Buy exclusively PCGS slabs?

dan1ecu

Maybe this has been brought up before, but I’m considering buying only PCGS graded coins in the future. It bothers me when my coins don’t cross (maybe that’s irrational, since it’s the same coin nevertheless). Has anyone else resigned themselves to just buying PCGS graded coins so that you don’t have to mess with the crossover process? For some reason I want all of my coins in a PCGS slab - maybe because of the perception that they are the number one service. What do you think?

Dan

Peaceman

You can actually make HUGE $ by buying PCGS slabbed coins and resubmitting them to another "not so strict" grading service. I know a friend who sent a high end MS-64 1928-s Peace dollar graded by PCGS to another 3rd party company only to have it come back a 65! He made thousands of dollars on it on ebay........

Buy low....... Sell high.......

airplanenut

I think you should buy the coin- who gives a hoot who, if anyone, surrounded it in plastic with their opinion on the label. If you like the coin, would it really matter who graded it? I personally collect coins, not a small, blue, rectangular piece of paper...

KoinKollector

<<You can actually make HUGE $ by buying PCGS slabbed coins and resubmitting them to another "not so strict" grading service. I know a friend who sent a high end MS-64 1928-s Peace dollar graded by PCGS to another 3rd party company only to have it come back a 65! He made thousands of dollars on it on ebay........>>

Are you shatting me??? Your 'friend' sounds like a punk.

Russ

I submit regularly to PCGS, and have several PCGS registry sets, but I still buy coins holdered by other grading services. You limit your opportunites too much by writing everybody else off.

Russ, NCNE

DeepCoin

I restrict my purchases to PCGS and NGC. If I were a collector of varieties (and I am not at present), I would add ANACS. The others will just let you down ulitmately.

Buy the coin, but if you are buying expensive coins it is only self protection to avoid the lesser services. Those who have the special eye (which excludes me) can cherrypick, but being conservative I choose not to attempt to cross over. Certification is a bit of a safety net as I see it. I am still learning my own series (getting a little better), but I dont want to make the expensive mistake.

IrishMike

If you limit yourself to one companies slabs, you will eliminate a lot of great coins. A lesson I learned the hard way. Buy nice coins will terrific eye appeal. Today's number one might be tomorrows number 2. There is no guarantee who or who won't remain in favor.

marcmoish

Frankly I personally prefer the PCGS holders to NGC. Better Viewing too! I feel Like the coin is in a coffin when I look at those white NGC holders...well just MHO

Marc

Will anyone ever produce non-scratch holders?

Tonelover

I think you should buy the coin-

That pretty much sums it up. If you liked the coin enough to buy it in the first place, why don't you like it now that PCGS refused to cross it? I know it's frustrating when they don't cross something and it's easy to take personally, but with a current 25% or so crossover rate it is obvious that there's more to the picture than just saying 75% of the coins out there aren't good enough.

You should look at your coins as if they weren't even slabbed and evaluate them on their own technical merits. The grading services around today might not be around tomorrow and before you know it you'll be spending all sorts of money to get them re-holdered again. Just enjoy your coins and don't worry so much about what PCGS says. There are plenty of crummy coins in their holders too.

lazeroo

well, it's not exactly true what holder it's in. right now it would seem that if it's in an pcgs holder it's worth more. that is because everyone is caught up in the grading game.
I'm guessing this will change in the very near future. pcgs has graded so strictly that it is causing a coin shortage for high grade coins. so yes there worth more now.

how long are they going to stay in an pcgs holder :::::::::0 this could change fast.
NGC has now started to be as tough on there grading as pcgs. hmmm maybe we should all start looking in those ACG holders for some undergraded coins.

MrKelso

I won't bother with crossing over a coin. To me once it's graded Thats it. I try not to do to many graded coin as i like to accumulate Morgans and grade my own for the fun of it. Then pass them over to my Grandson.

MastaHanky

I buy a few NGC slabs when I see coins I like in them.

I mainly buy PCGS for a different reason though, and unfortunately, it's partially because I'm buying the slab. I like my collection to have a uniform look, with all slabs of the same dimensions. I plan on making a display case for my set, and I don't want to have all sorts of slabs mixed up in there.

Sad, but true.

tristarz

I usually buy PCGS; however, collecting is about buying what you like - so I will at times buy other slabs if I want the coin.

Clankeye

I was looking through my early commems the other day and was kind of taken aback that I actually have more NGC than PCGS graded coins these days. Doesn't bother me in the least, it just turned out that way based on a coin by coin basis. And I actually like each service's holder, so I guess it's not much of concern to me.

hookedoncoins

I buy mainly PCGS for my reg set, but other than that, I don't care what holder it is in, if any. I have even cracked out PCGS and NGC slabs so I could put the coins in a dansco. I still have the shatter holder and the slip of paper if you'd like to buy it from me.

-Jarrett Roberts

Dog97

It doesn't matter to me who's holder they are in. It would be nice if all mine were in the same kind of holder but I don't see any point in spending the $$$ to do it.

