An independent certification body for premium quality within the grade?

[packs]

Isn't this what PSA's half point system accomplishes?

[jcmtiger]

I don't think so.

Joe

[barrysloate]

If there really is someone who can detect an altered card with far greater accuracy than the grading services, why not skip the TPG altogether and just send it to him. I don't understand why two people have to look at it. Why not just pick the one most skilled?

[packs]

My apologies. My comment was re: establishing a premium quality within a grade.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

If there really is someone who can detect an altered card with far greater accuracy than the grading services, why not skip the TPG altogether and just send it to him. I don't understand why two people have to look at it. Why not just pick the one most skilled?

I totally agree. Then again, if you skipped the TPG and sent the card directly to Kevin, all those brain washed registry guys couldn't compete anymore.

Some people say that TPGs have ruined the hobby. I disagree. The registry ruined he hobby.

[doug.goodman]

That's it!

Finally!

Sanity comes to our hobby!

Grading the graders.

It's such a simple concept.



fade to daydream sequence...

We see a collector opening his mail at the kitchen table in 2043...

He smiles to see that the International Grading All Graders Society (I-GAGS) has certified that certification by the Society Uv Card Kings (SUCK) who had certified the grading certificate by CAC of his PSA graded card.

Now he could rest easy that his Kevin Maas rookie card was in fact a 5.5 on a 10 scale.

end dream sequence.


Apologies for changing the spelling of the word "of" for sake of a witty acronym.

Doug

[FrankWakefield]

Slabbing slabs. It's been smashed around here in at least 2 different threads over the years. I'd rather spend the money on another card rather than a slab or a slabbed slab.

[steve B]

I'm not sure about making calls on a card already in a slab. It can be done, but I'm not certain if it can be done reliably and profitably. The comment posted elsewhere about 15 min/card makes me think the price wouldn't make it practical for most cards.

But

Besides the group doing something with slabbed coins the stamp hobby has a fine tradition of expert certificates, some more reliable than others (Slabbing was tried by PSAs stamp division and has been a failure) And it's typical for some higher value stamps to come accompanied by multiple certificates.

I do think there's room in the grading business for a premium service. Not merely slabbed with a somewhat arbitrary number assigned, but a truly premium service that would slab -Or perhaps not slab, or review while in a slab, and supply a detailed written report. Expensive and time consuming certainly, but for very expensive cards it might be worthwhile. Such a service could also use a registry that allowed multiple companies cards to be entered, lowering the need for crossing over and the risks that brings.

Most other mature hobbies have fairly comprehensive national clubs that provide a number of services - magazine, authentication/grading, group rate insurance and educational. Compared to stamps and coins the card hobby is like herding cats.

Steve Birmingham
And just for clarity- I collect both slabbed and unslabbed, but can't see the point of slabbing vg or lower commons from common sets.