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Are graders biased?
MICHAELDIXON
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If "John" has a preference for blast white coins, do you think he grades original skinned, toned coins lower than he would blast white ones? And likewise, if "Tom" has a preference for original skinned, toned coins, do you think he grades blast white coins lower than toned ones? Would either give a boost for their preference?
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New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
If a particular bias is strong, it should eventually become obvious to the other graders and efforts can be made to "correct" it.
As a couple of examples, typically, I am not overly concerned with a coin's strike, unless it is noticeably weak. I had to learn to place a bit more emphasis on strike. On the other hand, I had a tendancy to "micro-grade" - to place too much emphasis on tiny flaws, while not giving enough credit for other positive compensating factors.
And Yes Mark sometimes you do micro grade. A 29S merc you looked at years ago comes to mind.
Ken
<< <i>If "John" has a preference for blast white coins, do you think he grades original skinned, toned coins lower than he would blast white ones? And likewise, if "Tom" has a preference for original skinned, toned coins, do you think he grades blast white coins lower than toned ones? Would either give a boost for their preference? >>
I'm glad that Tom likes the original skinned, toned coins!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
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<< <i>Speaking as a former grader, my answer is that everyone is biased (either consciously or not), in one way or another. But that graders make efforts to overcome any bias that they are aware of.
If a particular bias is strong, it should eventually become obvious to the other graders and efforts can be made to "correct" it.
As a couple of examples, typically, I am not overly concerned with a coin's strike, unless it is noticeably weak. I had to learn to place a bit more emphasis on strike. On the other hand, I had a tendancy to "micro-grade" - to place too much emphasis on tiny flaws, while not giving enough credit for other positive compensating factors. >>
I wish I could find all the coins Mark graded whilst working for the TPG, they would all be way undergraded
Alan, I know you were (mostly) kidding, but remember, I was providing just one opinion and was not a finalizer.
<< <i> I had a tendancy to "micro-grade" - to place too much emphasis on tiny flaws, while not giving enough credit for other positive compensating factors. >>
I do this now with buying coins period . I usually grade a coin down 1 grade due to these flaws, especially with coins I dont usually collect or deal with on a regular basis
All graders react differently to various attributes like marks, depth and location of same, brightness, color, and eye-appeal. Are they brutalizing dull coins or valuing brightness? Etc, etc. The nicer the coin, the more you find people agreeing.
Variations are everywhere. TPGs use consensus grading from great graders with millions of images in their heads both individual and blended. The pattern recognition wetware is in place.
More reliable/predictable, nothing like precise.
...ditto ricko.
<< <i>If "John" has a preference for blast white coins, do you think he grades original skinned, toned coins lower than he would blast white ones? And likewise, if "Tom" has a preference for original skinned, toned coins, do you think he grades blast white coins lower than toned ones? Would either give a boost for their preference? >>
I think their challenge is to remain as unbiased as they can. That's their goal, anyway. In fact, as a commercial, third-party grader, that's really their only utility. They're here, in other words, only because of the existence of bias, and to hopefully eradicate, or, at least, reduce same. That bias, of course, would be the natural bias of the seller to grade high and the buyer to grade low.