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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;09S-V.D.B, post: 214259, member: 4379&quot;]I <i>strongly</i> disagree with this statement. Third-party graders were a response to the numismatic market of the 60&#039;s and 70&#039;s, not the internet (the first third party authenticator/grader appeared in 1972, twenty years before the internet became available to the general public). Problem coins, forgeries, etc. traded for the same prices as original pieces and many dealers often sold junk at inflated prices to unknowledgeable collectors and investors without any return policy. Later, many people, seeing how prices had risen, went to collect their (expected) gains and learned they had bought junk. What would they do? Take the loss, and quit collecting permanently.</p><p><br /></p><p>In my opinion, the internet has opened up many doors for today&#039;s collectors that would otherwise be unavailable. For example, on this internet forum, I am able to share pictures and stories and converse with thousands of other collectors, something I can&#039;t do in person even today. Hundreds of thousands of pages of numismatic information are available (at no cost) to me, with topics ranging from general collecting to specialized studies. Say I would like to see what So-Called Dollars were produced in 1886. I type in my question, and bam, what do you know? So-CalledDollars.com has the information I am looking for. Without the internet, I would need a copy of the So-Called Dollar book, which currently sells for about $100, <i>if</i> a copy comes to the market. </p><p><br /></p><p>Stepping off my soapbox now.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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