What is a "plastic collector"?

GottaGetCoins

From what Im getting from these threads its someone who buys based on the grade and/or grading service and not the actual beauty of the coinn. Is this correct?

I have been buying only certified coins but my reason is to protect myself from scams. Does that make me a plastic collector?

Dog97

Sumpin like that & no.

elwood

Some people only buy certified coins graded by a particular grading company.

Others collect certified coins only by what the grade says on the holder and not what the coin might actually be.

In other words, they're buying the plastic and not the coin.

dorkkarl

someone who will only buy coins in pcgs, ngs or anacs plastic. nothing wrong w/ it, as long as you know that your limiting yourself.

K S

hookedoncoins

It can also be used to describe someone who collects sample slabs.

Placid

I thought it was a credit card collector.

airplanenut

I'd simply call it someone who only buys a specific company, especially if for the registry set--if you buy certified just so you can be sure of the coin, that's fine--if you only look at PCGS because their coins are better, you're priorities are in the wrong place.

Jeremy

Russ

<< <i>What is a "plastic collector"? >>



It is a derisive term coined by those who don't realize that when they croak their raw coins won't bring squat and their heirs are going to get screwed.

Russ, NCNE

razorface1027

What is a "plastic collector"?

Someone like me...until, the folks lurking about this forum straightened me out on a few things...

dorkkarl

<< <i>It is a derisive term coined by those who don't realize that when they croak their raw coins won't bring squat and their heirs are going to get screwed. >>

it is not!

K S

MrEureka

What is a "plastic collector"?

I looked it up in my dictionary and here's what I found:

MrEureka

Seriously, I'd define it more loosely. To me, a plastic collector is a collector that will sometimes pay substantially more for a coin in a slab than he would pay for the same coin raw. That includes almost everyone on these boards.

BTW, plastic collectors also collect coins.

dorkkarl

AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a a a a a a a a a a a a a aghhghhghgghghhgghkghkghkhgkh !

K S

291fifth

It's never really been carefully defined. It can mean different things to different people. To me it is someone who places great emphasis on what the slab is and says rather than concentrating on the coin inside.

BAJJERFAN

Well a smart plastic collector is one who buys both the coin AND the slab. An ugly POS coin is just that no matter whose plastic it is in.

mgoodm3

I use any of these definitions to fit whatever situation I'm in, as long as the definition doesn't include me.

ccr

plastic collector - A person that collects a rectangal plastic holder with number on it ( perferable 70 or close to it ) that just happens to have a circular metal object in it. The circular metal object is trivial on whether it`s junk or not that`s really fit for the scrap yard.

Coin collector - A person that collects coins that he/she considers to be a piece of beauty, regardless of condition. It`s an enjoyment to hunt, find, and aquire the object of desire.

Conder101

<< <i>It can also be used to describe someone who collects sample slabs. >>


Why are you just limiting it to sample slabs???

A plastic collector buys the coin BECAUSE of the plastic, ie: what it says on the plastic, or what the company of the plastic is with out consideration for the coin itself. For example paying a premium for an ugly or possibly misgraded MS-67 plastic rather than a raw attractive MS-66 BECAUSE the plastic says it's a 67.

Paying a premium higher than an economy slabbing fee for the slabbed example of a pair of identical coins (You look at the coins and ignoring the slab see no difference in desirability between the coins)

Someone who after several years of collecting still only buys slabs or sends everything off to be graded because they don't trust their own grading ability, even in a series they specialize in. (They bought slabs early in their collecting because they didn't know how to grade but even after several years they still have never learned how because it was just too easy to let the grading service do it. The "Why learn to do something yourself when you can hire someone else to do it for you." syndrome.)

The collector who, having found the most beautiful specimen he has ever seen, suddenly no longer likes it and wants to dispose of it when it comes back from the graders one point lower than he thought it would. Even though it still looks better than any other example with that grade. (Actually have seen this happen. Collector was building a set and had spent eight years looking for his one coin. He finally found it and raved about how it was head and shoulders above any other he had seen. It came back a 64, he immediately dumped it for a loss and returned to searching just because the plastic didn't say 65.)

LALASD4

I see a plastic collector going thru the dumpsters once in a while.

ccr

<< <i>I see a plastic collector going thru the dumpsters once in a while. >>





DOH!!! Ok maybe it just trivial that a circular piece of metal for some of these people.

Shamika

"BTW, plastic collectors also collect coins."

Occupational hazard.

dorkkarl

the point is, someone complained in another thread about ebay keyword spamming on "pcgs". now, who the he11 goes to ebay & just types in a search for "pcgs"? i mean, if your looking to complete your set of morgan dollars, & you need the 1953-d, wouldn't you start your search by typing in "1953-d"??? what's the point of running searches on every auction listing that contains the acronym "pcgs"? so my contention is that someone who does that is not a coin collector, but a plastic collector, as to him, the date / coin is secondary to whether it's stuck in a chunk of plastic.

K S

Placid

I would search for 1953-d pcgs.
If refusing to buy raw coins on eBay makes me a plastic collector then thats me and proud of it.

MrEureka

If refusing to buy raw coins on eBay makes me a plastic collector then thats me and proud of it.


Placid - Might this inspire you to rethink your position?