I agree about high end chips, Although I don't forsee buying many high end chips (My most expensive single chip purchase was $100 including shipping and handling) there is only one chip that I really want that costs more than that and I don't forsee buying it any time in the near future. If I were spending big bucks on a chip I would want to have it in my hand, or deal only with a fellow club member who I know would allow me to return it if it wasn't in the condition I expected.

Scans and digital photos can be unintentionally deceiving. Condition and coloring which are easily detectable in person may not be evident in an image.

You may be against having a grading system, but we all do use grading systems and there is great value to us using the same one.

One more time. I do not support slabbing, but I refuse to believe that grading and slabbing are synonymous.