So...serious question that popped up in our Discord group the other day (jump in if you want to learn more - link in BIO)...we were looking at a pair of shoes that went for a hefty sum through one of

So...serious question that popped up in our Discord group the other day (jump in if you want to learn more - link in BIO)...we were looking at a pair of shoes that went for a hefty sum through one of the major auction houses and I was asking what everyone thought the grade should be.  
 
Now...the thing is...this pair of shoes is nearly 40 years old. It’s a Jordan 1 Player Exclusive made for the GOAT himself (so a size 13 left and a 13.5 right), but the pair was actually never worn. 35 years worth of leather, rubber, fabric, glue, etc….the shoes still show some significant deterioration.  
 
Some people said the grade should be high (ie: 8.5-9.5) because it’s a 35 year old shoe and is in near immaculate condition for a shoe that’s 35 years old. And, considering that argument - I would agree. If one took into account the age of a pair of shoes - this pair has held up pretty damn well.  
 
But then someone asked - ‘is it fair to grade game worn memorabilia on the same grading scale as non-game worn? Are there any varying factors with certain circumstances?’ Great question. GREAT question. And I suppose this can be *almost* a very personal question...especially if you have a nostalgic connection WITH that memorabilia. I responded that we cannot change the grading scale based on external factors.  
 
There are two reasons for this - (1) Who am I (or anyone else) to allot special circumstances to any piece of game-worn memorabilia? Who am I to say Jordan’s eighth game shoes should be graded a bit lighter than his fourteenth game shoes? And (2) From what I understand - that’s not how grading works in any of the other collectibles industries. I modeled my grader off of existing grading companies, so I set up my grader in a similar way.  
 
A 1952 Mickey Mantle is graded against the SAME grading standards as a 2003 Lebron James. A pair of 1985 game worn Chicago 1’s is graded against the SAME grading standards as a pair of 2015 Chicago 1’s. The reason? If you own a 1952 Mickey Mantle - who gives a damn what the grade is - you’re holding an incredible piece of history. Same as ANY pair of game worn Jordans.  
 
What do you think? Fair or not?