Hello,

I had a look to your grading system, and I agree it is much more accurated
and useful than the commonly used nowadays. I agree also that it will
probably not go further than it is now: tradition is a strong barrier and
changing things uses to be hard, but who knows?... I will feel very pleased
if it finally become a standard.

Only I miss a special category to put shells with special features
(rostrated, melanistic, freaks...) interesting for many collectors. To
consider this features as simply faults (though they really are) looks less
informative to me, despite if you search such information of course you
finally find it with your system. But have in mind that because of its
intrinsec value, this features are susceptible also to be graded themselves.

Anyway, a work to be proud of.
Best regards,

Alfonso Pina
Málaga, Spain
[log in to unmask]
www.malakos.org


----- Original Message -----
From: "tony gallucci" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2005 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: F+++/Gem, Awesome, Superb, Best we've ever seen, Selected few
etc.


> Some time ago i got quite disgusted with the state of grading -- less so
> with the upper grades, but more that so little could be deduced by
> descriptions of the lower grades. I also have always been perturbed by the
> poor quality of data that accompanies most shells. The limited number of
> dealers i work with now has more to do with the quality of the data i
> receive from them than anything else.
>
>
> it's at:
> http://milkriver.blogspot.com/2004/12/env-about-grading-of-shells.html

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