Bernie,

I think you've just hit on one of the issues that no one really wants to talk about. That is to a large degree many people's objection to slabbing really boils down to an objection to a numerical grading system.

However rather than try to deal with the much more problematic issue of grading, they instead focus on the "slab"

Intestingly enough, earlier on I asked whether an individual should be able to essentially slab his own chips. That is grade them and place them in a tamper proof package (one that once it is opened can't be resealed). This wasn't a silly what-if game as somebody suggested.

The point was to draw people's attention to think about what actually was objectionable by slabbing. I think what people really object to is putting grading into the hands of an outsider. And I think that they would be better served if they focused their attention to the grading issue and not the slab.

Of course you can't ban grading so it is harder to deal with this issue.