Fanatics to acquire Topps.

[The-Cardfather]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

Has Fanatics talked about issuing graded new cards? Seems crazy to sell cards to middlemen who deliver them unopened to PSA for grading and then auction them off to "collectors". Why not slab them as uncirulated, or something, and sell them directly?

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George,

I'm not saying that it won't happen, but from an integrity point of view; it's sort of like having a company CFO do a financial audit on the company he works for (as opposed to using an unbiased third-party firm).

[GeoPoto]

[QUOTE=from an integrity point of view; it's sort of like having a company CFO do a financial audit on the company he works for (as opposed to using an unbiased third-party firm).[/QUOTE]

I can see the conflict grading circulated cards, but slabbing cards before they leave the factory should be possible without exercising any "judgement" that could be corrupted by self-interest.

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

I can see the conflict grading circulated cards, but slabbing cards before they leave the factory should be possible without exercising any "judgement" that could be corrupted by self-interest.

Except it would be difficult grading cards you didn't produce.

Can you imagine if PSA only graded (say) Upper Deck cards? They would quickly become a bit player in the marketplace.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

I can see the conflict grading circulated cards, but slabbing cards before they leave the factory should be possible without exercising any "judgement" that could be corrupted by self-interest.

Agree, encapsulating a card before it leaves the factory is 100% accurate, and requires no judgement or the additional costs of hiring "expert" graders.

[steve B]

encapsulating and even grading cards before release has been done before

Signature rookies signature prime signed cards, all came in a had holder with a factory seal.

Collectors Edge Edge Graded had a PSA graded card in each pack.

I think there were others too.

And those were back when taking a piece out of PSA would have been a lot more likely.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by steve B

encapsulating and even grading cards before release has been done before

Signature rookies signature prime signed cards, all came in a had holder with a factory seal.

Collectors Edge Edge Graded had a PSA graded card in each pack.

I think there were others too.

And those were back when taking a piece out of PSA would have been a lot more likely.

Bowman did some auto rookies that were factory sealed in early 2000’s…


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[icollectDCsports]

I just hope that, in addition to the likely plethora of glitzy and iridescent junk they produce, they issue also a set of straightforward base cards every year.

[The-Cardfather]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

I can see the conflict grading circulated cards, but slabbing cards before they leave the factory should be possible without exercising any "judgement" that could be corrupted by self-interest.

I agree. The conflict-of-interest that I saw was if they were grading their own cards.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by The Cardfather

George,

I'm not saying that it won't happen, but from an integrity point of view; it's sort of like having a company CFO do a financial audit on the company he works for (as opposed to using an unbiased third-party firm).

Not really, because you'd only say the card is "uncirculated", which it is. Most people would expect a modern card coming off the printing line to be perfect and exactly the same as every other similar card just coming off the printing line, before it starts getting handled a lot and becomes circulated.
You wouldn't need an experienced grader to do that either, it would just be accepted by the collecting public.

Think of it maybe like autographed cards that Topps creates, has signed, and then inserts into their products. Topps states the autographs are real, and everyone pretty much just accepts it. I don't believe people normally take such autographed cards and then spend more money to send them in to a TPG to be authenticated a second time. They generally just accept Topps word, and that is it. So why wouldn't the same hold true for a card Topps sends out that claims it is uncirculated, and therefore should be perfect.