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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ksparrow, post: 2086385, member: 7638&quot;]&quot;The problem is that few here are experienced enough to grade coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>This message board and others like it are among the Top 1% of 1% of the general public in terms of coin enthusiasm and knowledge. And yet, when there is a &quot;Guess The Grade&quot; thread, I see grades all over the map, anywhere from 2-4 grade levels difference (sometimes more). Sometimes a coin is MS and we have posters saying AU and vice-versa.</p><p><br /></p><p>And you wonder why the casual buyer wants the certitude of a TPG slab and/or CAC ?<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&quot;</p><p>Not really a fair assessment, IMO.&nbsp; You can&#039;t assess luster or light rub very well, if at all, from a photo, even if you have decent grading skills.&nbsp; Not to mention that many of us (I think!)&nbsp; don&#039;t stress too much over making a guess or try too hard to &quot;get it right&quot; every time.&nbsp; I do think the TPG&#039;s help the casual buyer a great deal, BUT they need to know what they are getting into when buying coins. </p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; No question in my mind that there has been a general loosening of grading standards for a variety of reasons, and never has it been more important to understand the condition of the coin in the slab, regardless of numbers or stickers.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The obsession with numbers and &quot;+&quot; signs has reached new levels of absurdity, I think.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the thread in the OP a large dealer talks about the &quot;wide range of quality between low end and high end MS-67+ coins.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; Huh???[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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