question for you more experienced collectors

achtey

I was just wondering what is the least expensive grader I can find? Or even the best deal? I would like to start grading some of my raw coins, but don't have alot of money to spend. Any help would be welcome.

Thanks

DHeath

What kind of coins do you want graded?

paigowjohnny

ANA Grading guide and a good 10x loupe....

Or ANACS if you want to send them out and use a reliable service.

tracker

Personally, I'd buy the books, grade them myself with strict "unbiased" (that's the hard part) honesty and enjoy my accomplishment. Unless you are looking to sell and want that "edge", you don't need a service. No "plugs" from this collector. But if you must slab, cheaper is never better... it's just cheaper.

MadMonk

You are the cheapest grader. Learn all you can. Go to coin shows and look at a slew of coins. What are your weaknesses? Mint state, circulated. REmember, the grading services grade by a SHEET, and then an avg. That's why we say ecchhh, all those marks on a 65? Yea, but the luster and strike took it up.

LucyBop

I'll reccomend a book called Photograde, its a good book, but it doesn't cover Mint State grading. I believe its a 12 dollar book. This may be a good start..

BigD5

Don't waste your money on certification unless you plan on selling what you have, and that all depends on what you have. If it isn't worth $100, certification would probably cost more than what it's worth for that item. Good luck.

dorkkarl

<< <i>I would like to start grading some of my raw coins >>

do you mean slabing or grading? the 2 are different.

K S

nwcs

Going to an ANA grading class is likely to be the best action. I've gotten better in my grading, but I am looking forward to taking it to a new level with the class in March. Then maybe next year with the advanced class. I think that for most of my future coins, I may just do all the grading myself and then get the coinworld slabs to holder them.

achtey

thanks to all of you that responded, you've given me some ideas that I hadn't thought about, again, thanks

mr1931S

achtey,i agree with LucyBop.Photograde is good IF you can get ahold of one the old editions.i was thumbing through the latest Photograde edition and was kind of underwhelmed.They cover more series of coins but the "photos" are small.The earlier Photograde is better with the larger pictures,that really are pictures and don't look like small drawings.JMHO

mr1931S

1976 edition of Photograde is what you would want,achtey.Here's an ebay link to a seller with one:1976 Photograde

BillJones

If you study the books, you can become not only the lest expensive grader for yourself, you can be the most accurate grader. The slab services only get right about 75% of the time on Mint State and Proof material, and their batting average is far lower for circulated coins.

Conder101

And if you have to have slabs then the cheapest thing going is Accugrades encapsulation service. In quantity they seal them up for you for $4 each with your own custom label and serial numbers. And you can put any grade you want to on the labels because ACG doesn't even look at them it is strickly an encapsulation service. Just remember that if you go that route you have to send me and example for my records. Doesn't matter what is in the holder, just so I get one.

Coinut

shame on you

ldhair

Pop some images up on the forum. It's free. The average of the opinions will be close.
It's a good way to learn. Ebay images of slabs is also a good way to learn. Lucy's idea for circ. coins is also good. Books are great. It's half of the hobby to me.

MacCoin

IGC is cheap. but if you want to sell don't go with cheap because thats what the coins will sell is cheap. I get off on see my state quarter high grade in pastic. l give $6.00 a coin with the sale they had last year and they came back with grades higher than I would had gotten from PCGS and NGC. the slabs are cool too.