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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;oval_man, post: 1514219, member: 22602&quot;]I don&#039;t use this excuse (or believe in the rationale behind it) and in fact agree with you 100%: standards have slackened because collectors have let TPGs slacken. I&#039;m aware of the bull market ending 4 years ago and of prices generally declining since.</p><p><br /></p><p>But, if a collector wants to acquire a specific piece for his collection, what are his options but to accept current market conditions? If the collector sits on his hands waiting for an outcry by collectors to &quot;correct&quot; current TPG grading practices, he&#039;s going to miss a lot of coins, maybe once-in-a-lifetime coins (i.e., for his particular needs). I only want to stress, as I did before and as you point out above, that a collector is foolish if he isn&#039;t aware of the larger picture of the ebb and flow of &quot;standards&quot; and &quot;value.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>I respect your cautious outlook on grading (and historical experience with grading standards); I&#039;m there; I wish grading standards would tighten and remain consistent. In the meantime, I think if one buys quality coins and has a long collecting horizon, he&#039;s going to be able to do okay and weather the fluctuation of the standards. Seriously, what else can you do?</p><p><br /></p><p>I find it interesting that the same argument can be had about toners, or about PMs or stocks for that matter. Do you buy attractive toners today or sit on your hands because you think the market is overvalued? If you sit on your hands, you&#039;re apt to lose a few beauties. No matter how much research you do, it&#039;s going to come down eventually to a call.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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