Raw coin lovers: Just try to impress me!

MrEureka

Come on you raw coin lovers that brag about cracking slabs and sticking coins in albums, cabinets and (maybe even) earrings. Show me you've got the stones and tell me about the one coin you cracked that has the biggest potential downside to the next lowest grade. At the risk of mixing more metaphors than a poet bartender, show me you're confident enough in your grading eye that you're willing to abandon your life preserver slabs and fly naked through the shark infested waters of numismatics!

foodude

Hmmm ... are you tempting me to crack my '53-S Franklin out of the PCGS 65FBL holder

LucyBop

gasp!!! don't you dare crack out that 53s....

Just wimp out.......

Tonelover

Here's a complete set of SLQ's, most of which were bought in AU-58 slabs and promptly freed of their restrictive environments. OK, so there wasn't a lot of downside in cracking them and you're probably not too impressed, but it's better than nothing.

SLQ Set

RNCHSN

I have an 1892-CC ANACS MS-65 Morgan. I'm confident it'll cross, but there's a $4k drop to 64! With the turn around time as long as it is, I'm reluctant.

tradedollarnut

Nah.... not me. But it's raw!

ccex

In today's mail I received a 1908 Barber Dime in an old PCI red label slab, which said "AU-50 cleaned". It cost me $33.20 postpaid, and I can detect neither wear nor signs of cleaning, although the luster is underwhelming. It is in my Dansco album now. I have no need to cross this coin to another service, but suspect it will make MS-60 at today's PCI. This is one series I can grade confidently, and do not need to gamble a significant portion of the coins value for a second opinion just so I can crack it out again. Doing so would make this coin too expensive.

stman

Ummmm first of all..... who are YOU? that we should try to impress.

airplanenut

The ANA cracked its 1804 dollar

stman

I usually don't crack out coins. But have decided to put a few sets together in Capital Plastics holders. I'm currently working on a board with all the different toning types for Morgans. I've cracked 4-5 so far. No big deal on those as there isn't much downside although they weren't cheap ones.

I'm thinking about getting a special holder made for some early dollars and halves. After I find (and can afford) the right Flowing hair dollar and half I will crack those out along with this one. Just something as a collector I feel I will enjoy more than just looking at slabs that I've been getting tired of. I really don't have that many coins these days either.

jpumper

I've got at least 1800 "raw" coins, most of them Morgans including Linc's, buffs, merc's, frankies, walkers, washies, jeff's, indians of copper and gold, liberty gold, 1/2 cents, and more---BUT then I also have a bunch of "SEE-LABBED" ones too. I leave my grading to my professionals with whom I buy. I'm getting with the grading as well. I truly trust your raw coins are ones you talk to? OR is slabbed-b'ed ones too much of a cut above? Me don't compute, whats up with your question? Wanna buy some of my 900 or so morgans?

MacCrimmon

Now, why on earth would I want to slab this. The TPGs don't have any specialists that know how to truly assess coins of this nature, and why risk some doob fingerprinting it. I think I'll keep it nekkid for another 25 years or so.

Baley

PutTogether

I'm cracking this out of a PCGS MS64 slab tommorow - not for a bump in grade, but to go in my dansco type set album.

coppercoins

I don't crack-em because I don't buy-em in the plastic to begin with. I leave the plastic for the plastic collectors.

python

Just cracked these recently. For some reason I won't crack my US coins.

ClausUrch

"Have YOU cracked a slab today?"





I ain't scaired!

dorkkarl

heck, i wouldn't know where to begin!

K S

mrfred

That's an awesome 28 Peace Dollar

Shamika

You guys are nuts!

Shamika

Pure insanity.

Shamika

It's not that I don't have confidence in my own grading abilities, I lack confidence in PCGS and NGC's RE-GRADING abilities.

Lakesammman

Shoot, I like showing the coins to friends and family. They have no clue how to handle a red IHC properly. Why would I crack it out?? Plastic has been the best thing that ever came along since man started collecting coins to slow the destruction of well preserved coins. (On the other hand, I guess it could be argued that it's hastened the destruction because of the coin doctors.....now I'm really confused....)

BigMoose has cracked out his large cents so they can be fondled appropriately - come on Moose, speak up!

Conder101

Can't participate, I only buy raw.

MrEureka

Can't participate, I only buy raw.

You'll buy bad coins in sample slabs but not good coins in real slabs?

Conder101

Yep. I also buy "bad" slabs with "bad" coins in them if I need the slab. When I look for good coins I don't look at slabs at all.

nepbrs44

I can't believe what some of you are cracking out to stick into a dusty old album

BowAxe

That's a GREAT looking commemorative set, Claus! Especially that fabulous Hawaiian, which looks every bit an MS65!

Dell

coinfool

The deeper I get in attempting to grade a coin, the more I realize that I'm truly a coinfool. I am a terrible grader & wouldn't crack out for nothing as far as playing the "crack out game". I would stick with the safety of my reputable grading company slabs--NGC, ANACS, PCGS (not in order of quality)--they are my safety blanket and I sleep well with that blanket--it keeps me warm and comfy!!

SDCollector

I am truly impressed with those who crack out coins and put them in albums. So far all of my coins have been purchased raw, but eventually I'll buy a few in slabs. And they will be promptly cracked out and put in my Dansco.

haletj

Once my collection is more complete (i.e. I won't need to do more upgrading) all my slabbed coins are going to be cracked out... My entire small cent set, 1856 flying eagle, a (hopefully) red 1877,1914-d,1926-s...all out of the slabs.

haletj

<< <i> It's not that I don't have confidence in my own grading abilities, I lack confidence in PCGS and NGC's RE-GRADING abilities >>



Exactly... just why I do not care to have my coins in their holders... (not to mention the holders are large, bulky, get scratched up, they put the coin in crooked sometimes, and most importantly it ASSIGNS the notion of a grade to a coin, when a coin is what it is, and should be collected as a beautiful collection of coins, not as a list of grades, ms64,ms65,ms64....etc.)

ARCO

I have cracked out about two dozen circulated barber halves in original condition in slabs grading from VG10-to AU53. Barbers are easy enough to grade and the prices are reasonable for many collectors.

Usually the AU coins lose some value out of the slabs, but XF and below sell just as easily and for about the same price if nice and original. My biggest so far was cracking out an NGC XF45 1898-O Barber Half. in XF the 98-O is very difficult to find, and I think the coin only grades XF40. I will probably lose some money when I sell it...not for breaking it out of the slab, but because I paid through the nose to buy it from the get go. DOHH!

For the few cleaned and ugly coins I have bought based on a bad scan that are in PCGS or NGC holders I keep them forever in their plastic tomb to sell because the plastic props up the price far more than they are really worth.

Tyler

buc

I bought this coin,a 1932-S in a PCGS slab in MS64 condition. I cracked it out to put in my Dansco 1932-1998 Album. I'm not worried about a drop in grade only that the coin was authentic.



The coin is cracked out, just in a pcgs washer for ease of handling while photographing.