If you were to start a NEW grading service...

[steve B]

I'd do a few things.

1)I'd reverse the turnaround time on the tiers.
2)That would allow extra scrutiny on more expensive cards.
3)Authenticity would not be pass/fail, there would be the option to decline an opinion until later or until more information was available.
4) The slab would have an enclosed slip like they do now, but would also have a compartment for a form that included detailed information. That form should answer any questions regarding why the grade might be less than the appearance would make you think.
5)Recognition for cards that are factory, but with odd cuts or that are undersize.
6) Slabs with gaskets that are both thick enough to work properly, and are available in colors. T206s look good in SGC slabs, but I don't think I'd say the same for 71 Topps or 1950 Drakes.
7) Maybe an option to include a litmus strip to monitor acidity of the environment inside the slab for sets on certain types of cardboard.

Business model stuff.
1) A registry that would include other grading companies. So you could have for instance 10 cards from steves grading, 20 from PSA, 5 from SGC and 3 from Beckett. The different companies would be weighted if it went beyond that. So maybe include GAI, but with a lower weighting.
2) A solid image database including front and back scans of all cards graded.
3) That would allow a no-slab grading option. We've never really had that, coins pretty much abandoned it, stamps has had it for over a century and while slabbing is an option it's been mostly rejected. The certificates usually have a photo attached that's essentially tied to the cert with something like a notary seal.

Umm....I guess I've thought a lot about this. If I was more organized I'd probably have the slabs prototyped already, but I know I'm not organized enough to make it work.


Steve B

[T206Collector]

I would do it like they do diamonds -- take a picture of the card, front and back, and return it with a sheet that describes the flaws of the card, from creases that are hard to see, to trimming/alterations. I was do away with the number system, and stick with the standard "Mint, NrMT, etc."

[Econteachert205]

I would hire computer programmers to create a program which would take high grade scans and assign initial numerical grades. Then I would use expert humans that have blacklights and other devices to double check the computer for errors. The cost per card would likely be quite a bit more, say between 20-50 dollars. This wouldnt be the company you send your ex 1968 ernie banks topps to. It would be geared toward high end cards and high grade cards.

[BobbyVCP]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

I would hire computer programmers to create a program which would take high grade scans and assign initial numerical grades. Then I would use expert humans that have blacklights and other devices to double check the computer for errors. The cost per card would likely be quite a bit more, say between 20-50 dollars. This wouldnt be the company you send your ex 1968 ernie banks topps to. It would be geared toward high end cards and high grade cards.

This is already in development. A machine that can precisely measure a card front and back as well as width. It will be able to analyze the cuts to see it it is factory or hand cut. It will use a new software that is currently used in the film industry that is for sequencing movie frames. It will be able to take existing graded images and compare them against each other to assign a numerical grade.

[packs]

Sounds like an expensive mistake to me. You've only got 2 major clients. And after they buy a machine or two, then what do you do?

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by packs

Sounds like an expensive mistake to me. You've only got 2 major clients. And after they buy a machine or two, then what do you do?

You don't sell them the grading machine/software - you lease/license it to them. And I'm sure there's other uses for the same technology.

[BobbyVCP]

Originally Posted by Tabe

You don't sell them the grading machine/software - you lease/license it to them. And I'm sure there's other uses for the same technology.

Exactly

[Exhibitman]

I'd primarily revise the holder and technical end of things.

The holders would have two components, an inner mylar sleeve for the item and an outer protective shell that would be sealed and tamper-evident.

The flip's largest feature would be the identifying data in big, bold letters.

Oddball sized cards would go into mylar sleeves sufficiently large to put the item into the next size up holder.

For an optional fee, the service would scan the item from and back and make the scan available to the owner to download for a set time, or for another fee, store it indefinitely in a customer managed account.

The registry would allow all services' cards but only my brand's cards would count towards ratings. Registrants would be allowed to add images of their cards to the system. Registrants could opt to make their registry sets anonymous, in which case the set would be described generally as % complete, but without a rating, in case the registrant wants to use the set as a checklist.

I would internally track who handles which cards and how many complaints emanate from each grader's work. Heads would roll...

No clubs to join. No fanny packs, t-shirts or other trinkets. We would have an injection molded custom box that would hold cards securely and would have a moisture proof gasket type of seal. A large version with handle would be available.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by BobbyVCP

This is already in development. A machine that can precisely measure a card front and back as well as width. It will be able to analyze the cuts to see it it is factory or hand cut. It will use a new software that is currently used in the film industry that is for sequencing movie frames. It will be able to take existing graded images and compare them against each other to assign a numerical grade.

Tell us more, please.

[obcmac]

Originally Posted by BobbyVCP

This is already in development. A machine that can precisely measure a card front and back as well as width. It will be able to analyze the cuts to see it it is factory or hand cut. It will use a new software that is currently used in the film industry that is for sequencing movie frames. It will be able to take existing graded images and compare them against each other to assign a numerical grade.

