I Finally Made My First Submission!
124Spider
Posts: 1,195 ✭✭✭✭✭
Although I consider myself, modestly ( 
), to be a competent person, I have been somewhat intimidated by the process of submitting coins to TPGs; so much could go wrong, and it's not cheap, so I had avoided it until now.
Then two things happened in fairly short succession: (i) I bought a variety of the 1861-O half dollar (W-01) that I had been looking for for a long time, but the variety was not attributed on the PCGS slab, and (ii) I bought a coin from HA, and the Post Office damaged the slab in shipping (HA gave me a $25 credit to get it reholdered).
So I really wanted to do it, but the process is not simple to a virgin.
But I finally screwed my courage to the sticking point, filled out the form; added my supporting evidence, and shipped it off to PCGS, today.
Now I wait to see if it was worth it.
Comments
does pcgs recognize the variety?
They should. The question is can they identify the variety? If it is easy and you provide the variety for them, then maybe. If it requires some technical skill, forget it. They just take your money, ignore your requests, and assign whatever they want assign to the coin (usually wrong) no matter how much instruction you provided to them and how you wanted it labeled. Your interesting R6 die state will come back labeled as a common R2 die state - a waste of $20.
But have you seen their new glossy magazine?
"1840-O WB-11, 146 reeds" (R6) labeled as a WB-11 (R2) despite my repeated, explicit instructions to do a reed count on the submission sheet.
They do the various varieties of the 1861-O half dollar; I have a PCGS W-08 and W-11 of the 1861-O halves. And I made it as easy as could be. But who knows?
Welcome to the madness!
It can be humbling and rewarding at the same time.
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In summary, I understand your excitement. I was the same way when I made my first submission comprised of special coins in my collection. I was thrilled with the grades, but the TrueViews were horrible. I cannot even use the TrueViews because they're so poor.
Good luck. I hope you're not "mad" when you receive your first submission.
We all get mad. That comes with the territory.
I think reconsiderations, regrades, & stickering kind of softens the blow.
@124Spider - I go back a try a read some of my threads and posts. What a mess!!
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
hope it works out
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There are never enough time and money to do it right the first time, but there's plenty of time and money to do it over at your expense.
When someone has something that is rare, but PCGS is incapable of even recognizing it for their customers due to their incompetence and laziness, that doesn't soften the blow. It IS the blow.
No, I agree. My intent with what I said was that it's not the final say. But it does suck to even have to go that route.
I wonder if a work-around if PCGS is overwhelmed by all the various demands, to have Anacs or Icg do the attribution and see if PCGS will do the verification that they got it right since PCGS will crossover second tier service slabs if they agree?
@logger7 . it depends on your personal needs but Variety Slabbing Service attributes coins with stickers for $8 dollars. james
So, you may come to enjoy the crack out game that follows. I just sell genuine coins which otherwise were perfectly enjoyable outside their coffin and in the albums from where they resided for decades, in the first place. …. Long before I, the TPGs, and all the experts came along.
Remember when collecting was about collecting ?
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Yay!!!
I got notice from PCGS this morning that they grades were in.
So, with my heart in my mouth, I clicked on the link to see if Santa Claus had brought me a late present.
And he did!
Yes, PCGS agrees with my W-01 attribution. And they managed to keep the "chop mark" notation on the trade dollar that I sent in to replace a damaged holder.
YAY!!!
Congrats on your first submission. I remember the anxiety I felt on my first one.
Now the hard part starts. Waiting and tracking the package out to Newport Beach. Wondering why it takes so long to confirm they received your package. Then the big wait as it goes thru the process. Sometimes agonizing. Then you get the grade(s) and the trip home. It is a bit stressful, but usually worth the wait. Good luck.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
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Congrats!
How many times did you check on your submission so far?
I checked it perhaps once a day, for the six weeks since I sent it out. It spent a long time in "grading" and a very long time in "encapsulation," but all's well that ends well!
Sometimes, the coins are in your mailbox when the grades post. That happened to me on my first consignment. It went from QA to Delivered without indicating that the submission had been shipped. Santa rewarded my undergrading some classic commemoratives. That was one fun day after a five month wait.