Good article, Paul. We don't need those sports card abuses in our hobby.

BTW, in thumbing through the ANA's "Numismatist" publication, I note that one coin slabber is now offering a "star" designation, in addition to the 70-step grading system, because they tout that some coins just have more eye appeal than others of the same grade. They offer you the opportunity to send in your (already slabbed!) coin and have it evaluated for a "star" designation (all at extra cost of course). And another coin collector was proposing an A/B/C/D designation, in addition to the 70-step grading, based on the quality of the strike. I'm not a coin collector, so all this compulsion on finer & finer grading is beyond me. Way too an@lly retentive for me. I just know I'm not for it! Once is starts, it will never end.

"My CS-70-star-A" chip is better than your CS-70-star-B" chip." Is that what you want to hear on the floor of the 2005 chip convention? If not, let's stop slabbing NOW!