CGC is already starting to post info about the upcoming yearly awards. I've always felt that a job worth doing is a job worth doing right and as far as I know the CGC collector awards are THE premier comic collector awards so it would be neat to see them done right. I have a few suggestions that I think would improve the quality of the awards. Some may be already in place. This would reduce the number of winners and save CGC money on printing and sending certificates.

1.Disallow any set that is obscured. This includes even Best in Set. If a person doesn't want their set to be seen they probably don't want a certificate. I have actually seen sets win Best in Age that are obscured although they might have been obscured AFTER their win.

2.For Best in Age only consider sets where the collector has put in some effort. There should be a significant amount of images and issue descriptions. Again, if you only enter the registry number and call it a day you probably don't care about an award.

3.For Best in Age or Best Presented only include sets that have actually been added to in the past year. I have seen at least one set win without having a single addition in the prior 12 months. I've also seen sets win and then immediately get dismantled. If the set meets my above three criteria it's probably in it for the long haul. I've even seen a collector win Achievement in Comic Collecting Award and then turn around and remove all comics.

4.Avoid awarding instant sets. I've seen impressive sets spring into being overnight and disappear just as fast. This one isn't as hard and fast as the first three but slowly built sets are probably going to be around longer.

5.I think it would make sense to treat the CGC awards like the Oscars with sets being submitted. Have a check box on the Control Panel that says [ ] Consider Set for 2014 CGC Awards. The person would have twelve months just to click a box. There have to be a lot of certificates being sent out to people no longer actively paying attention to their sets or in some cases sets that no longer even exist.

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