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Message:: [QUOTE="ToughCOINS, post: 2065407, member: 20480"]The grading system exists solely to correlate the condition of a coin to a gross pricing mechanism for those who do not know the market well enough to rely upon their own knowledge.  Those who know the market well make the transactions which the publishers of price guides later learn of and eventually reflect with adjustments.  That is why those who buy strictly based on price history are always behind the curve, whether the market is trending up or down. I feel that technical grading is all that is needed, and that the addition of a premium for exceptional appeal, or penalizing a coin for some shortcoming should be left to the buyer.  While technical grading does little to protect the lazy investor who cares little for learning the nuances associated with assigning value to a technically graded coin, I think it would be much better for the hobby at large.  We collectors would have less deep pocket competition, less market volatility to contend with, more nice coins available to collectors of modest means, and therefore more new collectors . . . especially the young. The only downside to tecghnical grading in my mind is that the market would shed those who don't really care about coins in the first place . . . A bad thing?  I personally don't think so.  - Mike[/QUOTE]