Registry Award Pins - PLAQUES ARE DONE FOLKS
Cannonball
Posts: 13 ✭✭
Plaques are DONE.
FINISHED.
OVER.
END OF AN ERA.
I'll be the bearer of bad news here folks, but when I was notified that 11 of my sets had won Gold status for this year and was asked how I wanted my sets listed / named on the PCGS website, I responded as I usually do, with my request for how I wanted the sets listed on the website and how I wanted my plaques to read.
I got this response:
"...while we will not be issuing plaques this year, we will still be honoring our award winners, just in a different fashion."
When I pressed and asked just HOW the award winners were to be honored, I got THIS response:
"...In regards to how we will be rewarding members, we ask that you stay tuned as I have been asked not to disclose any information at this time."
TRANSLATION:
PCGS is going to go cheap, it will NOT be an improvement. They will NOT be "raising the bar".
PCGS will raise prices on grading services, you will wait longer for your coins to be returned, we will give you a cheap piece of pot metal sourced from China for your award, and somebody in an office will get a huge raise and promotion for saving PCGS tons of money on awards and shipping.
By shipping one pin per award category, they have effectively reduced their awards costs exponentially, as well as their shipping costs. They can toss these pins in a padded envelope and send them cheaper than plaques ever cost. Oh, and I'd guess they will NOT be engraved or personalized since they cover MULTIPLE sets per award category. But please, by all means, PLEASE swamp their emails and phone lines and ask if the pins will be engraved, bahahahaha....
I can get coins graded at NGC without paying an annual extortion fee (lifetime ANA member, no annual "club fee" with NGC); PCGS has become a sports-card grading company, and they treat coins like widgets and coin collectors like idiots.
Registry Set Winners: enjoy your SINGLE pin per award category for all of your hard work and grading fees to support these idiots. Plaques are DONE. You are now being "honored in a different fashion".
After getting multiple plaques annually since 2016, this is an insult and a major indication that PCGS is telling collectors that they are basically irrelevant. I can go to coin shows and walk by booths and get free enamel pins from companies promoting their services; I can also get free lanyards that are actually USEFUL to hang a loupe from.
Big shout out to NGC - they are the big winners here folks. They will be getting my grading fees from now on.
I doubt very seriously that I'll be the only one that says "yeah, no thanks PCGS...".
It will be interesting to see others' comments and responses when they realize that "gee, no more plaques, and no real incentive to compete in the Registry Sets any more, but here's a token of our appreciation of you as a collector in the form of a pin to hold your grocery list on your cork board by the fridge as we honor you in a different fashion..."
Comments
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Kennedys are my quest...
I hope the power to be at PCGS will revisit this decision to change the annual awards and go back to what they were.
There are two points that come to mind:
How many members pay annual membership just so they can submit coins that might upgrade their competitive sets? Will PCGS see a reduction in memberships revenues now that the annual awards have been changed?
How many competitive collectors have submitted coins to PCGS and paid the handling fee, return postage, and grading fees or re-grading fees trying to get 1 point or even a ½ point upgrade for their sets?
Maybe on the other hand, PCGS has already taken the potential lose of revenue into consideration and determined that any lose would be minor.
I for one, see no need to continue with an annual membership, we have been lucky to find one or three upgrades per year and between four to seven new or upgrades for our showcase variety set. There is no reason or incentive to submit coins every year when we could buy a membership every two or three year and then submit all coins that we had accumulated over the previous year(s).
PCGS will save the price for making a plague up ($40 - $50), but will lose the membership revenue for two out of three years, (Gold membership $149 per year X two years = $298). Plus, in the past I don’t know how many times I found a DDO or DDR that we were looking for, sent it out to be graded and within six months found another example of the same variety in better condition, so by waiting to submit every third year, PCGS will lose some revenue from grading fees.
Regarding @JFK_Collector , while I have two sets tied for rank #1, probably more than 99+% of Registry participants don’t have any sets ranked #1. And even having two sets tied for #1, I don’t get a plaque, but instead I get nice Certificates. As such, the PCGS decision to do away with plaques, in my opinion, will have not much bearing at all on collectors decisions to renew their PCGS membership or not.
I keep my annual membership, as the value of the eight Regular submission vouchers is more than the annual membership cost. So some say, “I no longer submit raw coins, so I get no value from those submission vouchers.” You can do as I do, and submit your nicest coins in whole grade numbers for “Reconsideration” (or for Regrade), where they won’t lower the current grade. More than half my coins eligible for a “+” grade have a plus grade. Yes, I bought some already with plus grades, but I received many via Reconsideration. So those eight annual vouchers do indeed have value.
