I'm not sure why, but grading companies don't seem to downgrade cards with heavy oxidation/toning. Why is this? The sample below is in a 5 holder, which is about right for the corner wear. But compare the 2 and most would agree the card on the right is somewhat "ugly". The front is just as dramatic. Any thoughts?

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grading - when it works - is most useful for questions of authenticity and buying/selling an item that can't be seen or otherwise described in a transaction. The lack of consistancy and defineable standards within the company and between companies is one of the inherent problems with graded cards. The fact one is told what a grading company perceives to be the grade of a card must be balanced with knowing the factors they use to make up that grade - as there are many subjective elements to grading. If the back or any other element is an issue (which it would or should be with a graded or non-graded assessment) - that's for the collector themselves to determine. I suppose consistancy and standard non-biased application of the rules would be what I would look for in a grading company. I have some graded cards and frankly like the way they look in the slabs and they're easy to store or display.

Richard--I have often wondered the same thing--I much prefer a grade 5 that is in focus, well centered & clean/white---as opposed to a grade 7 or 8 that has better corners, but is heavily discolored or has terrible print lines or is out of focus---another reason to collect the card, & not the grade.

Hello to All ,

Good point Richard , as with a lot of collectors i've often thunk about it as well .

How can grading companies say a card is Exc/Mint when the backs/borders etc are off color ?
Surely they didn't go into the packs that way !

As AlanRM pointed out in a grading thread , certain companies put toooo much emphasis on centering etc ..

If you don't want the above card , my address is....

There's one thing to learn from this- regardless of the grade, don't buy the card unseen. Grading scores are only one-number approximations; there are many aspects to the eye appeal of a card, and they cannot be suumarized by a single number, even when an qualifier is added. In my opinion, grading companies also do not place a high enough value on image registration, either.