EVillageProwler

If you hate the crossover game, and you really want to do the registry thing, then you can alleviate some of this stress by participating with the NGC registry service. They allow both NGC and PCGS slabs. For better or worse, they disallow all other slabs. So, it's not entirely about the coin. But, on this matter, it is less restrictive than over here...

EVP

Peaceman

Resale (If that's your intention) is what it is all about (In today's market). You can buy a PCGS slabbed coin for premium $ or buy another parties coin graded equally for WAY UNDER greysheet...... I just love the people who try to sell coins on ebay NOT slabbed by PCGS but point to their price guide when they try to sell..... ;P

I remember a post here not to long ago where someone resubmitted a 3rd party graded MS-65 coin to PCGS only to get it back as a 62. That can be HUGE $ for some coins out there..... so YES, buy all the NON-PCGS slabs out there you possibly can, you'll be rich in no time.......lol.

EVillageProwler

peaceman,

you can't buy and sell using the pcgs/cu price guide either...

evp

JamieB

If I buy "sight unseen" - I stick to PCGS. You can pretty confidently know what you are getting - and have a decent protection on resale - Unless you just get buyers fever.

my $0.02
Jamie

KoinKollector

Does anyone any longer buy higher ticket raw coins????

EVillageProwler

I buy higher ticket raw coins. Not too often, because of the ratio of slabbed to raw for nice coins. The key is if I think the coin is nice.

EVP

Dave99B

I buy a fair number of raw pieces as well. No problem. It's a space where you can make a lot of money, if, and that's a big "IF", you can grade. If you can't, stick with PCGS/NGC/ANACS material .....

Dave

Flash

I like my coins professionaly slabbed for the protection it provides my coins and for the protection the third-party certification allows me as a buyer. I do not like the way coins look in NGC slabs (they look like a coin stuck in the middle of a bar of hotel soap) or ANACS slabs (smaller bars of hotel soap) or any other slab other than PCGS slabs. I like the way coins look in PCGS holders. Having said that, I will say that I only buy coins that are encased in PCGS holders. I like my collection to have a uniform appearance, and I like that uniformity to include the same protective holders for all my coins. I want those holders to be PCGS holders. I will not even look at, nor will I consider buying, coins in other holders, so I guess I just won't know what I'm missing. Oh well, I'm sure I have found, and will continue to find, some very nice coins that are encased in PCGS slabs. I have tried the crossover game, and did manage to do quite well with the exception of two coins that did not cross. I thought one of them was ugly anyways, so it didn't bother me to sell it and upgrade to a better-looking example in a PCGS holder. The other was a very nice coin that liked, but I sold it anyways because I know I can find one just as nice in PCGS holder. Now that I only buy PCGS-certified coins, I will no longer worry about whether a coin will cross or whether or not they will give it the grade that I think it deserves, because I have already determined that it deserves the grade stated on the label. No fuss, no muss.

OnlyBuffalos

I believe that circulated barber coins are quite easy to grade accurately and thus will purchase them raw or in anyone's holder. On the other hand, I do not have confidence in my ability to distinguish accurately between a barber MS63 vs MS64 grade or between an MS64 vs MS65 especially on barber dimes and quarters. For those MS grades I value the opinion of PCGS -- simply too much money on the line.

For early coppers, I rely on the opinion of trusted dealers/collectors who are members of EAC when purchasing half cents and large cents. I also know that any slapped coin by any service will very seldom receive the same grade EAC wise so I proceed very cautiously in this arena. However for an early copper with great eye appeal, emotion often rules.

I think there is great inconsistency by all grading services in their grading of the 1917 to 1926 San Francisco and Denver buffalo nickels. For these dates I have my own grading criteria and religiously stick to it.

Summary. I value PCGS and EAC in areas where I presently lack confidence in my grading ability and/or where a great deal of money is at risk.

dorkkarl

<< <i>Does anyone any longer buy higher ticket raw coins???? >>

i don't know if my amount qualifies, but i just dropped $9K on raw coins at the queller auction. already made $ on 2 of them too.

K S

jom

To Tonelover you should listen!

If you want to be a happy collector use the following advice when thinking about sending a coin into a grading service:

1) Why am I spending this money?

2) If I'm going to sell the coin, sure send it in if it isn't already graded.

3) If I want to put together a Registry Set. Go ahead and sent it in. You have to.

4) Matching slabs. A TRUE waste of money. Services love this however. If you want to match the set...break them out. Free Mercury!

Do NOT waste money sending coins in folks. You'll just get frustrated, angry and upset (that's right ALL three!) and probably give up collecting. You have to remember only buy what YOU like not what some service or anyone else tells you. After all, it's your money, right?

jom

Elcontador

Jom has a point. As I always say, for me the slab isthe starting point of my search for a coin. I typically restrict my search to PCGS & NGC material. If what I am looking for is widely traded, I'll look at the Greysheet / Bluesheet.

Typically, if sheet pricing for widely traded coins is comparable for NGC & PCGS material, that usually means that grading standards are similar.
If there are large gaps, like in Unc. copper & nickel coinage, then I know this is not the case.

