Honestly, I don't understand why someone would waste money on albums/holders and then not put all the coins in them (unless they're just collecting albums). So yes, I would crack it if it was in a slab or buy it raw if I agree with the grade authenticity and price (and obviously have done both for both myself and clients).
@OldeTowneCoinShoppe said:
No predicament here... I would estimate conservatively that I've cracked out 300+ coins over the years to put into albums. That includes some valued at several thousand dollars.
Do you take pictures of the coins in the slabs before you break them out or save the bar code labels?
I save the slab inserts. I used to keep the actual slabs but that was taking up a huge amount of space and I eventually spent half a day removing inserts... and cutting my hands up in the process on the VERY sharp shards of plastic!
Once my coin is out of a slab, I could not care less where it came from.
I’ve never cracked a coin out from a slab - too afraid to damage it. But a few years ago, the top rated IHC Basic Registry set was being broken up & sold. In it was this one:
MS66+RD
I saw it too late - it was already sold. I asked the seller to let me know if the buyer decided not to keep it as I was interested if he wasn’t. Not a chance, I was told - he had already cracked it out & put it in an album!
I cracked many coins for my 7070 many years ago. The album looked great but today I see it as a big mistake. I'm now paying to have those same coins graded.
@ldhair said:
I cracked many coins for my 7070 many years ago. The album looked great but today I see it as a big mistake. I'm now paying to have those same coins graded.
Lesson learned, I hope.
The practice is cringe-worthy in my opinion.
I'm not quite that brave. I'm working on a most raw set of Indian Cents in EF to AU. I found "the right" 1877 at the FUN show in an EF-40 holder. That one will have to stay where it is.
What a great 1877 cent posted by BillJones. Although I do concentrate on Walkers and Mercs in well-matched color and grade(VF-35ish), my second passion lies with circulated coins ... any coins ... that are "perfect" for the grade. That 1877 would have sorely tempted me.
Whit
I'm not quite that brave. I'm working on a most raw set of Indian Cents in EF to AU. I found "the right" 1877 at the FUN show in an EF-40 holder. That one will have to stay where it is.
What a great 1877 cent posted by BillJones. Although I do concentrate on Walkers and Mercs in well-matched color and grade(VF-35ish), my second passion lies with circulated coins ... any coins ... that are "perfect" for the grade. That 1877 would have sorely tempted me.
Whit
Thank you, but it’s not perfect. With a 10X, you can see some scratches, but when you are collecting circulated coins, for me, the “naked eye” eye appeal is key. You can’t expect perfect on an EF-40.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Too many to count. Although I am on my 17th year of having a platinum membership, and submit them when I believe their value and condition is increased and better protected, I’ve got a couple customers who ask me to crack ‘ em to put on their albums. I warn them of certain dangers of financial loss but some collectors like what they like, in albums. I have cracked a few for my own albums, too
If I had another "zero" on my net worth (so that I wasn't concerned about the resale value of my coin collections), or if I were 30 years younger (so that I wouldn't foresee selling my coin collections for many decades), I'd crack them all out. I LIKE the look of a full album, with the right coins in it.
As it is, my slabbed coins represent a significant amount of value to me, and those coins are far more liquid in recognized holders than they would be cracked out. Since I'm old, it's quite likely that either I or my heirs will want to sell them in the foreseeable future, so it's best to keep them as liquid as possible. I use nice coins as placeholders in the albums (e.g., common-date IHC in the Lincoln cent album; common date Peace dollars in the Morgan album), but it can look a bit funny when so many of the coins are slabbed (e.g., SLQs, where 18 of the 36 I have are slabbed; 1892-1895 Morgan dollar slots, all of which are filled by place-holding Peace dollars).
All that said, I have cracked out a few coins, and would do so again under the same conditions--when I'm looking for an upgrade for a coin in an album, and I get one slabbed for a price (approximately <$200) that makes me not particularly concerned about a slight diminution in the value of the coin from cracking it out.
I use a vice; it (so far, at least) cleanly splits the slab at a junction, and it's easy to open it the rest of the way by hand (and save the insert).
Answers
Honestly, I don't understand why someone would waste money on albums/holders and then not put all the coins in them (unless they're just collecting albums). So yes, I would crack it if it was in a slab or buy it raw if I agree with the grade authenticity and price (and obviously have done both for both myself and clients).
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Basically purchased to match and keep the consistent look of the rest of the set.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
I save the slab inserts. I used to keep the actual slabs but that was taking up a huge amount of space and I eventually spent half a day removing inserts... and cutting my hands up in the process on the VERY sharp shards of plastic!
Once my coin is out of a slab, I could not care less where it came from.
On the web: http://www.earlyus.com
I’ve never cracked a coin out from a slab - too afraid to damage it. But a few years ago, the top rated IHC Basic Registry set was being broken up & sold. In it was this one:
MS66+RD
I saw it too late - it was already sold. I asked the seller to let me know if the buyer decided not to keep it as I was interested if he wasn’t. Not a chance, I was told - he had already cracked it out & put it in an album!
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
I cracked many coins for my 7070 many years ago. The album looked great but today I see it as a big mistake. I'm now paying to have those same coins graded.
Lesson learned, I hope.
The practice is cringe-worthy in my opinion.
What a great 1877 cent posted by BillJones. Although I do concentrate on Walkers and Mercs in well-matched color and grade(VF-35ish), my second passion lies with circulated coins ... any coins ... that are "perfect" for the grade. That 1877 would have sorely tempted me.
Whit
Thank you, but it’s not perfect. With a 10X, you can see some scratches, but when you are collecting circulated coins, for me, the “naked eye” eye appeal is key. You can’t expect perfect on an EF-40.
Too many to count. Although I am on my 17th year of having a platinum membership, and submit them when I believe their value and condition is increased and better protected, I’ve got a couple customers who ask me to crack ‘ em to put on their albums. I warn them of certain dangers of financial loss but some collectors like what they like, in albums. I have cracked a few for my own albums, too
If I had another "zero" on my net worth (so that I wasn't concerned about the resale value of my coin collections), or if I were 30 years younger (so that I wouldn't foresee selling my coin collections for many decades), I'd crack them all out. I LIKE the look of a full album, with the right coins in it.
As it is, my slabbed coins represent a significant amount of value to me, and those coins are far more liquid in recognized holders than they would be cracked out. Since I'm old, it's quite likely that either I or my heirs will want to sell them in the foreseeable future, so it's best to keep them as liquid as possible. I use nice coins as placeholders in the albums (e.g., common-date IHC in the Lincoln cent album; common date Peace dollars in the Morgan album), but it can look a bit funny when so many of the coins are slabbed (e.g., SLQs, where 18 of the 36 I have are slabbed; 1892-1895 Morgan dollar slots, all of which are filled by place-holding Peace dollars).
All that said, I have cracked out a few coins, and would do so again under the same conditions--when I'm looking for an upgrade for a coin in an album, and I get one slabbed for a price (approximately <$200) that makes me not particularly concerned about a slight diminution in the value of the coin from cracking it out.
I use a vice; it (so far, at least) cleanly splits the slab at a junction, and it's easy to open it the rest of the way by hand (and save the insert).
Popular for filling Dansco 7070 type albums.
They tape tags on inside cover.
Lots of people like to touch there coins not plastic!
Only the edges. 😂 😉
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )