Swipe right - it’s a great comment. I responded shortly after - not really thinking it through - then I thought...this deserves a post and deleted my initial response. Although I certainly understand

Swipe right - it’s a great comment. I responded shortly after - not really thinking it through - then I thought...this deserves a post and deleted my initial response. Although I certainly understand where he’s coming from, I don’t think the WHOLE grading industry is based on this ‘pay to play’ idea. My SNEAKER grading  isn’t.
   
The genesis of sneaker grading came to me while I was doing meetups and trades for sneakers back when I lived in NY from 2003-2010. If you were on NT or ISS and you lived in New York, we probably crossed paths one time or another because I sold or traded hundreds of pairs of shoes through meetups. Each and every single person I met up with to trade had a VASTLY different definition of condition.    
   
I remember I met up with this dude from the Bronx who told me his Jordan IX’s were ‘worn but had a ton of life’. When I inspected the shoes they had literal HOLES in the bottoms of the soles peeking through to the insoles (he was a heavy dude). When I told him I couldn't take them - he was shocked and disappointed. He honestly thought his shoes were in good condition.   
   
Another dude I met up with off West Broadway was buying a pair Olive Pro B Dunks from me for $40 - he messaged me no less than 3 times - ‘are there any scuffs...are you sure there aren’t any scuffs...etc.' We met up I handed him the shoes and he spent a good 6 minutes inspecting them before finding the tiniest of smudges. He looked at me and said ‘I thought you said there weren’t any scuffs.’ I responded with ‘I didn’t see anything. If you don’t want them that’s cool.’ He took them and then left negative feedback on ISS.    
   
Collectors are collectors. IMO It doesn’t matter what you collect - if you’re into something, you have your own standards for what's acceptable. And THAT’s what I’m trying to tap into. It's not really a numbers game. I prefer the shoes I purchase to be in the 7.5/10-9/10 range (for several reasons). 
  
Collectors know what they want. Why limit it?  
 
For the second part of the question - IMO authentication and grading are two different things entirely.