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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;mikenoodle, post: 821641, member: 307&quot;]I hate the idea of CAC, and third party grading in general. The initial idea was to be able to buy coins sight-unseen. </p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately that idea went by the wayside and what instead has happened is that collectors (in general) have had the incentive for them to learn to grade coins on their own removed.</p><p><br /></p><p>They don&#039;t need to worry about grading coins because nobody cares what they grade them anyway when it comes time to sell. The buyer is unable to determine what grade the coin is without someone else doing the work for them. What buyers care about is what the TPG graded them, and as the TPGs can be (and at times are) inaccurate, not so much what grade the coin actually is. This is NOT sight-unseen dealing.</p><p><br /></p><p>It used to be that when a person desired to purchase a coin that they study and learn what they are looking at so that they can discern between the wheat and the chaff. Now, buyers need not be knowledgeable they can depend on the TPGs to guarantee the grade for them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Great idea, right??? No. Because now what the next logical progression has become is a TPG (CAC) to grade the TPGs. Now not only to we not know how to grade a coin, but we have to have CAC tell us whether it is high-end for the grade, typical of the grade or substandard for the grade. </p><p><br /></p><p>Is this doing the hobby a bigger service or disservice? </p><p><br /></p><p>I am with borgovan in that although I owned some raw coins and I own some slabbed coins, I have never bought any of them for the TPGs opinion of grade. My suggestion is that we encourage people to become more knowledgeable about coins, minting and the grading process so that they can again learn to do it for themselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think what the TPGs have done most for the hobby is to bring in investors who eventually are going to lose on all of the over-hyped MS-69 and 70 coins that they pay these huge premiums for and will eventually leave the hobby. Maybe then it can be a hobby again and become an enjoyment and pursuit of knowledge rather than always &quot;What is this coin worth?&quot;[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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