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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;NPCoin, post: 405849, member: 5629&quot;]Not the complete collapse of the numismatic market, but the TPG market.&nbsp; Your explanation of why you like CaC reveals some insight into what I&#039;m talking about.&nbsp; There is already a system set up for sight-unseen trading of coins - that of the TPGs.&nbsp; However, we are already seeing speculators losing faith in the TPGs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, there are a number of reasons for this failing faith including the advent of the &quot;self-slabbers&quot;, apparent changes in standards, apparent inconsistencies, apparent conflicts of interest...the list goes on and on.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thus we now have the advent of CaC, who are supposed to do what the TPGs were already supposed to be doing...creating a system to market coins sight-unseen.&nbsp; Faith is now restored for some!&nbsp; But, what is going to happen when the faith in CaC falters, and the same tar pits that the TPGs have ventured into befall CaC?</p><p><br /></p><p>CaC is supposed to build faith in the sight-unseen market, which is the world of the TPGs.&nbsp; If faith in CaC fails, where are the TPGs going to stand, because faith is already faltering heavily with speculators.&nbsp; If this were not so, CaC would not have even been able to think about finding a foothold in the sight-unseen market.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s good that you do not believe there is an ulterior motive, because if you do begin to think so, where will you put your faith in the sight-unseen market?&nbsp; However, consider this:&nbsp; the sight-unseen market already exists to an extent, and those involved in that market are already milking the masses for what it&#039;s worth.&nbsp; John Albanese is in no way creating a market, he is manipulating a market.&nbsp; Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with market manipulation as long as it is known that is what you are doing.&nbsp; Many large dealers and auction houses are involved in such manipulations, but I do not know of any that hide the fact by claiming to be some sort of numismatic do-gooders trying to get the best deals for the collectors.&nbsp; No.&nbsp; They are in the business of making money for themselves and their suppliers and they&#039;re good at what they do.</p><p><br /></p><p>That is why I believe there are ulterior motives to CaC.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is entirely not true, as you actually state in the next sentence. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Again...faith!&nbsp; The CaC sticker gave supporting faith in the coin - a faith that the TPG itself should have already instilled, but for reasons given above, is not there.&nbsp; Would you have placed the bid if a person you completely trusted told you that they looked the coin over and it&#039;s a stunner cameo!?&nbsp; Think about it.&nbsp; It&#039;s the fact that there was something else there that enforced your faith in the sight-unseen transaction.&nbsp; It could have been CaC, it could have been a close and trusted source or friend, it could have even been a new TPG that has finally proven to the numismatic world that &quot;graders can get it right all of the time&quot;.</p><p><br /></p><p>The point is is that a speculator or collector must have faith in the source of the coin and its description.&nbsp; When faith disappears, then that source will ultimately disappear with it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately, the slab market is not just limited to the internet.&nbsp; There are plenty of slabs in dealers&#039; shops who have never went on the internet, let alone a computer.&nbsp; These are the hot beds for possible CaC counterfeits.&nbsp; Yeah, the counterfeit may be found after the fact of the sale, and the dealer will have to reimburse the buyer, and after it&#039;s all said and done, CaC will just leave a bad taste in the small dealers&#039; mouths.&nbsp; This is important, because many new collectors will eventually end up in these B&amp;Ms, and that sentiment of CaC could start trickling upstream.&nbsp; Not only that, but &quot;newbies&quot; will not necessarily have this knowledge, and will leave the slab game in contempt.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Numismatics is a rather philosophical hobby.&nbsp; Grading itself is subjective and one&#039;s philosophies will overall affect, in the very least, that aspect of their participation in this hobby.&nbsp; So would also such issues as errors, cleaning, toning, damage of various sorts, buying and selling strategies, etc.&nbsp; You cannot get away from the philosophical aspects of this hobby.</p><p><br /></p><p>And since one&#039;s philosophies are at the forefront in numismatics - as a collector (not necessarily as a speculator) - then initial approvals and objections will always be philosophical in nature.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope this gives you a bit more insight into some of what I am speculating and foreseeing with regards to CaC.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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