Best and worst slab designs

sadysta1

Here's my list you can agree or disagree with me.
#1 - PCGS - just the best looking holder on the market, nice, stackable, presentable, I like fact that the surface has dips and hills (not flat), drawback - getting one yourself can be a costly experience and I would love them to move the whole bar code and serial number to the back and put the coin mintage on front, I just like to see the mintge to justfy price without going to the redbook to look it up..
#2 - ACG - regardless of what we think about the coins inside the ACG holder the coin "stands out" in the holder, I like the clear ring around the coin, and matte surface futher away. I don't know how well they stack since I only had one of them.
#3 - ICG - I like the curves for handing, I jst don't like the color of the insert, it just doesn't go with the holder. I don't know how well they stack since I only had one of
#3 - SEGS - I love that mini-insert on the top of the coin, well design holder, stackable, presentable. One little drawback - it's heavy.
#4 - NGC & ANACS - nothing against them, it's just they are too simple and a little plain looking no imagination used when creating - like simple coffins , also slabs from different periods don't stack very well - bigger and smaller molds; which is even more annoying with NGC because with ANACS one can see bigger and smaller easily, with NGC they all look the same but they are bigger and smaller varieties. Also one irritating thing about the coins inside them is the fact that the coins can sink (don't stay in the center) inside the plastic insert toching to the plastic on one side. that makes coin more difficult to look at and scan (infamouns cresent shadow on the coin)
#5 - PCI - same as above but with square preforated edges.

By the way I cracked some slabs today and I have to say ACG is one tough customer, I spent as much energy cracking one ACG slab as I did cracking 3 PCI slabs.

airplanenut

ICG is pretty stackable... and I like the insert color I think they and PCGS have the best slabs... but NGC will give my ASE a much better grade

FC57Coins

I like PCGS, NGC, and ICG slabs - they focus your attention on the coin as it should be - ICG is maybe a little more distracting, but they make up for it with the intercept technology.

ANACS and Segs holders are OK - but they could be improved upon - ANACS needs to make their holder a little bigger and better designed, SEGS I don't know - looks funky

PCI and ACG slabs look cheap - I've never liked either of their designs.

Frank

braddick

BEST: SEGS. Ever try to bust into one of those?
I like the font style they use and the durability of the holder overall.

WORSE: ICG. Cheap plastic that scratches too easily.
Also, just can't get into that funky wavy deal they do with the sides. -Looks like a PCGS holder that was left out in the sun (funny- the coins inside do to! ::snare+drum:.

dan1ecu

I agree that ANACS slabs are drab. I’ve wondered if it would improve their reputation relative to that of PCGS and NGC if they increased their slab’s size. Could a smaller slab size be making them appear less prestigious than the other two? I don’t know. I basically agree with your order, though.

Dan

Dog97

I like ANACS & ACG because there are so cute & tiny and easy to crack. Plus you see more coin than plastic. The old ACG slabs that were 2½x4½ were just too big though. The new ones you have to crop a round circle after you scan it before you post a coin here or otherwise knows you got an ACG coin because the plastic is textured and the letters ACG will appear in the bottom right of your scan.

PCGS & ICG & SEGS are just too big and gawky and are hard to crack but stack nicely.

I hate NGC slabs because they are so big you have to get special boxes for them. PCGS boxes holds 15 different kind of slabs.

The perfect slab would be the size of an ANACS slab, stack like a PCGS slab and have the read from top label like SEGS slabs.

mbbiker

I like SEGS slabs because you don't have to pull out all your coins from the box to see what is all in there you can just look at the top. My next fav. is the PCGS slab. Now only if SEGS would allow other companies to use the top reading flap.

jom

#1-NGC. You can see the WHOLE coin (except the edge of course) and their slab doesn't scratch very easily.
#2-ANACS/SEGS- The ANACS slab is fine but it doesn't stack well. SEGS has some good ideas (like the grade on the top label).
#3-Tie PCGS/ICG- ICG's advantage is that you can see the WHOLE coin but the material they use to encase the coin is "foggy". PCGS's problems are two-fold. The slab scratches very easy and in many coins you can't see the rim (ie $2.5 and $5 Indians).

Most of the slabs are pretty equal. It just depends on what you like and dislike.

jom

goose3

1. PCGS
2. ANACS
3. SEGS
3.5 Pushkin's homemade jobs
4. ICG
5. NGC

leothelyon

#2 - ACG.........I don't know how well they stack since I only had one of them.

If you try to stack 2 or 3 of them, they just fall over. It's a real shame. LOL

Seriously though, I like the PCGS and ANACS holders and have some of the others.
Not long ago ANACS did increase the size of their holders but yet I would like to see them
half their size. But that would be open season on their slabs if they get too concealing within someone’s thieving hands.

