Has anyone taken the ANA Grading Course? Is it worth the money?

joecheck

I am thinking of taking the ANA Grading Course (Correspondence Course). Is it worth the $300.00? Or, can I do the same research on my own? Will it help?

nwcs

The mini seminar grading course is absolutely, 100% worth every cent. Although you may leave with a bit of overconfidence. The correspondence course, though, I do not think will be as effective. I've seen most of the grading materials involved, though I have not taken the course. I think nothing can match the value of having actual professional graders walk you through their grading process personally.

Hyperion

I know they're holding a class in NJ in a month or so if that helps. Im looking very much forward to that.
I friends think Im nuts to burn two vacation days on it, but what the heck, I think it will be fun and educational.

Seems the live interaction will be the most beneficial..

joecheck

<<I know they're holding a class in NJ in a month or so if that helps.>>

Do you have info on the NJ class? I'm in the southern part of the state. I'd love to go, if it's anywhere near me.

kranky

I don't know how a correspondence course can teach grading of MS coins. But the classroom version gets my highest recommendation.

Hyperion

this isn't the easiest place to get to during rush hour (what part of NJ is?!?), but at least it's in the state

from the money.org site:



Upcoming seminars include Fundamentals of Grading United States Coins in conjunction with the 2006 GSNA Convention in Somerset, New Jersey, May 16-17, 2006. Click here for more information and registration form.


Education Home Page

Link to May 16-17 Application

If you go, ill see you there, godwilling. I look exactly like my Avatar.

DHeath

The classroom course is fantastic.

netrubicon

Somerset is not far from me. Traffic can be heavy during rush hour, but you have easy highway access from the north or south by interstate 287.

TwoSides2aCoin

I want to take that summer course in Colorado.

Then, I start thinking....

Ownership adds a point
NGC holders subtract a point
PCGS scores a point.

So, if I spend a couple grand going to the summer thing in Colorado, I could just as well save my eyes, time and money and submit several coins to PCGS, thus scoring the right grade and cutting out all the middle men.

What say you ? Think about it. Here is a company that teaches the ins and outs of grading and cannot get it at the same grade as their counterpart. So, that leaves me more confused than before I read your thread. Thanks a lot ...and to top it off, PCGS on many occasions is a point over what I thought. So, here we are, selling opinions.
Mine are cheap

I'm gettin' too old for this stuff.

Hyperion

For someone who is learning, better to take a course and be off by a single point than 3.

For the upper eschelon (sp?) collector, subtleties are what it's all about I guess. When it comes down to it, you're looking at a coin and arguing it's merits, it's better to have a common frame of reference which this would probably provide.

Veep

I took it a few years ago in connection with the Chicago ANA. It was easily worth the $300. The presentations were followed by hands on grading of a variety of coins and then seeing problem coins in-person. This method made the format very effective. Then, to have dialog with Mark Salzberg, Brian Sillman, and Skip Fazzari at my particular seminar was a rare opportunity.

But, don't think that taking the class will make you an expert. You need to continue to look at lots of coins and submit some to have your knowledge validated. Then, you'll have the confidence to step-up and spend more than others are willing to in order to cherrypick items from under their noses. My diligence in learning how to properly grade has led to numerous auction purchases, in the presence of other dealers, that have allowed me to make some nice profits. I am far from expert, and still make occasional mistakes, but the ANA course laid a good fundation for my education.

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>For someone who is learning, better to take a course and be off by a single point than 3.

For the upper eschelon (sp?) collector, subtleties are what it's all about I guess. When it comes down to it, you're looking at a coin and arguing it's merits, it's better to have a common frame of reference which this would probably provide. >>



and that is the other side of the coin
well said, hyperion

Trime

I have taken the correspondance course and the CS advanced grading class multiple times. The correspondance course is a good introduction but in no way substitutes for a hand on course. I recommend strongly that anyone who is not a true expert take a hands on course. The instructors are the ones that will or have graded your TPGed coins. The instructors are terrific and the course is worth every bit of the fees charged. In the end you may not be a world class gradder but you will know where you stand in the field. You will also find that you are sitting next to many of the pocket (E-mail dealers) that you meet on this forum and recognize that there is a big spectrum in skills. Skill is a prerequisite to success as a collector or dealer. Lastly, it is just great fun ( you make new friends and renew old aquaitances) and always somewhat humbling experience. If you want a detailed view of the nature of the beast read the posts by Kranky a few years ago on the topic.

KurtHorn

I have taken both Grading and Advanced Grading and Problem Coin Detection at the summer seminars in Colorado Springs. They were both excellent courses. Although problem coin detection was not much different than what I got in basic grading.

They have more than paid for themselves in the money I have made on spotting under graded coins, accurately graded coins in third tier slabs (which I then cracked and submitted to PCGS or NGC), and the money saved by not sending coins that weren't worthy of slabbing in the first place.

Sparkle

I believe there are 2 ANA grading correspondence courses: Grading Coins Today and Grading Mint State US Coins. You can take them one at a time for more like $40 each not $300, or enroll in the numismatic diploma program which includes 5 courses. Try checking the ANA site for more info.

My coin club has a study group currently working through the Grading MS Coins course. We read the course book at home then meet monthly to discuss and compare examples of what's covered in the book. The members have enjoyed it and are getting a lot out of it.