Terrible True View Pictures
Beatty
Posts: 34 ✭✭✭
Received 20 coins back. All the pictures are just terrible. Everyone of them.
I see new coins for sale by dealers in lesser grades and their pictures look great. Anyone else noticing the difference between dealer True View pictures and collector True View pictures.
My 64, 65 look terrible compared to new dealer slabbed coins in 61 holders.
Anyone else experiencing this?
0
Comments
Lots of threads on this forum regarding many people's disappointment with recent vintage TVs. Better to utilize a through the slab photographer IMHO.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
For example:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1104008/my-first-post-phil-trueviews-new-photos-added-6-2-6-10-pcgs-response-7-14-update/p1
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
It's not just collector pictures, they're all bad. I've begun to wonder whether coins with a good TrueView will command a premium in the future like an OGH or rattler. At least collectors will know that any coin with a bright yellow Trueview was graded post 2021, if that information ever becomes relevant.
Lets see one of them, the worst one so we can get an idea and maybe the Mods will see it and contact someone
You never know
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Is this one of them?
peacockcoins
Without any information to lean on whatsoever, I’m confident in saying PCGS is not giving better trueview photos to dealers.
BHNC #248 … 130 and counting.
This horse has been beaten, do we really need another thread about it?
Many posters probably aren’t aware of the extent of the prior horse beatings. And even for those who are, who’s to say when the beatings should cease? Is there a magic number after which no more threads are “needed”?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Bring forth the CAC and Vaultbox threads!
😉😅
On the bright side, Chipotle will be using robots to ensure uniform quantities of their salads and bowls.
Ever heard of the squeeky wheel?
I say keep the posts coming until the problem is rectified
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
I have a coin that looks very good in hand however, the "True View" is absolutely horrible. Down the road this would probably prevent selling the coin online.
Sometimes I think that animals are smarter than humans, animals would never allow the dumbest one to lead the pack
Kodak solved that problem a century ago.
Unfortunately, most people check the certification number and true view picture before placing a bid.
Sometimes I think that animals are smarter than humans, animals would never allow the dumbest one to lead the pack
Cert number is on the holder. Decent images work better than glamour true views.
Here are selected images from another TPG. They seem to have it nailed down.............
No, but it's common discussion forum etiquette to do a search for topic to see if it's covered before starting a duplicate thread.
Usually the beatings cease when morale improves.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Poor photos will affect the prices received for coins when sold. Lousy pictures actually devalue a coin as people are going to look up the true view picture.
The point of the TPG to enhance not hinder the value of a coin. So PCGS is now acting in reverse of it's stated goal.
You have to be more specific. A coin with poor photos by the seller and no trueview I agree will always bring lower prices due to the risk of bad photos. But a store with fantastic photos and a bad trueview probably won't suffer in pricing. I wouldn't pay less because I know I could always have it photographed or use the store's photos or something. Photos are a problem that can be dealt with. The only way it becomes a hindrance to the value is if the TV and seller's photos don't match or if crappy photos by the seller are all you have to go on.
The PCGS site states that True View photos are professional photos that enhance your collection.
Does anyone believe that lousy photos which we are paying for enhance our collections?? Maybe if we start sending back our submittals and demanding that PCGS lives up to enhancing our collections with quality photos then action will be taken.
Nothing is going to change of everyone just sits back and accept the unacceptable. So yes this issue has been posted before and it should be continuously posted until it is addressed. This is an important issue.
For whatever reason, PCGS has not addressed this. Nor have the Trueviews really improved since the complaining started. So collectively, I think we just stopped talking about it. Many, I assume, have paused submissions or simply went to other TPGs.
Hopefully, PCGS is working the issue. It might be harder than we think to find quality photographers
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I think they are improving. My latest submission had what I would consider good TrueViews.
Collector, occasional seller
It's not hard to find or teach photographers. They have the ideal equipment and setup. I have seen plenty of individuals here come into the forums with awful pictures and within days or weeks they are taking great photos. There's no way that people who take pictures of only coins all day long are incapable of taking decent pictures unless they're just hiring regular people to point and click. I suspect that either the photographers they have don't care or they aren't able to spend the time they used to with post-processing adjustments and/or they are under time-pressure that they can't spend the proper time to do the job right due to management decree.
Remember that they're hiring people to produce a product that's profitable when sold at $5 a pop, and that it can become a mindless grind if you're not really interested in the coins. They do assembly line photos now, not custom photos.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
8
Fine photography is an art as well as a calling.
