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If you were CEO of a grading company tomorrow…

johnny010johnny010 Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭✭✭

What would you do differently vs what you see today?

Ideas for points of consideration:
1) submission process and potential revisions
2) customer service
3) photos
4) attribution services
5) overall grading services and product offerings
6) coin show sponsorship
7) continued education within the industry
8) growing the hobby
9) AI implementation

Any thought provoking ideas are welcome.

Comments

  • WQuarterFreddieWQuarterFreddie Posts: 2,670 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don't see this thread ending well....🤣😂

  • johnny010johnny010 Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not intended to be a rant from anyone here, rather intelligent discussion on what improvements might move the industry forward.

  • I think they should ditch the physical magazines and sell branded polo shirts or merch.

    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.

  • johnny010johnny010 Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @RiveraFamilyCollect said:
    I think they should ditch the physical magazines and sell branded polo shirts or merch.

    I like the merch idea a lot. Good call out in my opinion.

  • CoffeeTimeCoffeeTime Posts: 117 ✭✭✭

    Ok, I’ll bite.

    Consistency. Reliability.

    Over in the cac thread it’s basically suggested the TPG are not reliability consistent in grading. Hence why folks felt the need to pay for a validation sticker. Or they will resubmit trying for a better grade.

  • OAKSTAROAKSTAR Posts: 7,166 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @johnny010 said:
    If you were CEO of a grading company tomorrow…
    What would you do differently vs what you see today?

    I would listen to my customer service division and act, correct and fix the problem areas. I would also have my customer service division monitor forums like this one.

    Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )

  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 658 ✭✭✭✭

    @johnny010 said:
    What would you do differently vs what you see today?

    Ideas for points of consideration:
    1) submission process and potential revisions
    2) customer service
    3) photos
    4) attribution services
    5) overall grading services and product offerings
    6) coin show sponsorship
    7) continued education within the industry
    8) growing the hobby
    9) AI implementation

    Any thought provoking ideas are welcome.

    Stop slabbing lowball 90% or 40% Kennedy half dollars. There is no way that they circulated in commerce that long to be so worn down. These coins barely circulated to begin with.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 34,174 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 5, 2024 3:27PM

    @Colonialcoin said:

    @johnny010 said:
    What would you do differently vs what you see today?

    Ideas for points of consideration:
    1) submission process and potential revisions
    2) customer service
    3) photos
    4) attribution services
    5) overall grading services and product offerings
    6) coin show sponsorship
    7) continued education within the industry
    8) growing the hobby
    9) AI implementation

    Any thought provoking ideas are welcome.

    Stop slabbing lowball 90% or 40% Kennedy half dollars. There is no way that they circulated in commerce that long to be so worn down. These coins barely circulated to begin with.

    Why does it matter if they were in commerce or just a pocket piece? I know a guy who's carried the same Ike $ for 30 years and it's a FR2 bidding on a Poor1.

  • johnny010johnny010 Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Floridafacelifter said:
    If a coin has PVC, call the submitter and ask if they want it conserved while it’s still in house.

    Absolutely
    Excellent suggestion

  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 658 ✭✭✭✭

    That’s not wear caused by circulation. We all know that.

  • ShaunBC5ShaunBC5 Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 5, 2024 3:45PM

    Is actual commerce circulation a requirement? I know actually circulating doesn’t keep a coin from being “uncirculated.”

    To the original question -
    Add a super economy level to allow for lower value coins to get into my holders (at the expense of wait times and maybe even lower quality slabs)

  • pursuitoflibertypursuitofliberty Posts: 6,921 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great suggestions! @Dave99B and @Floridafacelifter

    I would probably try to take photography (and maybe even video) to a premium level. I wouldn't offer it for free, or as an imbedded service necessarily, and my team and I would have to up-sell it (I am the CEO today, remember). However based on how coins trade, and how we tend to enjoy them when they get into the more expensive issues, I would make sure my submitters could get everything in one submission;

    Top Quality Grading, Premium Images and optional Video, World-class Attribution, suggestive Restoration options and as much transparency as possible (within reason) when coins didn't cross or got details grades.

    The options would, of course, slow the turn-around down, but all options would be after grading and prior to encapsulation to make sure that submitters who just wanted grading and encapsulation weren't standing in line behind restoration, attribution, imaging, video processing and any educational feedback.

    Some of these things are happening now, to one extent or the other, but that would be my overall vision, other than grading consistency and customer service.


    “We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”

    Todd - BHNC #242
  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,217 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 5, 2024 5:21PM

    Ok let’s have some fun.

    It wb a lean, mean competitive flood the market machine. Our dealers would be our offensive line. Investors lined up put other TPG coins in our holders possibly flood market 10k or more of our slabbed coins coming out the gate. Our graders might be recruited from Anacs, ICG, NGC, PCGS but trained in our philosophy.

