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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;physics-fan3.14, post: 3837082, member: 19165&quot;]As the host of the Official CoinTalk Grading Experiment, I may be biased in saying that I find the GTG threads incredibly useful as a teaching/learning tool.</p><p><br /></p><p>I always used to say that the absolute best way to learn to grade was to look at hundreds of graded examples of coins and compare your grade to theirs. However, I&#039;ve come to realize that is the long way round - you can look at 20 coins with an experienced grader, pointing out what they see and why they grade the coin the way they do, and that is *far* more useful thank looking at 200 coins on your own. The most valuable 4 minutes of my numismatic career is when I went to FUN and had the president of NGC, Mark Salzberg, look at three of my coins. The amount I learned in that single 4 minute period, as he explained the grades on my coins (and directed the staff to upgrade one of my coins!) was absolutely brilliant. If you are going to a big show, try to arrange some one-on-one time with a leading grader/collector/dealer, and have them talk through why your coins graded the way they did while you look at them together. Absolutely the most valuable time you&#039;ll spend at a show!</p><p><br /></p><p>I always encourage people to post their impressions and opinions in the GTG threads, because that&#039;s the only way we can help! If I see someone talking about how the marks on a coin lower the grade to AU, I can point out their errors. If I see someone talking about how cameo contrast is required for a PL coin, I can teach them about the actual requirements for a PL coin. I really don&#039;t know what I need to help with until I know what people need!</p><p><br /></p><p>And really, the same goes for me: I&#039;m still learning, there are many things I still don&#039;t know yet. The expert on that coin or that series doesn&#039;t know to teach me that knowledge until I ask the question or make a silly statement. This is the power of the GTG threads: I can learn and teach, and the information is freely shared. That&#039;s the whole point of being here, right?</p><p><br /></p><p>And this is why I hope *everyone* feels welcome to post their thoughts on a GTG. Either you are knowledgeable about the coin and can share your insights with others, or you are learning about that coin and we need to know what you need to know.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for CoinTalk graders I highly respect: [USER=15309]@Lehigh96[/USER] , [USER=1765]@messydesk[/USER] , [USER=43130]@C-B-D[/USER]&nbsp; have to be very high on my list. We don&#039;t necessarily always agree, but I highly respect their knowledge and experience, and their ability to articulate the reason for their grade.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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