What reasons do you have for slabbing your raw coins?

SanctionII

This topic has probably been seen before in the forums, but since I am a newbie, I toss it out for discussion. Reasons I can think of are: 1. to evaluate your grading skills; 2. to reduce/eliminate disagreements over the grade when you sell; 3. to increase the liquidity of your collection; 4. to protect your coin from being damaged; and 5. to enable you to play the registry game.

Do you have other reasons?

Further, do any of you refuse to submit raw coins for slabbing and/or buy slabbed coins? If so, what are your reasons for "collecting raw"?

mgoodm3

I slabbed a few of my problem free nicer raw coins for protection and for eventual resale. Also interesting to see how the grade you assigned compares to the grade given. probably not worth it for cheaper coins.

Numismanic

For me you nailed on all 5 counts.

earlwbollinger

Yup that about covers it.

Russ

I slab them because when they're raw they just rattle around in the PCGS storage boxes.

Russ, NCNE

Wekar

I (would) slab them for eBay, to be able to say things like this coin should be MS68, or it's as close to DCAM without being DCAM as I've ever seen.

Otherwise, your 5 hit the nail on the head for me.

haletj

I only slab coins I want to sell. No reason is worth the $30 fee for coins I'm keeping.

coinguy89

I would for the protection of the coin, not for the grade.

prooflike

I just tried some of those Coinworld slabs and they work well.

I like the presentation and the protection slabs give.

Plus when buying, like off of ebay, authentication from TPG, most preferrably, the #1 TPG - PCGS.

Woodwind

I don't send very many coins for slabbing, but for the ones that I do, it's mostly to evaluate my grading skills and for preservation. There are a couple which I am thinking about selling so to a certain extent I do have selling/grade disagreement issues in mind. I've also submitted a couple with authentication purposes. I can sleep better knowing that the raw $5 Indian I bought a couple of years ago is indeed authentic.

I mostly collect raw because my main collecting interest is to fill up some coin albums. Every now and then I'll buy a slabbed coin if the coin strikes my interest. In fact, I will only buy "classic" MS coins slabbed by PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG due to some bad experiences with so-called "BU" Morgan Dollars in the past.

As for my non-album coins in my collection, there's hardly anything left for me to send because the coins are not worth that much, or because I know they are problem coins which would be bodybagged.

boyhowdy

I agree with woodwind. I'll send toned circs. to ANACS as many people have trouble
believing a richly toned coin is actually an AU. Plus they are great for variety identification.

Steve

Steve

I started collecting Lincoln cents back in 1982. After getting everything in circulated I went after the uncirculated and proofs. By the 1990's I had all the Lincoln's by date and mintmark including all the major varieties and all the proofs except the 1909VDB. My 1922 plain was the only one not uncirculated. During all this time the grading services were becoming more involved with the hobby. Any key coin I had purchased slabbed, I would crack-out and put into my Capitol holders. Finally, in 1997 when PCGS started the Collectors Club, I joined at the ANA in New York City. I had decided at that time that if I was to protect the future selling value of my collection, I had better get the more expensive coins slabbed. I felt PCGS was the best TPG out there. I now have 108 of my over 325 Lincoln cents in PCGS slabs. Steve

JrGMan2004

Generally for Resale...

RYK

1. Protection
2. Authentication
3. Estimate grade
4. Liquidity for eventual sale
5. Irritate Dorkkarl

ChuckC

In addition to the reasons provided, how about for the "allure" or value added by a particular grading service. By evaluating the realized prices of auctions (heritage), PCGS sells for a premium over NGC graded coins of the same nominal grade.

Conder101

I don't. And I only buy raw coins.

nwcs

In addition to some of the above reasons, I do it for fun.

Boom

So many collectors have been robbed by fraudulant dealers selling AU sliders as CH to Gem BU (like Mr. Pines' Coast to Coast)
that there is no more trust, especially over the internet. If I want to sell I HAVE to certify.

This means I have to risk "X" amount of money and either offer them to private clientele, put them on eBay, with reserves, so all the bargain hunters don't steal them or offer them in a better venue, such as thru Heritage.

Who ends up with the profit? Take a wild guess. So you want to be a coin dealer, huh?

Bunker

Another reason I do it is so my wife wont be taken advantage of if I go first. My wife dosen't know the difference between a MS65 and AG3, at least this way she will know what the grades are when the time comes to part with the coins...

LincolnCentMan

What reasons do you have for slabbing your raw coins?

1) Conditional rarity... it might be a coin that I paid a dollar for; common in MS, but uncommon in upper MS. If it makes the grade, it's worth $100+.

2) I like the coin. I have some coins in which it doesnt make financial since to have certified. However, if I really like the coin, I'll put it in the holder anyway.

3) Inclusion in the registry. I've slabbed a few common 66RD lincolns so I could include them in my PCGS set registry. They're probably worth $16-$25 in the holder, but I'd rather hand pick pq raw coins and send them in myself, than rely on the random stuff already in holders that you can get off ebay.

David

1946Hamm

The best reason to have a coin slabbed is not mentioned in the origional post but is touched on in some of the following posts. IS IT REAL? In my opinion authentication is the most important reason to have any coin slabbed. There are so many fakes and altered coins out in the marketplace that you must get the coin slabbed to verify that it is real and not messed with.

Key dates, early dollars, and gold should always be slabbed.

I have been collecting for 45 years and have bought some good looking altered coins in the past. With third party grading, altered and fake coins almost always get caught.

DHeath

The buyers that pay the most seem to prefer plastic, and sometimes a particular kind. I submit the coins that will benefit from the holder that I intend to sell. I prefer buying/collecting raw. Once it's in a holder, the focus seems to become value as opposed to the coin itself. If you look at a slab, the first thing you see is the grade, along with an advertisement for the TPG. It seems pretty predigested to me. Some folks prefer that. I prefer getting my hands dirty, screwing up occasionally, trusting my own eye, buying coins I like, not grades I like, and learning from my mistakes. The mistakes tend to get less frequent when they're financially painful. I'm not criticizing slabs. I think they've done great things for the market, and made the hobby accessible to those that don't enjoy getting their hands dirty. They've also done a good deal to promote coins as potential investments. I understand them, respect them, and find them useful tools, but to me the holder is the end product.

tjkillian

To keep David Hall employed.

Tom

Boom

<< <i>To keep David Hall employed. >>

Boy, is he ever!

billboat

1,2,3 and 4.