, the resubmission business would dry up. It's not about an accurate assessment, it's about keeping customers happy.

That's the business model. And the hoax you cite is really what helps the TPG's remain so very profitable. They may not be that skilled in grading and authenticating, but they are incredibly skilled at making money for themselves, their clients, and their stockholders.