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Would this be possible and desirable?
koynekwest
Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
I'd like to see PCGS adopt some kind of top labeling system for slabs, similar to what SEGS (but NOT ANACS) uses.
Thoughts?
1
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Would be a good idea, definitely better than pulling all of the slabs out of the box to find the one you are looking for.
It's not only possible but it would also be desirable. It would be one more reason to pick PCGS over their competitors.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I mark the box on the side.Not sure if that helps.
The past approach has been to avoid external information. That preserves the integrity of label contents and security holograms.
I think SEGS might hold the rights to a top-view label that bends over and on to the edge. I remember seeing something like that a long time ago. When I worked at PCI, Larry was in negotiations to purchase all or part of that company. It fell through and he started SEGS.
The reason I bring this up is when a PCI Label was printed there was a code on the label that ID'ed the coin. On the discarded paper label scrap was a matching code. I cut the code off the scrap and glued the paper to the top of the PCI slab so I could read the coins without removing them. I'll try to dig one out to image. I don't know if I showed this idea to Larry but the PCI owners were aware of it.
Note: I'm sure other folks have come up with that idea independently, including Larry.
PS The tooling required to offer that "new" PCGS holder/label combo would be very expensive.
I use my own removable labels to label the top of the slab but it's labor intensive.
ANACS came up with a top labeling system but I think SEGS method is much better. I had one of Larry's first efforts of the top labelled slab and he showed me a prototype that was too massive to work.
I realize the tooling to top label would be expensive but if there was a lot of demand it could work.
I think it would be cool if they did that. Might look a little tacky at first but we would get used to it
Jb-rarities.com
IG: jb_rarities
You are wrong here! There was a big lawsuit over ANACS copying SEGS. The only reason SEGS lost the patent violation was because ANACS did their top view on a slant.
I think that's a good idea.
Pete
SEGS' patent expired a few years ago, so that should no longer be an issue. I also think Compugrade had a top edge label on their holders before SEGS came around, so I'm surprised that didn't come into play as prior art.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Good info. I was about to ask for this.
I think PCGS should really do this. It would make their slabs much easier to use and coins easier to enjoy.
Perhaps compugrade did it but they didn't patent it. Segs patent was active when ANACS started doing it.
I put all my (400+) slabbed coins into the TPG plastic boxes.
I can find any coin in a few seconds.
Each coin has it's own SKU# and are placed in the TPG plastic boxes numerically. I label the number range on the outside of each box.
My understanding (as someone who is not an IP attorney) is that Compugrade doing first it would be sufficient to prevent SEGS from being able to patent the concept of a top-labeled holder. Even if Compugrade didn't patent it, they effectively published the idea in 1991, establishing it as prior art in the public domain, thus preventing a competitor from later patenting it. SEGS' 1998 patent was a design patent on the exact design of their holder.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
What if you lose or don't have the list of SKUs with you?
I have a few ANACS and SEGS holders. The great thing about them is I can just put them in a box without creating and using an external indexing list.
My SKU# list is digital on the backend of my website. I can access the SKU#'s anytime.
Good solution for you, but not everyone has every one of their coins listed on a website. Nice Auctiva screenshot. This seems to be a nice advantage of collecting from inventory.
Perhaps, this would be less of a problem if more collectors became dealers?