To Slab, Or Not To Slab, Part Two
"Why do people have such a blind trust in these companies?" When speculators, investors, and various new numismatists become involved in buying and selling of coins, certified specimens are an attractive draw. Speculators and investors, particularly if they are new to the numismatic industry, generally see certified coins as selling well, along with being highly marketable because of the grade guarantee, and naturally purchase them. Additionally, ‘slabs’ are easier to sell, because the grade, for the most part, is set in stone, at least to a further extent then a uncertified ‘raw’ coin. New hobbyists, being inexperienced, see certified coins as being a safer buy, with far less risk of over-grading or faking. These people, along with other numismatists, have a blind trust in third-party grading companies because by almost everyone these companies are considered unbiased, as opposed to the seller or buyer and trustworthy simply because they have small benefit for being dishonest. Over time, it became more and more common for many to see the grade, see the company, and move right on to the price-haggling. For many, the name and the grade became all that were needed to make the click on "Purchase". For many, blindly trusting a third-party grading company became a natural thing. "Why do people have such a blind trust in these companies?" Because for many, the question, if any were asked, was, "Why not?"
