Confessions of a Reformed "Crack" Addict...
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lkenefic
Posts: 8,169 ✭✭✭✭✭
I cracked many coins from their holders in putting my 7070 Type Set album together. This somewhat bled over to my Large Cents in that most serious EAC collectors trade raw. By the end of the Type Set project, it didnt require an Intervention to figure out that cracking coins out and putting them into the album fell squarely into the area of "diminishing returns". All of the reasons for buying a holdered coin: authentication, at least a ballpark for grade, protection, and value when you go to sell, all went away once the coin has been cracked. This, coupled with the fact that I'll likely be resubmitting certain coins if/when I ever sell (with associated costs), and there's no guarantee that the coins will reholder at the same grade all figured into my decision to end this practice.
Here's the last "coin" I put into my Type Set... a proxy coin that refers back to the holdered piece. So now, if I buy coins holdered, they'll stay that way. Most Large Cents I buy are raw and they'll likely stay that way but the holdered ones will likely stay holdered. And of course, there is also the Box of 20...
How about you? Any other reformed "Crack Addicts" out there? ...admitting you have a problem IS the first step... 
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Comments
Bring back album collecting!
Have submitted many.
After getting these back, a customer came in and bought them both. Before he left, he had me crack them out to put in his album.
I scratched my head and told him I just got them back from PCGS. He liked their grading , and the coins: raw.
I find albums cool but I also like the idea of a virtual album of just the images of the coins. So no need to crack out.
The angst is real. I've cracked more than I haven't. I don't know how to best solve this conundrum, other than to attempt to put aside the OCD.
There are albums that house slabbed coins, 9 per page. Can get bulky if you are collecting say, the entire Lincoln cent series. But very useful for type sets
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I’m not reformed. I prefer albums for some coins and will continue to crack them out.
(An aside - among PCGS, NGC, and ANACS, PCGS slabs are the easiest to crack. Another good reason to go with PCGS!)
I dont use albums much anymore because its not practical with the items im collecting, but for lower value coins, i have no problem cracking them out and putting them in a dansco. For higher value items, i used to scale a picture of the coin to the right size and print it out and put the picture in the dansco.
I like the digital albums that you can make in the pcgs registry system, ive gone to using those for sets where all the coins are slabbed.
Never left it. Working on 6 albums at this time.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I like the look of a set in an album. My Dansco Lincoln set Looks good but I had to crack out several coins to finish it. I don't plan on selling the set but I lost the option of quick liquidity of those cracked out coins.
I would like to have a 7070 album set but I also don't want to crack that many type coins. So instead of buying any more albums I just collect various type coins in slabs.
Yup, I'm back in the plastic game after a bit of a break.
I did a few albums once, but then I made a coin cabinet and the albums all went away...
I love my raw coins, but for the reasons Ikenefic stated above, more valuable coins in slabs works for me.
I keep my medals raw and 99% of the time that's how I buy them. I have a couple in slabs and have kept them that way -so far. I think we lost something with slabs, but the benefits do outweigh the lost pleasures of holding, mounting, and displaying coins together.
No problem here. I have never submitted a coin for slabbing, therefore no need to crack one open. I do have slabbed coins but no dansco or other albums, so no need to crack there either.
Cracked slightly over 100 coins for my Morgan, Peace and WLH album collections. Have full sets on all. Cracked Morgans and NGC slabs the most, with white ANAC slabs next. I like albums and ability to hold in hand if desired. Doesn't bother me if less marketable and will result in lower value if and when sold. Didn't start collecting to maximize profit, however I was lucky to start collecting about 20 years ago. Might be different today with prices up so much.
I'm not averse to album collecting and may even pick up an old folder after I'm into Large Cents for a while... but I'll just buy raw coins to put into it. That said, I kept my Lincoln Cent Whitman Album and only have one hole to fill... and I'm not going to crack a 1955 DDO just to put it into an album to fill a hole next to a bunch of coins I spent less than $50 total on... but that's just me.
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I do not crack. I put in albums of 9 slabbed coins by page by TPG or by my self. I have my own patented pages for albums and also own slabs which one are vacuumed is hard to crack. All the TPG's pay around .25 $ for a slab, mine for the inventor cost .75 $. I like been slabbed and on the cartable with indexes.
