Grading Guarantees - Are They For Real???

steve B · #1 07-27-2022, 08:30 AM

What's needed is handling it in a slightly different way.

Philatelic foundation is mostly about authentication, but have decided to do some grading.

If you send in an item that you think is expensive and as is usual it turns out to be a common version, they charge for the common verson, usually their minimum I think $35. But they issue a certificate identifying it for what it is.
And if it's altered... it gets a big "Warning this is altered or faked" rubber stamp in red (Maybe a different printed form? I never checked mine all that closely.)
And the problem is clearly described.

PSA could easily do the same.
For example, I send in a Dover reprint with the perforations shaved off. No more ?auth, which reads like an "I don't know" opening the door to sketchy sales. They charge the base fee, (Or maybe even keep it at the higher fee) And slab it as "Dover reprint -Trimmed"

oldjudge · #2 07-27-2022, 09:00 AM

Bob--As you and I remember grading companies, or at least SGC, used to charge a fixed fee for card grading, regardless of the value of the card. Why is it a sliding scale based on value now? Why does a dog lick its' balls---because it can.

BobC · #3 07-27-2022, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Bob--As you and I remember grading companies, or at least SGC, used to charge a fixed fee for card grading, regardless of the value of the card. Why is it a sliding scale based on value now? Why does a dog lick its' balls---because it can.

Oh yeah Jay, I do remember that now that you mention it. That didn't last long, did it? LOL

They knew a good thing when they saw it. The fact that people would pay additional fees to one TPG just set the way for all the others to do the exact same thing. A great business move on their part, from a then current profit standpoint. Still not a proper thing for any company offering supposedly independent opinions to do IMO. But if the public doesn't call them out and just goes along, everyone gets stuck with it and it is now the accepted practice and too late to ever easily change it.

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