    I would get them accepted by ebay, have competing submission prices, an attractive holder, compatible with all storage boxes, Mfgr a storage box for all holders, no frills, Coins brilliant and PQ would get deserved grades (graders supervised grade on that direction, no legacy stuff, etc. A den of aggressive go to dealers) good promoters of our brand brilliant, lustrous good / badly tarnished, black area / with spots bad)., that we are the industry standard. Would want flood market with our product pop wise. Would promote the hobby via our marketing strategy. Not trigger happy on details grades either. If stuff not make straight grade just body bagged with link to buy our special 2x2’s (a line with holders fancily labeled BU, AU, Ch XF, VF, F, VG, G with link for the CW grading book). I would supervise our blog - quote trolls / bash warriors kicked, harassers, dropped with an F.

    Would offer inventory excel sheet file free. Would push world material, especially Mexico and a state and of art price guide for that country. I believe at some point in time it wb a global market (todays under valued world coins will equalize with US if the 2 just don’t average out. Dealers in world would be recruited, trained make that a reality as our material hits the market.

    Being realistic I think it wb tough for new TPG enter at this time.

    Coins & Currency
  • justindanjustindan Posts: 725 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 5, 2024 4:41PM
    1. Simplify submissions forms, specs, and shipping instructions. Provide transparent turnaround times.
    2. Better customer service training to help reps understand numismatics. Offer live chat. Proactive communication - delays, etc.
    3. pass
    4. pass
    5. Combine return shipping on multiple orders that arrived at the same time. Allow no NFC on goldshield.
    6. Sponsorship for collector level to engage the retail customers. Enhanced perks, reduced entry fee, etc.
    7. Certification programs for dealers and collectors. Online learning. Webinars on specific topics.
    8. Publish beginner friendly guides (online videos?) on collecting explaining the basics and benefits of numismatics.
    9. AI to analyze buyer's preferences and patterns personalizing the service. Enhanced grading. Better fraud protection.
  • johnny010johnny010 Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @justindan

    I believe you might be getting a job offer tomorrow. Great thoughts here as well.

  • DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Silver in clear plastic. Gold in white plastic.

  • BustDMsBustDMs Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @OAKSTAR said:

    @johnny010 said:
    If you were CEO of a grading company tomorrow…
    What would you do differently vs what you see today?

    I would listen to my customer service division and act, correct and fix the problem areas. I would also have my customer service division monitor forums like this one.

    Much like location, location, location in real estate you need to focus on customer service qubed!

    The differences in opinion on grade will continue till the end of time as resubmissions are important to the bottom line. BUT, once the coins are in the hands of the service a reasonable turnaround time is essential! When there is a problem or concern it MUST be addressed IMMEDIATELY and efficiently. NO MORE CALL CENTER customer service representatives reading from a FAQ answer sheet. Hire someone who at least has a moderate numismatic background so they understand what the questions are. I recently called a major grading service with a question and was SHOCKED at the inability of the customer service representative to understand my questions. I finally gave up and submitted to another service. Their loss, and in the long run, my gain!

    LISTEN to your customers. It will pay off in the long run!

    Q: When does a collector become a numismatist?



    A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.



    A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
  • Mr_SpudMr_Spud Posts: 5,334 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It’s hard to say, just about every CEO I’ve ever worked for ends up cutting off funding to parts of the business that are doing good and running those parts into the ground in order to fund other parts of the business that they hope will grow so much that they will take the company to the next level so they can flip the whole company to the next investment group that purchases it. I hopefully wouldn’t do that, but maybe that’s why I won’t ever be a CEO 🧐

    Mr_Spud

  • JeffersonFrogJeffersonFrog Posts: 875 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Offered in the spirit of old fashioned, sit around the table brainstorming:

    • Computer grading, with human finalizers.
    • Computer photography - ALL coins submitted get a Gold Shield/True View. Make it part of the assembly line.
    • Slab just about EVERYTHING. Simspons, Peanuts, Dan Carr, Meteorites, Star Wars, bottle caps, you name it. There are a lot of us old farts who don't find some of these things numismatic - it does not matter. There is a large market out there, and pretty soon THAT market may overtake the numismatic market.
    • Prove/demonstrate to the world the submission and grading process is anonymous.
    • Incorporate some serious Counterfeit data/pictures into Coin Facts, coin by coin.
    • Offer a 72-hour, $15 authenticity turnaround service, like PSA used to do for cards.
    • People are expensive. If you do use human Customer Service, pay up a little to get folks who can think beyond what a computer screen tells them to do. Oh, and that know something about the coin market.
    • Embrace and double down on the UltraBreaks and VaultBox phenomena. Ignore all the old fart complaints. Not only are they money makers, but who else has ever been able to find a home for common date MS63 Morgans?
    • Revamp the entire submission process. I don't know the details of the inner workings, but the current process borders on silly. One process for raw coins, one for PCGS slabs, another for all other slabs? Short term, long term? I don't know, but the complexity and cost of the current process does not bring people in, it turns them away.
    • Attend 48 shows a year, some big, some not.

    My thoughts.

    If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.

    Tommy

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