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
In my previous job, whenever we'd get a patent awarded, we'd get a plaque. I have a box of 35-40 plaques sitting in my basement not paying me any rent. I joke that they'll be handed out as party favors at my funeral.
The "no more plaques" news from PCGS is no big deal as far as I'm concerned. Granted, I only have one set that's currently #1 at 100%, so their decision doesn't really affect me. I suppose if there is sufficient weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, PCGS might let people order plaques for themselves at cost if they're eligible. The company that produced the patent plaques I have sends out order forms when a patent is granted so that you can buy your own if you want, and in various choices of materials. Maybe they'll also make a nice pin display case available.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
This is so disappointing and maybe should have been anticipated when they moved the recognition from the annual ANA meeting to the Long Beach meeting.
It suggests that PCGS does not have the same appreciation for collectors
Casabrown
It’s always nice to see you post, my fellow Brooklynite. I love your collections! You should be VERY proud!
Steve (My parents moved from Brooklyn to the suburbs in 1962).
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Thank so much for your kind comments. More posts to come.
Casabrown
It is disappointing that they have chosen to dis-continue with the Plaques. Overseas collectors get so little benefits from PCGS for the membership fees. After having the rare honor to have won 8 in the past and another 5 this year, I can see that the costs to ship them overseas is a burden that they are no longer will to foot. This coupled with the long grading times and raising other costs may lead to members re-thinking the benefits of the value of gold membership.
Their email notification a week ago invites us to "Display your award with the same pride and effort you put into building your collection! Tag us @pcgscoin across all social media channels with your collectible enamel pin(s)!"
Uh, yeah, time to go into internet troll mode -- Unless these pins are like 10" tall, they're going to look pretty insignificant next to the "actual" awards that preceded them.
Apparently when many of us said they could never go further downhill than the 2020 awards fiasco, PCGS took it as a challenge.
So what did the plaques look like. I e made a few plaques in my time. Just wondering what they were awarding. Anyone care to post a picture of one?
Thanks
Martin
@JFK_Collector thanks. That is a solid mid range award. Id be happy having those hanging on a wall. I’d say they saved a ton going to pins.
Martin
"Presewnt." Mechanical errors aren't confined to slabs, so it seems.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
@messydesk 😂. Nice catch. Glad to see it doesn’t just happen to me. I tell the customers correct spelling is extra
Martin
We like Kennedy Half dollar errors too. That is why we didn't send it back and ask for a replacement . . .
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/errors/calebs-kennedy-error-half-dollars/2045
I got something in the mail today. I will be able to wear it to the occasional shows I go to (not the dollar but the pin to the left of it.) Thanks PCGS ++++
I received my pin in todays mail too.
I’ll be attending Winter FUN Wednesday - Sunday. I’ll be wearing this pin on my shirt, which is so much easier and more comfortable that either taping my 8x10 inch Registry Certificate to my shirt, or hanging the plaque around my neck, lol.
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Mine arrived yesterday as well
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
Got two pins today.
Only 1 Best of Registry & 1 Gold
Even though I have 100 #1 sets, come to think of it, I don't want 100 pins. lol
Good grief! Imagine getting so worked up over plaques and pins. Physical possessions are not a good place to park your ego.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
The Plaques were nice but,,,,,,,,, what are they really good for? Who wants to have a whole wall full of plaques? I have 13 of them still in the box sitting on a shelf in my closet. I am sure the kids will trash them when I am gone.
The pins won't take up much space and dozens of them can be displayed in an 8 x 10 photo frame.
Will these pin fit in the diameter of a silver dollar coin as shown in the photo? I haven't received mine yet and want to get a display case made.
I had the brilliant idea of asking if they would slab my pins.
Got no response.
I got mine.
I got mine.
It fits inside a 39mm capsule with room to spare - (might fit into a 38) - what would You do,,,cut/grind the pin off of it ??
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
Someone mentioned wearing Your plaques - just connect Your favorite chain to create a necklace and Yer all set for the next coin show
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I have 54 #1 Sets...25 certificates should arrive sometime in January to join the 29 I already have in an album
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I put my 'Best of Registry" pin into a Lighthouse 9 slot slab page.
I did not remove it from the original packaging.
It already has some die chips on the word "best".
I wonder if it will end up with PVC damage in the future.
