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[WhenItWasAHobby]

Originally Posted by shelly

I was just wondering why no one posted this?

Shelly,

We did get real-time posts on one of either the Wagner/Mastro/Black Swamp threads by one of the members who attended the luncheon when David Hall was speaking, but thanks for posting this. The article does add some minor details of issues that I was not aware of.

I hadn't attended a registry luncheon since 2003 (Atlantic City) where collectors were disturbed and confused regarding the rumors about PSA going to half grades. When the topic came up at the luncheon, Joe Orlando announced, "Read my lips, no half grades!" Since Joe Orlando is one of the most stand-up guys in the hobby and that was a verbal declaration, I now realize what Joe really meant was "Read my lips, KNOW half grades!" - as in "know" in the biblical sense - a knowledge of passion and intimacy.

Another heartwarming story is that a friend of mine who attended the 2009 Registry Luncheon asked Joe a question about concerns of doctored cards in PSA holders. This happened as the luncheon was breaking up and Joe, being quick on his feet, gave my friend a personal and speedy escort out the exit door to make certain my friend didn't get trampled over by other attendees rushing out of the venue to get back to the convention. That's how much Joe cares about the hobby. Unfortunately, the downside of this preferential treatment is that it didn't give Joe any time to respond to the question.