That is exactly what I am talking about. NOS can be found if you take the time and effort to do it and shouldn't that be rewarded?

Paul, I believe you are correct, many of the judges can't tell the difference. Maybe in the "Big Show" in the original classes an OE judge needs to be involved to make the distinction in original or repo. otherwise as Dave said we are watering down the judging to suit the masses.

Shouldn't an award really need to be earned?

As far as using the originality factor to be a tie breaker, shouldn't that already have been factored in before it gets that far? Original is the point of an original class after all isn't it?