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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Morgandude11, post: 1445474, member: 37839&quot;]I&#039;d disagree most strongly.&nbsp; Before TPGs existed, it was the &quot;wild west,&quot; and a far more adversarial relationship existed between hobbyists and dealers.&nbsp; Misgrading was the rule, rather than the rare exception (as with TPGs).&nbsp; Coin doctoring was at an all-time high in the early 80&#039;s, and while it is far from gone, the TPG services minimize its impact.&nbsp; They also make it possible for internet purchases, as one can see if they think a coin is what they are looking for via photography, and buy it, without traveling all over the country, if one is reasonably savvy&nbsp; With return policies by reputable dealers, that makes life far easier.&nbsp; I live in an area where few coin shows take place that are not a 4-6 hour drive away, and buy lots of coins when it motivates me to do so--for me it is a &quot;time and aggravation&quot; saver .&nbsp; It has enhanced the hobby, and the investment aspects immeasurably,and I really don&#039;t see the merit to this back and forth argument.&nbsp; Obviously, some individuals are expert graders here.&nbsp; Others are only &quot;good at it&quot; (like myself), despite over 40 years of collecting.&nbsp; As I said before,TPGs level the playing field,and eliminate a lot of worry and blatant dishonesty from the field.&nbsp; I don&#039;t pretend to be the ultimate expert grader--am I pretty good at it?&nbsp; Yes, of course, as I have studied it for years.&nbsp; However, I like expert vindication from a third party, and PCGS and NGC do exactly that for me.</p><p><br /></p><p>Newer collectors and not well-trained ones are given an essential service--if they have price guides and pricing information, they can safely make an enlightened decision, and learn from successes, rather than mistakes.&nbsp; I hailed the advent of third party grading, as it has made my life easier for the past 20 plus years as a collector, and made it possible for the young collector to start out with nice coins that are known to be safe investments.&nbsp; The raw coin market is very tough--even experts get fooled often.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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