Doomsday Preppers - What if there is a grading scandal?

[TheFrenzy]

Ok, I hope this isn't a taboo subject in the hobby. (Notice my post count. I'm new)

Since returning to the hobby, perhaps the biggest change I've noticed other autos and jerseys is the advent of grading cards. My question is, given:

- Human nature
- The inherent subjectivity of human graders
- The seemingly inherent corruption in most collectable hobbies

...what happens if someday it comes out that it's all a sham? That some companies purposefully suppressed the population of 10's and awarded the rare gems to those they had backdoor deals with? That numerous employees had been fired over the years for shoddy work that has tainted thousands of cards on the market? Or basically anything else that might erode the trust collectors seem to have in grading companies. Could there be a day when the hobby says "watch out. Be careful buying cards graded between 2006 and 2009."?

Just wondering. For the record, I have zero graded cards. Not necessarily because of these fears, I just haven't gotten into selling any of my cards yet.

[Ray27Ray52]

The issues you bring up have been talked about for years. The grading of fake autos and patches has happened. Questionable grades have happened. Not to mention the tremendous conflict of interest that Beckett has with their grading service. I like BGS over PSA for aesthetic reasons but I am not immune to my own hypocrisy in that.

[smackvay]

you make valid points however you have to trust the company you send to and the 2 i have contracts with i do trust. ive sent a card every now and then that had a HARD to find ding of scratch on it and they both have ALWAYS found it. now im talking about my pc players cards. Now on the highend scale of things all of my above statements are void and null. hope this helps. lol

[matt roberson]

It is a scam, I buy raw.

[mrveggieman]

I had a bad experience with beckett grading. If I need something graded I'm going with PSADNA.

[hugh]

you can look at the cards through the beckett or PSA case with a magnifying glass and 99% are completely correctly graded compared to shitty ungraded damaged cards

[Drdduet]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Ok, I hope this isn't a taboo subject in the hobby. (Notice my post count. I'm new)

Since returning to the hobby, perhaps the biggest change I've noticed other autos and jerseys is the advent of grading cards. My question is, given:

- Human nature
- The inherent subjectivity of human graders
- The seemingly inherent corruption in most collectable hobbies

...what happens if someday it comes out that it's all a sham? That some companies purposefully suppressed the population of 10's and awarded the rare gems to those they had backdoor deals with? That numerous employees had been fired over the years for shoddy work that has tainted thousands of cards on the market? Or basically anything else that might erode the trust collectors seem to have in grading companies. Could there be a day when the hobby says "watch out. Be careful buying cards graded between 2006 and 2009."?

Just wondering. For the record, I have zero graded cards. Not necessarily because of these fears, I just haven't gotten into selling any of my cards yet.

The integrity of card companies will always be in question. Just as medical providers who write prescriptions of narcotics just for the asking (with no solid medical indication) for an easy visit charge, there will be graders and grading companies that will bump grades for $$$ or favors.

A "day or reckoning" may not be easy to observe, because after all the graders will always escape severe consequences by stating it was just their "opinion" and in fraud cases, they'll claim "an oversight" or "an honest mistake."

[Jackg1980]

I thought this was going to be about prepping

[Clarka3]

i wonder if things would change if the specific grader for your card had their name somewhere on the slab (obviously not prominent) but there so if some scandal like this occurs it should be easy to see which cards were tainted.

[freethrowtommy]

I am fond of SGC's cases.

I can see the benefits of getting a card encased for protection, but I think grading is a scam all around.

[smackvay]

Originally Posted by freethrowtommy

I am fond of SGC's cases.

I can see the benefits of getting a card encased for protection, but I think grading is a scam all around.

I like sgc's cases over everyones!!! but i dont trust the grading as much as the big 2 companies.

[freethrowtommy]

Originally Posted by smackvay

I like sgc's cases over everyones!!! but i dont trust the grading as much as the big 2 companies.

I don't trust grading at all. After the whole Strasburg ordeal along with looking at some of the graded Topps Premiere fakes, they are all questionable.

SGC gets grouped in, but I haven't seen much wrong from them in regards to grading fakes. Anyone know?

[frankhoover]

For what it's worth, BGS is raising their prices starting in February. Don't know exactly how much, this is just what customer service told me. Now I'm going to send some in sooner than intended, before they increase their fees.

[hermanotarjeta]

Grading scandal? It's been the era of grading scandals since PSA came on the scene.

Since no cards have been "hurt" in this business scam, no one will ever kill this industry because so many people are making money and no human is getting hurt or abused.

Poor cards though, they are en-tombed for life.

Where is PETC when you need them? (people for the ethical treatment of cardboard)

Just remember, this is sportscards. If you buy/collect/sell graded, you take the same risks that everyone else who deals with graded has to deal with every day. You know the benefits, and you risk the consequences.

No US senator is going to bring this issue to congress- keep in mind this is a corrupt hobby with essentially no intrinsic value- don't invest your life savings into this "hobby".

It's pieces of cardboard, man, always remember that.

[achilles01987]

It is and has been a sham!