Better coins, wrong holder
tradedollarnut
Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
At what point do you buy a better coin in an NGC holder? Is it price dependent, or will you never even consider it?
I got offered an upgrade today at a very high price. The coin is better than mine, even if only by a half a grade [how do I know? Miles told me once!]. But these days, it might never make it into a PCGS holder at that grade. I will swear up and down that I know it's a better coin - by at least half a grade. At what point do I spend the money and upgrade the coin? Do I do it even if I know it won't cross? Or do I not even consider it unless it crosses or the price drops midway?
Kool Aid addicts and abstainers welcome to answer!
I got offered an upgrade today at a very high price. The coin is better than mine, even if only by a half a grade [how do I know? Miles told me once!]. But these days, it might never make it into a PCGS holder at that grade. I will swear up and down that I know it's a better coin - by at least half a grade. At what point do I spend the money and upgrade the coin? Do I do it even if I know it won't cross? Or do I not even consider it unless it crosses or the price drops midway?
Kool Aid addicts and abstainers welcome to answer!
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Comments
Man, I can relate. I've paid a lot more for a half point difference (with same grade on the holder coins). Personally, I like PCGS coins because they are so liquid, but I have my share of NGC's also. Infact, that's why my set isnt listed in the PCGS registry... but that's a different topic that has been hashed and rehashed.
Here's the way I've approched this delima. If it's a key, or favorite date, buy it. If not, dont. I realize you're on a whole different level than me, but the principle remains the same. Just my point of view, which is what you were asking for.
Good luck,
David
I struggled with this on my quarter eagle set. I picked up the 11D in MS however it was in a NGC holder. The eye appeal was there, along witht the luster and the lack of marks, strong D etc... Didn't cross to PCGS. In my opinion it is better than some of the other PCGS graded coins I have which are at a higher grade. The only negative is in the PCGS registry set the collection is not complete, but at NGC it is. With that being said I'm glad I got the NGC coin, no regrets. After all, it is just their opinion....
From the post I've read of yours, I know you strive for quality so I would get the coin regardless of the plastic surrounding it. Just my two cents.
Rich
just make sure you
know and understand what you are looking at
buym only with discretionary funds
coins with tremendous eye appeal and exceptional qualities as compaired to others in the ssme series/dates etc.
buy the coin not the holder
enjoy and collect coins for fun and really like what you are going to buy, you might have to live with it a long time!
i think if you do all of the above i think more often than not you will do okie/very well? as a collector over the long haul
if you do not do as per the above that is okie JUST LET THE BUYER BEWARE
sincerely michael
Read my thoughts. You know what I'd do, except at a different grade/price level.
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Of course, that does not always apply. I would go with what you think. You are a little brighter than anyone at PCGS with regards to your series, and in the future who knows, maybe they will wake up (or be out of business so it is meaningless). Koolaid drinkers do not operate in series where the coin matters, only the plastic.
Remember how my favorite coin (the 1913 Liberty Nickel, of which you own one) got so famous! One person spent countless dollars promoting it. You can always do the same with your Trade Dollars. Whether it would be worth it is something I will not speculate on, but that is how things get done.
If it was me, I would sell them all and buy clad's. Word on this forum is that you cannot lose, unless enjoying the coins actually means something to you which is different than those you enjoy the number in the plastic holder!
Bruce: The point is RIGHT NOW PROVIDED THE PROPOSED PRICE IS IN LINE WITH THE QUALITY. YES, EVEN IF IT WILL NOT CROSS.
This is the problem I face in my MS Wash Quarter series at this time. I have most of the coins in "pop top" PCGS grade". For this discussion, let's say the pop top grade is MS67 in most cases. Now, an NGC-MS68 coin comes along and is offered to me. Let's assume I know it is roughly a 1/4 or even 1/2 point better than my PCGS-MS67 example (for the ones that are equal to my PCGS-MS67 example IMHO, there is often no issue to even consider). I HAVE BOUGHT THESE COINS WHERE THE PRICE IS "FAIR" EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THERE IS NO REASONABLE CHANCE THE COIN WILL CROSS.
Now, where I pass on the coins is simply where price becomes too high for the quarter or half a point. Here is a perfect example - I own a nice 1941(p) Wash Quarter in PCGS-MS67 - they tend to trade between $1000 - $2000. The 1941(p) NGC-MS68* coin came up for auction in Charlotte. THE COIN WAS NICER THAN MY PCGS-MS67 IN MY COLLECTION. HOWEVER, THE NGC-MS68* COIN ALSO HAD FAILED TO CROSS TO PCGS-MS68 WHEN A PRIOR OWNER AND "SUPER EYE" OWNED THE COIN. The coin sold for around $13,800 at the sale -IMHO, SIMPLY TOO MUCH DIFFERENCE FOR ME TO IMPROVE MY 1941(p) IN MY SET BY SOME FRACTION OF A POINT. At $7500, I would have paid for that slight improvement in a heartbeat (and if the coin in Charlotte went back to the book, you could probably twist my arm to get me to $10,000). But, the next bid of nearly $15,000 for the NGC-MS68* was simply too much for me.
Isn't this sort of the bottom line to your decision as well Bruce? Wondercoin
Not sure what difference the holder makes. From what I've seen, your Trade $'s are already fantastic.
Exactly what will this half-point upgrade do for your set? It's difficult to imagine, other than encourage each future half-point upgrade to be ever more expensive, but at least you'd be ensuring that you'll be offered all of them.
And BTW, I don't know why everybody assumed you meant a trade dollar in this post. I didn't think you mentioned what coin it was.