Then I look at the coin. If I like it, I ask the price. If I really like the coin, I ask if that is the dealer's best price. After hearing his response, I make my decision.

If you know how to grade a particular series, you can on occasion buy a properly graded NGC coin at a bargain price because too many people only look at PCGS coins. An honest dealer will sometimes be able to pick up this mateial cheaply, and if you know him, he can still make money on the coin and give you a good deal on it.

Re the cross-over / upgrade phenomena: Three years ago, I think the cross-over success rate was closer to 40%. Wait. When PCGS submissions fall, they'll open the gate a bit; they always do, eventually.

EVillageProwler

My attitude is a slight modification to what Jom said. I think it's ok to think about slabbing, and that it is not a waste of money -- but only if you are ready to sell. Do not waste your money on slabs now if you're still in the acquisition phase. If you're planning on selling 20 years from now, then get them slabbed in roughly 20 years. By then, who knows which service is the prevailing service!

By then, Jom's CGS could be #1, and the NGC, PCGS, ANACS, etc., slabs will all be devalued like Hallmark is today.

Spend your money of JCGS then rather than on PCGS (or NGC or ...) now.

This advice also holds if you're looking for a consistent look... Trying now to get the same slabs is crazy; both PCGS and NGC change their slabs from time to time.

EVP

Clankeye

Do NOT waste money sending coins in folks. You'll just get frustrated, angry and upset (that's right ALL three!) and probably give up collecting. You have to remember only buy what YOU like not what some service or anyone else tells you. After all, it's your money, right?

Not trying to pick a fight with you Jom, but I just don't understand a blanket statement like that. I just had four coins graded yesterday. Made me happy. Wasn't a waste of my money, didn't get frustrated, and I'm not upset. Don't you think that happens sometimes? I would extend your thinking of "only buy what YOU like... not what anyone tells you..." to "Slab coins if you want to. Don't NOT do it because of what someone tells you."

After all, it's our money, right?

Twowood

Dan1ecu; I agree.I'd love to have a complete collection of PGCS graded coins but who can afford it? I thought about buying coins raw and shipping them off to PGCS for grading but, at 30 bucks a pop, They're telling me that they're not interested in small potatoe collectors like me...and to buy them already graded,I'd have to sell one of our kids.
Look at ANACS.Reasonably high grading standards at fair prices for the collector. Twowood

jom

Clankeye: I was "slightly" tongue in cheek there. What I've seen happen MANY times is that collectors (even dealers) get frustrated by sending coins in and NOT getting the grade you want or it comes back in body bag. I can image that newbies (who don't have enough experience in grading) probably just give up. My reasoning is simple. Don't waste money on slabbing if you aren't selling OR doing that Registry thing. Otherwise, why bother?

I'm not sure if I agree with the modification of "..slab coins if you want to" because I think collectors should learn enough about the coins they buy to be able to buy ANY coin (slabbed or not) if they like it. After all, if a collector is experienced enough about any particular series I believe they know as much or more than any grader at the service. The slab at that point is moot....

jom

PS: And, no, you aren't "picking a fight". Too bad that things have gotten to the point in the forum recently where people are hesitant to give an opinion without feeling you are starting a fight. You have a different opinion Clankeye...nothing wrong with that...!

Clankeye

Jom--
As further explained, I think what you are saying is quite reasonable.

Yeah, I guess I'm getting a little jumpy around here, lately. I didn't actually think you would take it personally, but man, people are sensitive around here lately!

Carl

jom

Carl: Yeah, it's pretty bad lately. That's unfortunate.

Anyway, after I posted I realized what you might have meant by "..slab coin if you want to". Yes, if someone wants to ONLY buy slabbed coins that's great! It's their dough after all. I'm just suggesting there's a bigger world out there and if you want access to all of it I personally would suggest knowledge of the coin series of interest. Then you can buy raw or slabbed or whatever.

jom

Clankeye

Jom--
I guess what I was trying to say is "If you feeling like slabbing a coin, do it... if you don't, don't." That's it in a nutshell for me.

I do agree with you that a lot of people may come away from the experience a little wiser, and a lot shorter of cash. But, I feel that way about any number of things.

Carl

supercoin

There is a MAJOR benefit to having at least some of your coins slabbed by a reputable service that hasn't been mentioned yet -- and that's to make sure you didn't buy some cleaned/altered/counterfeit/overgraded junk.

There are many collectors who don't have access to an expert (or at least not one that they can trust).

If you're in that situation, having a few coins slabbed early in your collecting endeavour to see how they match up to what you think you bought could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

nwcs

I'm sure everyone has had a say, but I haven't read them all. For me, I was PCGS only for a long while till the last month or two. Since then I have grabbed one NGC, one SEGS, and one PCI slab. Because the coins were great. The NGC turned out to be a 1880S VAM 8 which is worth a nice premium over what I paid. The SEGS one looked nice. And the PCI one is a PL cameo obverse with a regular frosty reverse. I'm wondering about crossing it over to use in the registry. But I still submit only to PCGS. By the time my open invoices are back, I'll have about 90 PCGS slabs and 3 non-PCGS.