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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 9264, member: 112&quot;]Boy - I could write a book on this subject&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact I think I have&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>Seriously guys - I&#039;ve probably written more about this subject than any other. And I&#039;ve been actively proposing reforms within the grading industry for years. But it just aint gonna happen any time soon. Wanna know why ? Simple - because the majority of collectors don&#039;t want it to happen. When they do - and demand it - it will happen.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now then - the ANA used to grade coins and slab them. This was when the ANA owned ANACS. But that was some time ago. As it is - the ANA does not even authenticate coins any more. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now to the question - </p><p><br /></p><p>CDN does do this. It&#039;s on the front page of every issue. But for the most part - it&#039;s meaningless. One week ICG leads the pack - next week it&#039;s PCGS. While in reality it doesn&#039;t mean much at all.</p><p><br /></p><p>The answer to all this - at least until consistent and universal grading standards are adopted and enforced is to learn to grade yourself. You need to anyway for there will always be raw coins out there to buy. And once you do learn to grade accurately then you can risk looking at coins in 2nd tier slabs for a gem can be found from time to time in any slab.</p><p><br /></p><p>You also need to always remember - there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to slabs - for any of the grading companies. I have seen many overgraded coins in every slab out there. I have also seen undergraded coins in all of them. And accurately graded coins in all of them. For you see - even a blind chicken will find a June bug once in a while&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>There is something else that you should know - grading standards - even the ones used by the ANA have changed over the years. The standards used by the ANA are not as volatile as those used by the grading companies - but still they have changed. </p><p><br /></p><p>Today all of the grading companies use what is known as market grading. What this means is that they assign the highest grade to the given coin that the market will accept. So as people or the market changes - so do the grades. That&#039;s why so many folks make such a big deal out of the so called &quot;old holders&quot;. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now to continue this discussion things would begin to get rather complicated and quite lengthy. ( I told you it would take a book&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> ) So I&#039;ll cut it short here. But that kind of gives you an idea of what is going on and why.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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