How to pick your coins for grading?
Dove73
Posts: 81 ✭✭
I have four vouchers.. its so impossible to pick. Any advice?
0
Dove73
Posts: 81 ✭✭
Comments
Key dates are a good start.
Sending in coins for grading depends on your goals, do you want them graded to sell, for a registry set, sentimental reasons. Once you identify the goal it will be easier to narrow down your choices.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
I waver between coins as lofty historic objects on one hand, and coins as down and dirty financial objects on the other hand. Sometimes you wear one hat, other times you wear another hat.
You should treat each individual voucher like (say) three ten dollar bills, even if you obtained them for nothing. This is just practical business behavior.
If the successfully slabbed coin or medal or token isn't readily vendable at one hundred dollars or more, you should typically pass over that item in favor of something that will make that cutoff. Many folks will suggest a higher cutoff than mine. There would be some instances where this 'rule' might not apply, if the coin is a family heirloom or something like that.
IMHO.
I tend to buy only PCGS graded coins. I have purchased RAW coins and have had marginal results upon submission.
I would advise that you submit your favorite coins, the ones that you grade most highly, and use your four submissions as a test of your grading skills.
OINK
A voucher is worth ~$30 and postage is another $10-20 each way so financially speaking I would only submit coins that are worth a minimum of $100-150 unless you have compelling reasons otherwise.
My rule of thumb is that if it is not worth $200 then don't waste the grading fees.
bob
Be in a grumpy mood when evaluating your coins.
You will be able to toss the potential losers right away.
Estimated value of the vouchers are $35 because they are normally treated as “regular” submissions for the timeline.
Estimated fee for a coin:
$35 regular submission, there are different tiers (see link below)
$10 coin fee
$22 shipping and insurance (assumes coin value is $1000 or less)
$10 your estimated postage to mail priority + signature to our host
Total estimate: $77 for a “regular” tier submission, if using a voucher then $45 out-of-pocket.
As previously posted you should gauge what your willing to spend and why?
Selling?
Sentimental?
Tiers and fees: https://www.pcgs.com/servicesandfees
The coin "market" (as opposed to pure coin "collecting") is about maximizing return on investment.
Slabs add value by increasing the marketability of the coins in them.
Will the slab add enough value to justify the cost? That is the question you need to answer.
If you are selling coins, the above advice is excellent. If you collect and keep, then send in the keys, those that should be authenticated, and special (to you) coins....Others you can enjoy raw.... Cheers, RickO
My rule is $200 added value. If I think grading will add $200 to the value, it is worth submitting.
I think you can break even on submitting coins with a value of $100 or more. The key is to ensure you're submitting coins that WILL GRADE. There's a reason a lot of raw coins aren't in holders. It's because someone either wiped them long ago or put them in an album where the mylar slider slid over the cheek a hundred times or it was dipped to death.
If you only submit original, raw coins or original circulated coins you'll be ok.