Waking The Sleeping Dog - HomerunHall
wondercoin
Posts: 16,909 ✭✭✭✭✭
As the week winds down, this is my personal impression of what just happened at PCGS.
1. Hats off to NGC - they "scored" one of PCGS' most talented employees. This move should really help their company.
2. As Laura said, Rick's departure was a "wake up call" for PCGS. We all may have underestimated, however, just how much PCGS intends to respond to its wake up call.
3. David Hall has been the "sleeping dog" for the past couple years at PCGS. I believe he was not (fully) aware of the negative developments which took place at the company.
4. David Hall has made it his personal project to restore PCGS to the "glory days". He is going to put 100% of his energy into bettering PCGS and its image among collectors and dealers. This is a challenge David Hall is excited about. My guess is his mindset is "NGC may have won the battle, but lost the war". Rick's move to NGC might be analogized to Ken Griffey's move from Seattle to the Reds. Griffey did just fine while playing for the Reds and the Mariners also won their division and went to game 7 with the Yankees the following year as a much improved ballteam. I have a feeling this is David's gamplan as well.
5. What just happened at PCGS is HUGE to both collectors and dealers. I have never seen such optimism displayed among PCGS dealers as I have seen this week. There is a feeling the coins will be graded much more fairly again and that NGC coins will, once again, begin crossing at rates seen pre-2000. Why they fell to a 26% rate this past year is anyones guess.
6. NGC has, without a doubt, awakened the sleeping dog. No doubt, NGC is ready to play ball as well!! HomerunHall will not go down without swinging. If he makes contact, watch out!!!!
Wondercoin
1. Hats off to NGC - they "scored" one of PCGS' most talented employees. This move should really help their company.
2. As Laura said, Rick's departure was a "wake up call" for PCGS. We all may have underestimated, however, just how much PCGS intends to respond to its wake up call.
3. David Hall has been the "sleeping dog" for the past couple years at PCGS. I believe he was not (fully) aware of the negative developments which took place at the company.
4. David Hall has made it his personal project to restore PCGS to the "glory days". He is going to put 100% of his energy into bettering PCGS and its image among collectors and dealers. This is a challenge David Hall is excited about. My guess is his mindset is "NGC may have won the battle, but lost the war". Rick's move to NGC might be analogized to Ken Griffey's move from Seattle to the Reds. Griffey did just fine while playing for the Reds and the Mariners also won their division and went to game 7 with the Yankees the following year as a much improved ballteam. I have a feeling this is David's gamplan as well.
5. What just happened at PCGS is HUGE to both collectors and dealers. I have never seen such optimism displayed among PCGS dealers as I have seen this week. There is a feeling the coins will be graded much more fairly again and that NGC coins will, once again, begin crossing at rates seen pre-2000. Why they fell to a 26% rate this past year is anyones guess.
6. NGC has, without a doubt, awakened the sleeping dog. No doubt, NGC is ready to play ball as well!! HomerunHall will not go down without swinging. If he makes contact, watch out!!!!
Wondercoin Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
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Comments
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
like PCGS, just want them to grade fairly again.
My website
I admire your optimism and enthusiasm (even if I don't 100% agree with all of it), but I do think DCAM is correct in basically cautioning us to exert some sobriety in how we assess the situation. It really is too soon to tell about anything, and remember that most of us collect for the long haul...
Regards,
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
<< <i>We all may have underestimated, however, just how much PCGS intends to respond to its wake up call. >>
We shall see. It seems to be an excellent start, but what was that adage about the value of talk?
<< <i>the Mariners also won their division and went to game 7 with the Yankees the following year as a much improved ballteam. >>
Yeah, and shortly thereafter went right back to their old habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. One thing they are very good at though; fleecing the taxpayer.
Russ, NCNE
I would very much like for you to be right. But I wonder where you get "There is a feeling the coins will be graded much more fairly again and that NGC coins will, once again, begin crossing at rates seen pre-2000."?
It wasn't like David could have truly been out of the loop and unaware of complaints about PCGS during the past however many years. And, whatever anyone wants to say good or bad about PCGS's grading, I'm confident that Rick Montgomery was nowhere near solely responsible for it. He was part of a grading team and procedure and I believe it is unrealistic to expect either PCGS's or NGC's grading to change noticeably with his change of jobs. Many graders have come and gone to and from NGC and PCGS, with little noticeable effect on the grading.
Please note, I am not picking on anyone or even complaining about anything. But I want to point out, that if changes do come about, they might be minor and only time will tell what, if anything will be different. It is my hope that both NGC and PCGS become better and that our industry benefits as a result.
roadrunner
The Ludlow Brilliant Collection (1938-64)
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Does PCGS ease up on grading and lower there standards to appease dealers / collectors? Thereby diminishing the value of their service / opinion? Putting them on par with say ANACS?
Or does PCGS try to improve on the marginaly service where you get coins back with thumb prints, cheese whiz in the holders and misspellings on the insert?
I would love to see the registry revised to have a weighted complete type set, eliminate low interest / no participation sets and all sets must be available for viewing. Those suggestions don't cost a dime and I would register my 4-5 sets. Hey maybe even a colonial set?
DL: With all due respect, I am not sure your comment follows from trying to improve a 26% crossover rate, which includes "cross at any grade" submissions (i.e. the true crossover rate is probably closer to 20% over the past 12 months).
Wondercoin.
All PCGS need do to satisy everyone except their competition is to be consistent in applying their existing grading standard. They should be fanatical about it, and should cross any coin in any holder that conforms, and remove any coin they see in their holder that doesn't conform. A few months of that, coupled with brief explaination to submitters with questions about grades given would accomplish what no amount of advertising ever could, and would convince collectors of the sincerity and dedication of the company. PCGS should operate for a little while as though they believe they are #2 and the submitters are important. That's all the reorganization they really require. IMO.
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
<< <i>Does PCGS ease up on grading and lower there standards to appease dealers / collectors? Thereby diminishing the value of their service / opinion? Putting them on par with say ANACS? >>
Ouch! I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention ANACS as the type of service that nobody would want to become. ANACS actually has a lot of respect in the hobby. So they don't play the big marketing game, so what?
Wondercoin, great post and a great vision. I sure hope it becomes reality. If there is one thing David Hall is not, it is stupid. Hall is one of the smartest guys out there and I'm certain he sees this as a wake up call.
<< <i>and yet still didn't get into the playoffs. They could have, they were doing great. What happened? >>
They're the Mariners. If there's a way to blow it, they'll find it.
Russ, NCNE
You should try living in Cleveland Indians territory for awhile...
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill