All coin grading is subjective opinion -- including grading done by third-party grading services.

We believe the third-party grading system is useful to the coin community. However, we are truly concerned when some collectors abdicate responsibility for learning how to grade coins and rely completely on the opinion of others.

It is in the collector's best interest to learn to grade coins in his preferred series. His goal should be to develop an educated, experienced opinion on the grade of a coin, and then, if he chooses, have his opinion supplemented or validated by dealers, collectors or third-party grading services.

Individuals who don't take the time to learn about coins before committing substantial funds are poor candidates for collecting success.

Good luck, and happy collecting!