do you want the "good old days" before TPG's back and Do you see it happening in the near

coldcicle

This is a question for those out there who have been collecting for a while.First do you miss the "good old days" before there were TPG's?Next do you see a time in the future where it will be like the "good old days" where there are no TPG's left and they are just a part of numismatic history?

mrearlygold

No way!



Tom

mozin

Absolutely not. Will never happen.

stman

<< <i>First do you miss the "good old days" before there were TPG's >>



Honestly yes I do. But then we would be hashing out which "Flip" is best wouldn't we?

PerryHall

The so called good old days sucked. Counterfeit coins, cleaned coins, overgraded coins, etc were very prevalent. Unless you were a expert, you got screwed on a regular basis. No way do I want to go back to "the good old days." At least now the top 3 TPG's have leveled the playing field for the new collector.

Coppernicus

The "good old days" were not that great!

Buy 10 1909-VDB's from local shops. (Old days....)
Buy 10 1909-VDB's in PCGS/NGC/ANACS in the same "grade." (Today....)

Which group is more accurately graded???

'nuf said...

Mike

coldcicle

Just so it is known I was not around in the "good old days".I am just seeing weather anyone here would like for it to comeback.

Coppernicus

coldcicle - No problem! The good old days were great if you knew your grading and could then obtain nice deals at the local shop. If you didn't know your grading, you LOST!

For better or worse, the top 3 TPGs have narrowed the margin of error for all buyers.

Mike

291fifth

If you are going to collect expensive coins TPG's are a necessity in spite of all their weaknesses. Before the TPG's were around the way dealers made money was by undergrading when the bought and overgrading when they sold.

Personally, I have decided to return to collecting inexpensive material that doesn't need any third party grading.

PerryHall

Knowing how to grade during the so called "good old days" didn't help all that much. Have you ever tried to explain to a dealer that his cleaned AU coin wasn't an MS-65+++? If you didn't buy it at his grade, he knew someone else would. Mail order purchases were mostly a waste of time. There were a few mail order dealers that knew what they were doing and graded their coins honestly and accurately. But they were few and far between.

BAJJERFAN

Well in a way the good 'ol days are still here since they probly never left. There are still a zillionfold more raw coins out there than slabbed. Thing is that you cut your risks considerably but not totally when buying slabbed coins.

nwcs

In no way would I want things the way they were.

DHeath

These ARE the good ole days. Coins are readily available raw or holdered, and coin prices have moved steadily up for a long time. There are 11 discreet unc grades, each priced differently, and when buying from a raw seller, there are usually only two.

nwcs

>and when buying from a raw seller, there are usually only two

And don't forget the other grade for when you sell to the dealer...

DHeath

Yep.....

cladking

These are the good 'ol days.

You can't turn the clock back on progress but the wild west still exists in tokens and medals.

Even world coins are usually traded raw.

Great collections of US coins can be assembled from circulation.

There may never have been gooder 'ol days for coin collectors.

Coinhusker1

No. Collectors were getting screwed much more in the "pre-slab" days.

Yes, these are the good 'ole days right now. You can buy coins raw or slabbed now, and you have a valuable point of refernece (slabbed coins) for grading of raw coins.

chloebess

I predict we will get BOTH in that the day will come when we begin grading plastic. There will be 65.1 and 65.9, etc. This will be in an attempt to price those items which are truly PQ.

That way the TPG's can have the effect of putting a coin in a certain grade level but the market can have greater latitude on prices. We aren't that far from it right now with PQ, ++++, Toned Eye Appeal, Almost PL, etc., etc.

Just my opinion. I hope something like this does develope because I think it will add more fun and spice and controversy. The TPG's play an important role in "authentication" and as a certain insurance for those who are beginners so that they don't get burned too bad like in the "old days".

ziggy29

Personally I'd like third-party services to get out of the business of grading the coins. Still like them for authentication and sniffing out doctored coins, though.

Longacre

I think the TPGs are here to stay. I think they perform a necessary service in terms of protecting the uneducated from counterfeit coins.

KurtHorn

<< <i>The so called good old days sucked. Counterfeit coins, cleaned coins, overgraded coins, etc were very prevalent. Unless you were a expert, you got screwed on a regular basis. No way do I want to go back to "the good old days." At least now the top 3 TPG's have leveled the playing field for the new collector. >>

DJC

<< <i>Personally I'd like third-party services to get out of the business of grading the coins. Still like them for authentication and sniffing out doctored coins, though. >>

TonedPeaceNut

If you want the good'ole days back -- try collecting toned coins. No one really pays attention to the grade on the holder anyway. Prices are completely based upon the dealers belief on eye appeal. And since TPGs often grade AT coins, you cant even really fully trust buying a certified coin anyway.

As a collector, you really have to know the principles of toning and be able to determine eye appeal not from a personal subjective stance, but from a market view.

While I wasnt around during the days before TPGs, I would imagine that the parallel is basically the same. If you dont understand toning, you can waste a bunch of money before really getting it right.


TPN

coldcicle

I guess even though people complain about the TPG's they are still better than what we had before.

ziggy29

<< <i>I guess even though people complain about the TPG's they are still better than what we had before. >>

They can certainly help new and inexperienced collectors from getting burned with grossly overgraded coins, problem coins and fakes.

But it also gives us "gradeflation" through changing standards and the crackout game.

nwcs

<< <i>

<< <i>I guess even though people complain about the TPG's they are still better than what we had before. >>

They can certainly help new and inexperienced collectors from getting burned with grossly overgraded coins, problem coins and fakes.

But it also gives us "gradeflation" through changing standards and the crackout game. >>

True, but I think the benefits of the former outweigh the costs of the latter. Besides, it's not like there were hard and fast standards before TPGs. Still not hard and fast but with all the attention put on grading these days eventually there will be some breakthrough approach which will help resolve the mess. I think it's better to invest the time into a solution than go back to the wild west.