The fault I see with the survey is that the people responding are not familiar with all the grading services listed in the survey or their responses were influenced by general opinions of each service and not the reality of how strong or weak each service is in each catagory listed. Remember this is a dealer survey, not a collector survey. My observations: SEGS.....I think they were especially hard on SEGS, while I wouldn't agree with MS grading by SEGS. Their circulated grading (poor) and accuracy of attributions (poor) is very acceptable and probably rivals the big 3. Security of holder(average)-SEGS makes the strongest holder on the market, not that attractive but have you ever tried to crack a SEGS holder? Much better than PCGS and NGC who ranked Superior. ANACS.....Detecting Altered, Repaired, etc... ANACS ranked Superior along with NGC and PCGS. In this catagory I think ANACS does a MUCH, Much better job than NGC or PCGS. Consistency of grading..ANACS (average), PCGS & NGC ranked Superior. I think ANACS is as CONSISTENT (not accuracy, but consistency) as PCGS or NGC. Sorry PCGS, but PCGS ranking Superior in Customer Service is just plain wrong. My opinion is they should come in third in this catagory.
the poll is honest, yet misleading. it honestly reflects what was responded to, but misleads if presented as an accurate portrayal of the overall coin market, since by def'n, it is based on a miniscule portion of the overall coin mkt.
<< <i>SEGS.....I think they were especially hard on SEGS, while I wouldn't agree with MS grading by SEGS. Their circulated grading (poor) and accuracy of attributions (poor) is very acceptable and probably rivals the big 3. Security of holder(average)-SEGS makes the strongest holder on the market, not that attractive but have you ever tried to crack a SEGS holder? Much better than PCGS and NGC who ranked Superior. >>
I agree...how can they rate the security of the SEGS holder as average? This survey is absolutely worthless.
Wonder why PNG won't do this scientifically? Because they don't want to see real world results.
exactly, a thoroughly idiotic survey. anyone who honestly thinks pcgs or ngc attribution is better then either anacs or segs must have his head up a donkey's a**. nothing in the "survey" could be more ridiculous then that!
a thoroughly idiotic survey. anyone who honestly thinks pcgs or ngc attribution is better then either anacs or segs must have his head up a donkey's a**. nothing in the "survey" could be more ridiculous then that!
PCGS, NGC and ANACS were all rated "Superior" on attribution. SEGS was rated "Average". Perhaps that had more to do with MS/PR designations than with die variety attributions?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>This entire paragraph, to the best of my knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong), is completely non-factual. The SS Central America coins are in fact being sold by Shop At Home, I believe, and not by Heritage, David Hall, Bowers and Merena, or any PNG members or PCGS dealers that I know of. Again, someone correct me if I'm wrong. The restoration of the coins was not miraculous, but scientific. The coins were conserved by NCS and encapsulated by NGC, NOT PCGS, if my memory serves correctly. >>
Your memory is faulty or at least confused. You are mixing up the SS Central America and the SS Republic. The SS Republic are the coins currently being sold by Shop at Home and are cleaned by NCS and slabbed by NGC. The SS Central America coins were cleaned by the salvagers, slabbed by PCGS and sold by Heritage, David Hall, B & M etc. The Brother Jonathan coins were also slabbed by PCGS after cleaning and were also sold by the big names.
PCGS can’t allow pricing information for any of the small grading services because that would destroy their Franchise. In a free-market system competition should be encouraged and choices allowed to the public. We are not afforded this in the Coin Industry, which certainly raises issues of ANTITRUST and RACKETEERING!
Sliderider - You're from ACG? Cool! Glad to have you here so we can get both sides of the story! Now, please, explain to us: Why would PCGS work so hard to destroy your business but not make the same effort to destroy Hallmark and ICG?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>PCGS, NGC and ANACS were all rated "Superior" on attribution. SEGS was rated "Average". Perhaps that had more to do with MS/PR designations than with die variety attributions? >>
as someone who actually COLLECTS coins by variety, would list them as segs #1, anacs #2, ngc#3 & pcgs #4.
that's not a slam on pcgs, since i don't believe they purport to be attribution specialists. however, it does show the idiocy of the survey. the plastic numismatists guild, OOPS i mean the "professional" numismatist guild will obviously score their bread & butter higher than anyone else regardless.
another example, how can the "cost" be better of pcgs & ngc when their own published rates are higher than those of acg, ntc, etc? that's not a subjective question, it's an easily verifiable bit of data.
stupid survey, very stupid. it mocks good intentions.
