Ron; These grading companies have set themselves up to be the counterpart to the Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval authority. Veteran card collectors with 20 or more years experience in that hobby (and now the chip hobby as well) are no longer qualified to assess the condition and value of cards and chips. If this craziness is allowed to continue out of control.... there is no way that Jim Steffner would have realized $15,100 on ebay for his Hacienda chip. It would have had to have been submitted to a grading service a few years down the road to command such a price in my opinion.

Who do I blame for this recent intrusion into our hobby? I certainly don't blame the grading companies. Hell, they've been up front with us... all they want is our money to pay for their grading fees and encapsulation services. No, I blame our current club officers for allowing them to stick their noses under our convention tent and I also blame ourselves for falling into this slippery trap.

Since when does a new employee of a grading company with a title of "associate grader" or "senior grader", posses more grading skills than a chipper with 10, 15, 20 or more years experience handling casino chips?

I hope that there is a loud, clear message that is conveyed this June at the Slabbing Seminar being held in Las Vegas. While Jim Reilly may have lost his bid for the Club Presidency, I sincerely hope that his simple message, "Not In My Hobby", is adopted by the overwhelming majority of CCGTCC members.

As an aside to Walter... I'm not telling anyone what to do. I'm merely expressing my opinon and making a suggestion. Everyone is free to do what they like and to express an opposing viewpoint if they wish... or they can sit on the sidelines and "lurk". That's what this bulletin board is all about. It has nothing to do with being on the "inside" or being treated like an "outsider". Everybody IS somebody on this bb.