The biggest problem I have now it is with the NCG and PCGS slabs because I made a new design for pages to acquire the slabs and vacuum. All PCGS and NCG slabs explode on vacuum (inside and outside). Maybe I have to ask them to slab in my own slabs.
NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT.
FIRST THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
THEN, THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.
MARK TWAIN
If you want bonus points, make sure it has TV's and put a nfc tag in the hole for the coin.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
I use $15 Columbian half dollars as proxy coins. I find circulated Columbians I like on eBay and bid $15 all in. It fills the ugly hole with a coin that obviously doesn't belong. Not all of these $15 bids will be winners, but you'll win a few for a reasonable price.
You could just print a 100% scale photo of the actual coin and put that in the album hole;
maybe include the grade on it.
Then you would at least know the date.
I've found that the USPS will crack your slabs for free. Aided and abetted by certain careless shippers, or not.
I really like these, made by Leuchtterm and sold by Lighthouse (www.lighthouse.us). They set up at the January FUN Show each year and have special show pricing. You can purchase various leatherette binders in varying styles if you like something a little more attractive than a plain 3-ring binder. They do take up space though.
Only slightly reformed. Apparently, I'm unable to crack any holder valued over $1000. I just can't do it.
I have holes in my Lincoln Dansco but the penny(s) resides in the PCGS holder(s) e.g. 1914-D MS64 RD, 1915-S MS64 RB, 1924-D MS64 RD, 1926-S MS64 RD, 1928-S MS64 RD, etc.
I do enjoy seeing all the RED on a single Dansco page. I think this feeling is a holdover from my youth having the same collection in a Dansco some 40+ years ago. Just didn't have all the red I have now.
My next set of Lincoln's will be all holdered and will remain that way, no matter the value.
USAF (Ret.) 1985 - 2005. E-4B Aircraft Maintenance Crew Chief and Contracting Officer.
My current Registry sets:
✓ Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1893)
✓ Everyman Mint State Lincoln Cents (1909 – 1958)
✓ Morgan Dollar GSA Hoard (1878 – 1891)
If I do crack anything out for an album now, it's typically a "details" coin to start with. I try very hard not to crack problem free coins.
"Why waste time learning, when ignorance is instantaneous?"- Calvin and Hobbes
I wanna see what’s in that box of 20! Pretty please…..
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
I have raw coins, I have slabbed coins, I have albums with coins. I have cracked coins, but not in a long time now. Now, however I get the coin, is the way it remains. I am not afflicted with OCD, so not a factor
Cheers, RickO
Well... Since you asked nicely, and you're a Led Zeppelin fan... I'll see what I can do about pics tonight. I'm about halfway through "the Box"...
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I was cracking coins out for my 7070. I have since sold all of them. I probably would have gotten more money if they were still slabbed. If I ever attempt the type set again, they will remain slabbed. Or I will choose a lower grade and buy raw.
The battle scars of all the good times
Great insight and perspective in this thread. Thanks you all, for sharing them.
Neat idea for your With Motto Seated Dollar in the album.
I'm with you half way. I've cracked out many key dates and coins (not S-VDB, 16-D, 55-DDO, etc..) over the years to complete albums, as well as my 7070. Like you, mostly to authenticate and guarantee the coin is problem free.
Although I took pictures of all the slabs, made copies and put them in the back of the albums, I never cared about diminishing returns or grades. They will not be sold or re-holdered. Not by me anyway.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
I wouldn't say I'm reformed but I'd say I'm smarter about it. If I buy a coin online and I don't end up loving it 100% I leave it in the slab to determine at a later date what to do with it (whether sell it, put it in the album as intended, etc). Also for my type set I decided I was not breaking slabs until I have all the slabs to fill a particular row to minimize slide marks. It just makes sense for liberty dollars and such given the price tag. I'm not worried about having to liquidate in a hurry or about what my heirs may or may not inherit.
On the other hand there is nothing like having a $400 coin still in half of a slab fly out of your hand while you are breaking the slab, land on the garage floor, and slice you in the process. Coin "looks" fine (I'm assuming it will never grade that high if at all again) but I upped my tool and glove game after that. Live and learn.
Here's what I've collected so far with close ups for the ones I have TV's for... definitely a work in progress...
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