Many of mine have no tv photos. I don't care I have the coins
Understandable, but you might care if you were trying to sell or showcase coins with poor TrueViews that make them look much worse than they do in hand.
Yes. The beatings will continue until the pictures improve.
I let my PCGS membership go over this issue. This was the final straw....the 1873 Doubled Liberty Indian Head Cent. This picture is an abhorrent representation of what this coin actually looks like.
Here were old auction pics in a different graders slab
That is just brutal!
Successful buys on BST board from NotSure, Nankraut, Yorkshireman, Astrorat, Ikeigwin(2x), Bob13, Outhaul, coinbuf, dpvilla, jayPem, Sean1990, TwoKopeiki, bidask, Downtown1974, drddm, nederveit2
@redraider: wow, I’m so sorry to see this! Terrible depiction of a great, classic piece!
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
It honestly is mind boggling to me how inconsistent the photos are.
There is no reason that the lighting setup shouldn’t be standardized, so basic things like color temperature being wildly off makes no sense.
Obviously it’s not practical to spend the time finding the most optimal lighting configuration for each coin, but a standard setup can still produce very good photos regardless of the coin and without taking much time.
I spent the weekend photographing over 100 coins for listing. It took me on average about 12 minutes for each coin including editing and final composition, and that is with dealing with the difficulties of shooting through the slab.
There is no reason a company with the resources that PCGS can’t develop an efficient operation that takes consistently good photographs.
Maybe I look at things too closely, but the reverse isn't even centered properly. A ten year old nowadays could center that image correctly. I'm beginning to think the issue isn't a lack of training, just a lack of time and caring.
It’s really sad that they accept these mediocre products for 5 figure coins. I signed up with CAC recently and think they will get my submissions for a while.
The worst part is PCGS keeps sending me emails letting me know my membership expired.
Why is that the worst part? If you’re unhappy with the images, wouldn’t it be worse if you still had a membership?😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Here we go, just got these 4 TVs back from the same submission. It boggles the mind how different the lighting is in all of them. The first and last ones are actually decent but still could be better.
This Trueview posted to my PCGS account today.
My Carson City Morgan Registry Set
So disappointing
Successful buys on BST board from NotSure, Nankraut, Yorkshireman, Astrorat, Ikeigwin(2x), Bob13, Outhaul, coinbuf, dpvilla, jayPem, Sean1990, TwoKopeiki, bidask, Downtown1974, drddm, nederveit2
You would think a great organization like PCGS would address this serious problem with some urgency.
Out with the old:
In with the new:
The actual coin looks much like the old TV. I don’t know what coin the new TV is supposed to depict?
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
The yellow flying eagle TV example is so bad, I don't see how they could even do such a poor job with a True View. A cell phone quick pick looks more realistic.
My US Mint Commemorative Medal Set
These are my last TV, im considering suspending my membership for a while as the TV imaging is a huge part of PCGS value for me. These coins are so washed out and such a poor representation of the coins in hand.
Here's my recent disappointment.
Just bought this at Chicago's ANA Show.
It's the TrueView of the 1952 Jefferson "Split Planchet" error Nickel.
Not only the photos are bad but the reverse in the picture is rotated for some reason?
The coin is NOT rotated in the slab!
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Even if the PCGS image was properly orientated, I can at least easily see the faint imprint of Monticello in yours. @joeykoinsphotography for the win!
What I would like is an explanation from PCGS as to what is going on with the True View picture quality issues. Is management aware of the problem and if so why has it not been fixed. I notice on their site when they show a coin it is always a good photo.
I am going to write Nat Turner and the PCGS CEO and complain about the problem. I will post my letter to this site and others can use it to also send a letter.
True View pictures are supposed to enhance the collecting experience. That is what we pay for and that is not what we are getting. In addition poor quality photos actually hurt the value of our collections when the time comes to sell.
I know I am beating this horse to death. But if we all just shut up and go away then we collectively are enabling PCGS to get away with devaluing our collections and ruining our collecting experience.
I am surprised that dealers are not hammering PCGS about this issue. Then again I suspect they get better photos, just a suspicion. Maybe dealers could chime in on this.
PCGS is aware of the issue. The explanation I have heard is that Collectors Universe is focusing most of their budget on sports cards, which are more profitable than coins. This has led to budget issues at PCGS and the photo department is underfunded leading to poor photos.
I'm not sure why a photo dept is so expensive to run that a large, profitable company like CU can't fund it, just what I've been told.
If I had to guess, based on nothing except my own observations, I bet that CU is running ultra-lean in preparation for an IPO or sale to another fund. But that is pure speculation.