I have to agree with the security of the SEGS holder. I haven't owned any but have stood by while others tried cracking them and you need power tools to break into the freakin' things. Best damn holder on the market, I'd say. I don't think I'd put ANACS down with ICG in terms of grading consistency, either. I think ANACS does a better than average job in their grading. ANACS also grades problem coins, which I count as a big plus in their favor (being the bodybag collector that I am). They are also a bit better in their attributions denoting more VAMS and errors on their holders than the others. (When was the last time you saw a 1922 Peace Dollar with triple strike reverse in a PCGS or NGC holder? Click for image) I'm not saying that ANACS is better than PCGS or NGC, just that they don't belong in the middle of the pack. They should be closer to the front, but not too far behind the leaders.
bingo, which is why it is not a objective poll. the question (according to what i read) regards COST of svc, not VALUE. the fact that this response was answered subjectively supports the idea that the respondents were badly biased.
Comments
Remember this is a dealer survey, not a collector survey.
My observations:
SEGS.....I think they were especially hard on SEGS, while I wouldn't agree with MS grading by SEGS. Their circulated grading (poor) and accuracy of attributions (poor) is very acceptable and probably rivals the big 3. Security of holder(average)-SEGS makes the strongest holder on the market, not that attractive but have you ever tried to crack a SEGS holder? Much better than PCGS and NGC who ranked Superior.
ANACS.....Detecting Altered, Repaired, etc... ANACS ranked Superior along with NGC and PCGS. In this catagory I think ANACS does a MUCH, Much better job than NGC or PCGS. Consistency of grading..ANACS (average), PCGS & NGC ranked Superior. I think ANACS is as CONSISTENT (not accuracy, but consistency) as PCGS or NGC.
Sorry PCGS, but PCGS ranking Superior in Customer Service is just plain wrong. My opinion is they should come in third in this catagory.
K S
The poll isn't about the overall coin market. It's about the overall slab market.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>SEGS.....I think they were especially hard on SEGS, while I wouldn't agree with MS grading by SEGS. Their circulated grading (poor) and accuracy of attributions (poor) is very acceptable and probably rivals the big 3. Security of holder(average)-SEGS makes the strongest holder on the market, not that attractive but have you ever tried to crack a SEGS holder? Much better than PCGS and NGC who ranked Superior. >>
I agree...how can they rate the security of the SEGS holder as average? This survey is absolutely worthless.
Wonder why PNG won't do this scientifically? Because they don't want to see real world results.
K S
PCGS, NGC and ANACS were all rated "Superior" on attribution. SEGS was rated "Average". Perhaps that had more to do with MS/PR designations than with die variety attributions?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>This entire paragraph, to the best of my knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong), is completely non-factual. The SS Central America coins are in fact being sold by Shop At Home, I believe, and not by Heritage, David Hall, Bowers and Merena, or any PNG members or PCGS dealers that I know of. Again, someone correct me if I'm wrong. The restoration of the coins was not miraculous, but scientific. The coins were conserved by NCS and encapsulated by NGC, NOT PCGS, if my memory serves correctly. >>
Your memory is faulty or at least confused. You are mixing up the SS Central America and the SS Republic. The SS Republic are the coins currently being sold by Shop at Home and are cleaned by NCS and slabbed by NGC. The SS Central America coins were cleaned by the salvagers, slabbed by PCGS and sold by Heritage, David Hall, B & M etc. The Brother Jonathan coins were also slabbed by PCGS after cleaning and were also sold by the big names.
Sliderider - You're from ACG? Cool! Glad to have you here so we can get both sides of the story! Now, please, explain to us: Why would PCGS work so hard to destroy your business but not make the same effort to destroy Hallmark and ICG?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Are you guessing or do you know?
Joe.
<< <i>PCGS, NGC and ANACS were all rated "Superior" on attribution. SEGS was rated "Average". Perhaps that had more to do with MS/PR designations than with die variety attributions? >>
as someone who actually COLLECTS coins by variety, would list them as segs #1, anacs #2, ngc#3 & pcgs #4.
that's not a slam on pcgs, since i don't believe they purport to be attribution specialists. however, it does show the idiocy of the survey. the plastic numismatists guild, OOPS i mean the "professional" numismatist guild will obviously score their bread & butter higher than anyone else regardless.
another example, how can the "cost" be better of pcgs & ngc when their own published rates are higher than those of acg, ntc, etc? that's not a subjective question, it's an easily verifiable bit of data.
stupid survey, very stupid. it mocks good intentions.
K S
Maybe the respondents were thinking of cost in terms of value received? To most dealers, ACG and NTC holders don't provide much added value.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
K S