... is:

I think Michael Knapp did a fine job putting the seminar together -- and I appreciated the opportunity to speak my piece in opposition to slabbing. I know some of you felt that this should not have been allowed to happen and that the slabbers were just given an opportunity to proselytize, but the best way to keep slabbing out of our hobby is to make sure everyone is fully aware of the truth of slabbing.

Let's give the devil his due: Steve Rocchi of Collector's Universe gave a very professional presentation and provided some extremely useful information (particularly the news that their graders must divest themselves of their collections of whatever collectible they are grading).

What's more, he had the courage to come and beard the lion in his own den (something his counterparts from ICG were apparently unwilling to do). To clarify this point, ICG WAS invited to participate, but failed to respond in a timely manner, so Collector's Universe was invited in their place.

Based on what Mr. Rocchi had to say about the procedures Collector's Universe follows in entering a new collectible field, I suspect that they would have received a much different reception than ICG did when they decided to jam their "service" down our throats.

There was not enough time for everyone to ask the questions they obviously had (for reasons already discussed on the board). This was unfortunate.

It is my belief, based on what Mr. Rocchi had to say, that Collector's Universe will reach the conclusion that chip slabbing is not (at least not yet) economically viable. I will be very surprised if they decide to begin slabbing chips. Whether ICG will perservere or not, I don't know. However, I suspect that they are failing and will continue to fail to make a profit. So, no matter what their "sunk" costs are, I'd bet their ongoing expenses and lack of business will drive them out of our hobby.

Which is not to say that they may not come back sometime in the future -- or that Collector's Universe may not take another look at us down the road.

In any event, I still think it's a good idea for everyone who wants to prevent chip slabbing to write to David Hall, the founder of Collector's Universe, to discourage them from slabbing chips.

----- jim o\-S