Should grading services expand to grading other things?

I was thinking about how successful the grading services have become with their systems of grading, authenticating and holdering coins, currency, tokens, etc.. Why haven't they expanded? Ultimately I can see them getting into many different areas, antiques, old books, and yes, ultimately human beings. They might need to choose a non-Sheldon scale for those areas. Has anyone else proposed this?

 

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I could see this as a problem, they likely already pay a pretty penny for those in being experts and knowing how to grade coins, they'd have to hire experts in each field of antiques, old books and so on. I could see that getting costly (not only in salaries but also ongoing education for their employees) but there are already people who can do such things readily available for all specific things. When a service sticks to one thing they do best, they usually provide the best at it. When businesses start expanding to several fields, they tend to start slacking quality in all of them. It's the same reason we don't see Honda making computers, they excel at making cars but if they started spending more time on making computers, their cars might decline in quality and their computers would likely suck too.

 

Books are indeed graded but not to the minute levels that coins are.
http://www.firsts.com/Grading.html

 

I would hate to see what the slab would look like for an 1830 armoire.....

 

I don't wanna know my grade or be entombed in a slab.

 

I was thinking the same thing, except it was for an early 19th century Chippendale.

Chris

 

I do have a problem with graded comic books... they become unreadable once they're encapsulated. And with a 10 point grading system broken down into 25 "sub-grades", the possiblities of mis-grading increase dramatically. Like coins, the difference in price for even a half grade jump can be substantial (even into the thousands of dollars for rarer books).

http://www.cgccomics.com/grading/grading.asp

 

Grading human beings? We already have a 1-10 scale for physical attractiveness, and there is no way any TPG could guarantee that grade indefinitely. . TC

 

I'd only grade "Genuine/Details"!

 

....not to mention artificial toning, altered surfaces and peeling lamination.

 

I was thinking when the death rattle in the throat finally comes, and we likely get cremated, either the ash repositary or the tombstone could record grades for numbers of registry sets or grades for all areas of one's life. "He/she ended up being slabbed as an MS60, a few bag marks and hairlines, but never really saw circulation wear; and this duly noted in one's obituary". Suddenly there would be a lot of competion of others looking to up their cumulative grades. Most seem to want to leave the world exhausted, as an AG. If grades were to be provided for all so desiring it, there could be competition in that direction, EG, maximum wear.

 

At my stage of the game, I'd be happy to rate a VG!

 

My great-great uncle in all of his 102 years and counting is at least VF.

 

Dr Sheldon already did that. See Somatotypes

Then there are grading services for gemstones, and there are a couple companies that will take your cremains and use them to create diamonds. We can have you made into a diamond and then graded!

 

CGC is part of the NGC company which grades comics.
PSA is part of the PCGS company which grades sports cards.
I'm pretty sure one of them owns a title which grades stamps too can't remember the name.

 

Collectors Universe has a company that does stamps (PSE), and they have one that does autographs and memorabilia (PSA/DNA). And of course they also have a currency grading service that also uses PCGS. In this case the C stands for Currency.

NGC has PMG for grading currency

 

Can you imagine the grades on some of the Rock stars; I think they would body bag Keith Richards. They might tag a starlet "Harshly Cleaned and Excessive Face Lifts". "Genuine” would be highly sought for TV news commentators.