Leo

prooflike

I ike the PCGS holders the best, for some reason, Morgans look better in them.

I think NGC should go back to their black plastic for gold coins(only), the gold in black would look really sharp. They could make some bucks on reholdering too.

dorkkarl

uh, no comment here. but i want to address 1 response regarding breaking into a segs slab. the easiest way is to hold it on the coin side on edge on a hard surface , and smack it sharply edge-on. it will split very cleanly like a clamshell. once you get the hang of it, it's actually the easiest to crack, since the plastic does not explode like the other hard-plastic slabs do. ngc must have started using a different plastic not long ago, because it's become the easisest way to crack theirs as well.

K S

Conder101

<< <i>The perfect slab would be the size of an ANACS slab, stack like a PCGS slab and have the read from top label like SEGS slabs. >>



I'm not sure, I'll have to check stackablity but I believe you just described the Compugrade slab.

nucklehead

I like them all, but I own mostly PCGS.Those new 'do it yourself' slabs from CoinWorld are a real pain in the arse,I tried and tried to get a lincoln in one last night and finally just gave up,don't think they're going to be too popular.

BillJones

I think the new PCGS holders look the best. Where it's necessary you can see the edge lettering. I once found a very variety of colonial coin that way.

Next I’d pick NGC, followed by ANACS and ICG. ANACS is good for the safe deposit box because they take up less space. ICG looks nice, but the holders do feel cheep.

I really dislike SEGS holders because they don’t fit into NGC boxes. They are too big.

Conversely the LITTLE, OLD PCGS holders with the prongs to hold the coins in place that seldom worked were the worst. The coins rattled in them and today they don’t fit in the PCGS boxes. YUK YUK YUK! Get out the hammer!

gemtone65

There's nothing quite like the full-sized, white bordered NGC holders to enhance the appearance of toned Morgan dollars.

airplanenut

Aren't we forgetting DCGS and their "see the rim" slab? The edge of that state quarter is VERY important in determining its value! I don't think their "computers" grade one coin with anything but a normal edge...

griffin6

I designed the ANACS slab. It was a hybrid of what we perceived as the best technology of the time with a few unique twists. If you consider the style one PCGS slab versus the NGC slab, the NGC design seemed to hold and present the coin coin better, with the white background deemed the best framing color for the majority of coins. My twist was the inhibitor bar between the coin and label sections, intended to keep and chemicals in the paper from leaching on the coin's surface (NGC later modified its holder to incorporate this concept, as did later PCGS holders). The smaller holder was intentional, and done with full knowledge that some people would like it and others would not (you can see that from this thread). At the time (and now), the largest submitting group was dealers who travel to shows, and a smaller holder IS a definite advantage when packing and carrying. Fourteen years later, I have mixed emotions... if I had it to do all over again, I would design it bigger and figure that if all the popular holders were of similar size, they could all store in common carriers.

Conder 101 - I was also (later) at CompuGrade... GREAT holder, unworkable concept!

RotatedRainbows

There's nothing quite like the full-sized, white bordered NGC holders to enhance the appearance of toned Morgan dollars.

I have to agree with Gemtone65, perfect neutral background that lets all the colors standout.

dorkkarl

griffin6 is right on about the size of the anacs slabs, & i even think those are too big. then again since i crack everything out, it's a moot point.

K S

Android

<< <i>I think NGC should go back to their black plastic for gold coins(only), the gold in black would look really sharp. They could make some bucks on reholdering too. >>



Does anyone have a picture of an old NGC black slab? I've never seen one. Condor101??

Andy

Conder101

Here are pictures of the Black NGC. It isn't the greatest sacn but it should give you an idea of what they looked like.

NGC1o.jpg is the back of the slab and NGC1r.jpg is the front of the slab.

berylcoin

I don't buy a lot of slabs, but from what I've seen I aree with Dog97. Why more plastic? Give me a small slab that doesn't scratch with a label on the top. And if it has an ANACS/NGC style insert surrounding the coin it would be nice if the submitter had a choice of black or white. Just my thoughts.

BC

flaminio

I like ICG's slab design -- nice stackability, and the "Mae West" curves make for easy gripping. The color of the insert is pleasingly neutral, and the font is nice. But they do scratch kinda easily. ANACS is also nice -- small and cute. The insert format is ugly, but very businesslike. I wish they stacked a little better... NGC's inserts are ugly. And I hate the font PCGS uses (but they change so often, maybe it'll look nicer next year.) The top-reading SEGS holders are nice, but they're too big. ACG is just plain ugly all around. NTC is attractive, but I wouldn't be caught dead buying one. PCI used to be ugly, and now is even uglier.

-Bob