I thought it would be interesting to discuss some TCA grading standards. It seems there are a lot of misconceptions about them, different opinions to be sure, but to me they seem perfectly clear and reasonable.

Per TCA's website: Excellent - all original minute scratches and paint nicks, no rust and no missing parts. No distortion of component parts.

I recently just read Charle's discussion about grading, linked somewhere here on his website. I forget where. 99% of what he says I agree with, but I take issue with one point on his discussion of rust. The fact that he points out his views on rust is great though. That way we all know where we stand when he grades items.

In my opinion, an excellent grading means just as defined, including no rust. To me, that means NO RUST, visible at all. I think Charles said something about if there was just a very little (short paraphrasing here, so forgive me Charles), easily cleaned off or gotten rid of with the likes of some WD40, he see's no reason to not grade it excellent just for that.

In my opinion, if someone wants to grade it excellent in this situation, then they should clean the rust off to do so. Why should I have to clean the rust off, when much of the industry says "no rust" to be graded excellent? I know many folks who agree with me on this. In fact, I 1st learned about this issue from a fellow here, who had bought a item from me, that I graded excellent. There was some small points of oxidation that I had missed, so I had to agree with him that it wasn't excellent.
Part of the reasoning here, is how in the world could you really know how bad the rust is, if you haven't cleaned it off? Sometimes in my experience, what looks like light rust, that should clean off easily, is really deaper and has visibly pitted the metal, if even just a little bit.

For this reason, very few items I buy from Choochooauctions that are graded excellent, actually are, in my humble opinion. Now, I know this is the case ahead of time, so no big deal. I still buy them and get some great deals. Most, with few exceptions, actually do clean up to excellent, but I had to do the work. Sometimes it is quite a bit of work.
I just don't feel right about grading a item excellent, especially if i'm going to sell it, if there is any visible rust at all.

This is of course, just my humble opinion and I'm just throwing this out as a topic for discussion.

Thoughts?

Here is the article. It is under the "articles" link on the home page. A good read. Oh, how I have seen many of the same examples of over grading.

http://www.choochooauctions.com/grading.html

Foolish inconsistancies is the hobgoblin of little minds.

Longfellow

lol..or nuts!

By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Or someone said it better before, and there really is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Allow me another little constructive (I hope) critique. Auction stickers are being put on old original boxes and on the lionel stickers underneath the cab roofs of the steam locos. Sometimes they come off easily, and sometimes they cause damage when removed.
Just a little irritation amongst the overall wonderful experience I always get from the Choomeisters here!

First of all let me say I have found many good deals here but have learned to take the grading of most items tongue in cheek. I haven't had to deal with any rust issues but "like new in the original box" should mean no corrosion on the trucks and no broken parts. I'm an operator; not a collector, so I don't expect perfection but perhaps the powers that be should take some time to open boxes for a cursory examination before pronouncing the grade as such and such. Not a slam; just a suggestion. I will keep buying from Charlie since he has the best deals and great service.