What is it, exactly, about grading?

[Archive]

Posted By: Al C.risafulli

There are some great responses in this thread so far, and I love the fact that, for the most part, it's stayed respectful and on-point.

I do have to say that I resent the idea that stating a preference for graded cards makes me a slab head that collects plastic and numbers. While there most definitely are people like that, and we all know them, I would hardly say that "most" graded card collectors are like this. Most of the graded card collectors I know are quite the opposite; people who search out lower and mid-grade cards with great eye appeal, who focus on one or two key collecting interests, and who pursue their goals with the same zest as anyone else. I don't begrudge those who choose to collect the finest material, but I do struggle sometimes with people who are just seeking numbers without any passion for the cards themselves.

But I can't indict the grading industry for the fact that people like that exist; they exist in every walk of life. Certain types of people accumulate trophies, and it is what it is.

I started building a HOF type set about a year and a half ago. My goal was to collect one card of each member of the HOF, utilizing as many different card types as possible. One of the things I found was that, as the collection grew, there was no uniformity to it. Put a T205 next to a '41 Playball, next to a '36 Chicle Premium, next to an '89 Topps, next to an N28, and it's very disconcerting to look at, in my opinion. Tough to understand exactly what you're looking at.

So I chose to have them all graded, and am now amazed at how well they display. I keep them in order of their HOF induction, and I'm just so happy with it. There's a cohesiveness to it that didn't exist before they were in the slabs.

It's not that I have some super-cool, uber-valuable collection - in fact, quite the contrary. It's a nice collection with cards I love, some of which have a little value, and some of which don't. But I love them all, and would find it difficult to swallow the idea that because I prefer to have them graded and encapsulated, that somehow makes me inferior.

Anyway, I really appreciate all the opinions and would love to read some more.

-Al

Edit - this post isn't meant to slam my friends who collect high-grade stuff, either - I LOVE high-grade stuff. I'm referring more to the cert buyers than anything else and am not meaning to insult anyone.