I did get a call from Daniel from PCGS Set Registry yesterday to check to see that I received my pin and to let me know that my registry certificates will be mailed sometime in Jan 2023.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
I actually mentioned the damage to Your pin in a conversation with Daniel yesterday - You might want to watch the mailbox - but don't hold Your breath LOL
My Pin
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I was wanting to know the size to determine the size of a display case, never said anything about putting it in a capsule.
If you collect more pins, you can wear them on a vest like a boy scout. Here's mine.
The more I think about it...the more I like the new pins and the idea behind them
Previously...Best Of The Registry blue icons appeared with all #1 Sets and still do...
But there was no other recognition for blue icons other than the Certificates that are still available on request
Plaque winners seems to be the same old gang of "Good 'Ol Boys" we all see at the top of the rankings
Now everyone who has a #1 Set gets recognized in a way that can easily be displayed
Rather than a few dozen Plaques...there are thousands of Pins...and most have gone to "joe off the street" collectors who have little chance of ever winning a Plaque
Rather than Plaques that do little more than collect dust in the basements or garages of a few dozen - the annual awards are much more equally spread among a much larger number of collectors - I see that as a good thing
And the membership dollars allotted for rewards are giving back to more than a select few
Since I no longer collect anything but quarters in PR69DCAM - I won't be getting more pins or certificates - One Is Enough
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I was looking forward to my first of two plaques this year and they would have gone on the wall in my collection office. No need for a pin.
Bummer.
I was looking forward to one, but it took over 4 months for my coins to get graded, so I missed the deadline.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
You can put it on your PCGS lanyard.
Nice touch.
I am glad to see that at least some here enjoying them.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
They should have sent out these pins in PCGS slabs that have the set name and your set's name on the label. It would be a cool collectible. Cheaper than plaques and would look cool with your coins.
Follow me on MyCollect!
OK, I know the Plaques are done but can you get the printed paper certificates for "Best of Registry" or are they done as well?
Certificates are still available - email Set Registry to get on the list - likely they will set aside a day in Feb when all will go to the office and print/send them
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
Thanks,
They say they're still available, but I've never received any that I've requested in the past, and gave up on asking.
If you want certs you better get your request in TONIGHT
Are paper certs for Best of Registry Set winners still available?
I received my 10 registry certs today.
Anyone else?
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
Just got an email, plaques are back -- as an option to purchase. Thank you PCGS for listening, and for working to find some level of compromise
At $78 a whack!
($79, plus $7 handling, plus an undisclosed shipping and sales tax on top of that )
Yeah, I cringed at that a bit, but their description raised my curiosity a bit, checked Amazon, and found two plaques that looked like they could be 'close' -- One was a bit off, and I think just shy of $50, the other looked real close for I think $110. It wasn't a very exhaustive search by any means, but as ridiculous as the number sounds, it's probably not ~too~ far out of line for what it'd take to duplicate one privately. Of course, with all the money they're saving.... well, we sure aren't going to see our annual membership costs get reduced at all, which still kinda stings, but from a sheer optics perspective, it shows that at least ~someone~ within the organization heard our complaints and tried to do something to help -- THIS is something new and different.
Now if only we'd get them to re-visit the 2020 awards fiasco using someone besides Stevie Wonder this time...
It seems our host is trying to save money and improve their profit margins.
They have changed from plaques to pins.
They have changed from polo shirts to t-shirts with the platinum memberships.
Some of this is misguided as there are easier and less disruptive ways to save money. For subscription renewals, they should allow the option of NOT shipping us ANYTHING. I don’t need forms since I fill them out online. I don’t need a welcome/thank you letter, I don’t need a sticker or whatever else they ship to us. It all goes in the trash, unnecessarily increasing waste at the landfill. PCGS would save a ton of money with this change…postage, ink, paper, time to put these things together (although most is automated). Although I enjoy the calendar each year, some people have no need and PCGS could save money by allowing people to opt out.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Bump back to the top of the pile.
It'll be interesting to see how this year's awards play out.
Especially with the Trueview and Set Album visibility fiasco...
I agree, the periodicals they send me go right in the trash, and I do not need carbon paper submission forms. The fact that PCGS still sends out magazines displays how out of touch they are.
The substantial truth doctrine is an important defense in defamation law that allows individuals to avoid liability if the gist of their statement was true.
So now that I have at least one set at 100% that is tied for the #1 spot (tied with 297 other #1's) will I be getting a pin? lol