I'm excited about this too. I don't think you can reliably tell if a card has been trimmed (well). What you can know however is the precise dimension of the card in question and compare that to the average dimension of an unaltered source. Then you wouldn't see nrmt 7's, you'd see cards that were .97 instead of 1.0. One guy's trimmed is another's nrmt...it's still subjective...but a short card is a short card.

[BobbyVCP]

Our main IT person at VCP is working on the project. His group of friends all have engineering degrees from MIT, Harvard, etc...They created this software for the film industry and it is amazing how accurate the results. We are in the process of applying it to VCP images in order to help identify cards listed in auctions for processing into our database. The testing is very promising and has yielded 100% accuracy so far. So taking it a step further he is working with his mechanical engineer to create a machine that will scan all sides of a card 6 in all. It will be able to analyze the images against existing images in our database. Once the card is identified it will have a list of parameters that it will have to uphold in the processing. I am sure the tolerance levels will be adjustable. It is just the start of things and hope to have a working model by this summer. This machine is not only for the TPG but any dealer that deals in volume. Because once the card is identified it will interact with the VCP database and give you values of the cards.

[111gecko]

"When I'm buying a card I want to know two things:

1. Is it authentic?
2. Has it been altered?

I can personally assign my own "grade" and determine the price I want to pay for the card.

I would support a company that used a simple concept like this..."

+ 1

Thats all I want to know..I can see what I am buying.

[glchen]

I'd keep the grading scale the same as PSA except I would move the 10 down to a 9.5 grade, and make the 10 grade Pristine instead of Gem Mint, which would be the 9.5 grade. The Pristine grade should have the same centering/tilt, etc, requirements on the back of the card as the front.

I'd use Beckett's holders but would improve the eye appeal some so it doesn't look so much like a brick. I like the fact that Beckett's holders cannot be compromised and there are no float or insert issues. I really like the PSA 5x7 holders, so I would use something like that. I would also have larger holders like SGC and Beckett, but I would improve both of them. (e.g., SGC's largest holder often comes apart, and Beckett is seriously too thick and looks really ugly.) I'd probably also create an even larger holder that could encapsulate larger premiums.

If the holders didn't already have this, I would add UV protection to them.

For cert verification, I would add high resolution front and back scans for the card. When you add your card to your registry, it would add this scan to it. (However, you would have the option to not show the scans or just show the front scan if you wanted.) In cert verification, I would also have comments from the grader on why that card received that grade (like you will occassionally receive when you send the card in for review.) I would debate adding one of those invisible daubs that PSA/DNA adds to auto submissions to the cards, so that if a card were re-submitted, the TPG would know that this was a re-submission and could check the previous cert #. On the flip, I would have one of those bar codes where if you scan it via your cell phone, it would automatically take you to the cert verification page for that card. Cert verification would also have date that the card was graded.

For an additional fee, I may have add data from VCP for that card or similar cards for that grade (similiar to what Heritage does on the coin side when they auction coins.)

I would use SGC's and Beckett's system of allowing cards of different sizes and grading tiers in the same return postage submission instead of PSA's more restrictive one. I would probably keep fees and turnaround times similar to PSA's. However, I'd either "guarantee" poppage on a certain date (like Beckett) or I would give greater clarity on where your submission was in the queue, so that submitters wouldn't always wonder why one submission popped so quickly and others were so slow. I would also measure turnaround time from the time the package is received and not from loggage time like PSA.

[Orioles1954]

I would love for a grading service to start grading and encapsulating wrappers.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

I would love for a grading service to star grading and encapsulating wrappers.

+1

Does/Has any TPG ever graded wrappers?

[glchen]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

+1

Does/Has any TPG ever graded wrappers?

GAI does with number grade. SGC does only as Authentic.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by glchen

GAI does

Eh.

[frankbmd]

Why is Wilbur Goode's scan in every post in this thread?

If this has been asked or discussed, I missed it in scanning this thread, but I didn't miss Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur & Wilbur, etc

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by steve B

4) The slab would have an enclosed slip like they do now, but would also have a compartment for a form that included detailed information. That form should answer any questions regarding why the grade might be less than the appearance would make you think.

I like this idea, but instead of a form placed into a compartment on the slab, place a QR code on the slab (in place of the bar code) that links to a web site that details all of the characteristics of the card.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

I like this idea, but instead of a form placed into a compartment on the slab, place a QR code on the slab (in place of the bar code) that links to a web site that details all of the characteristics of the card.

I think QR code would make a nice addition. I'd still provide the hardcopy since the QR code is unlikely to outlive the company if the company fails for whatever reason. The hardcopy could become separated from the card, but would be more likely to survive for a long time.

I'm trying to recall the oldest Stamp certificate I've seen on an available stamp. There are certainly some out there from the 70's as I can recall seeing one with a 1979 cert. The APS issued their first in 1903, but many collectors will have them redone if they're a few decades old. New information comes out, and being thin paper the condition can change. (even before grading they would mention certain types of flaws like creases, disturbed or missing gum etc. )

Steve B