Rant!

satootoko

If a coin's grade is a matter of opinion (and is there anyone who disagrees with that assessment) what's the point of all these "Guess the grade" postings?

When I give my opinion of a coin's grade, I am doing exactly that, not guessing at some immutably fixed "accurate" grade!

If the question is really "Guess what grade TPG X assigned this coin?" why not ask it that way?

If the question is really "What is the absolutely correct grade for this coin?", then it's a nonsensical question, undeserving of an answer.

Anyhow, that's what I'm .

TwoKopeiki

I just have to say one thing ....

ajaan

I don't mind the 'guess the grade' threads. I only see 2 out of the last 80 posts. I do agree that most of the time the person wants to know what you think the TPG will give it, but I don't mind that even if it isn't explicitly stated.

TwoKopeiki

<< <i>I don't mind the 'guess the grade' threads. I only see 2 out of the last 80 posts. I do agree that most of the time the person wants to know what you think the TPG will give it, but I don't mind that even if it isn't explicitly stated. >>



It's just so happens that , as well.

ajaan

hmmm . . . in a very agreeable mood today Roman?

TwoKopeiki

Feeling pretty peaceful today - I hope it's not a calm before the storm...

Ricke

I posted one 'guess the grade' thread on a swiss canton issue I purchased, and I thought it was undergraded by PCGS by quite a margin. Basically, I wanted to know what people thought by viewing the image - to see if other people agreed with me or (in this case) PCGS.

I think response has to be taken with a grain of salt, though, because the TPG gets to see the coin in hand, and photos and scans can sometimes hide problems or other times magnify them.

Coincidentally, the responses I got (before I posted the assigned grade) agreed with my opinion, while the responses I got after I posted the PCGS assigned grade tended to justify their designated grade.

coinpictures

<< <i>If a coin's grade is a matter of opinion (and is there anyone who disagrees with that assessment) what's the point of all these "Guess the grade" postings?

When I give my opinion of a coin's grade, I am doing exactly that, not guessing at some immutably fixed "accurate" grade!

If the question is really "Guess what grade TPG X assigned this coin?" why not ask it that way?

If the question is really "What is the absolutely correct grade for this coin?", then it's a nonsensical question, undeserving of an answer.

Anyhow, that's what I'm . >>



Decaf dude... decaf.

I've always assumed that when someone posts a "Guess the Grade" about a slabbed coin that the question really is "What do you think NGC/ANACS/PCGS/whomever gave this coin?"

I also assume that when someone posts a "Guess the Grade" about a coin they have submitted that the question really is "What do you think NGC/ANACS/PCGS/whomever will give this coin?"

And I assume that when someone posts a "Guess the Grade" about a raw coin without context that the question really is "What do you think NGC/ANACS/PCGS/whomever would give this coin if I submitted it?"

I don't see the big deal really. "Guess the Grade" threads are fun. I use them as a test of my grading ability, both compared to the TPG in question but also against the consensus here.

These threads can also be used to confirm a feeling that a particular coin was over or undergraded. That is what I did with my proof seated dollar. It's a way of saying "Well, what do you guys think?"

DesertRat

yes

laurentyvan

I think "guess the grades threads" are fun, finally.

For more than a little while I used to hate them and argue against them.

Now I enjoy the "guess what grade I will get, guess what grade I received, guess what grade I disagree with" threads. Slabs have become a fact of life, something Don came to grips with a lot sooner than I did..

C'mon Satootoko, accept the inevitable...

IstilllikeZARcoins

Personally, I think it's a way to sharpen our grading skills ( even though grading is more difficult from a picture/photo rather then having the coin in hand ).

It's just fun imo.

spoon

I kinda like Guess the Grade threads too _ just for the fact that we amateurs get a chance to hone our grading skills. It is ultimately subjective, but it's nice to know where your opinion fits in with the masses.


Here's my rant:
Before asking for an ID on a certain coin, try reading the damn thing!!

Then, if you're still stumped and there are any latin characters, try Googling it! (Hint: odds are, you'll get a lot of hits on "Cayman Islands", maybe even a map! )

If that doesn't work, then ask here.

And then buy a Krause anyway _ they're good to have around


I love to help newbies and Lightsiders come over to the Darkside, but sometimes I wonder if we should establish IQ restrictions on citizenship in the Dark.

Oh, and this little episode reminds me of a scene from Friends (I was flipping channels ): The two goofball characters are competing over a foreign girl, then the one asks the other as a challenge, "Where do Dutch people come from?" -- "Uhh.. well, Pennsylvania Dutch people come from Pennsylvania!"

CoinKing

"Guess the grade" posts are fun, educational exercises. They help fine-tune grading skills...but only to a point. Clearly, there is no way to apply a precision grade to a 72-dpi image on the Internet, as opposed to having the raw coin in front of you. Anyone who buys coins on-line can probably attest to a case where the coin they received didn't quite match up to the image of the coin they ordered. Even so, the technology and tools available to today's collector are infinitely better than those of a decade ago. If "Guess the grade" posts help someone become a better grader, then I am all for them.

IstilllikeZARcoins

I am glad that you echoed my sentiments Ron.

BTW nice to see you on the Darkside.

coinkat

I like guess the grade threads, however, grading an image is alittle different than having the coin in hand. I think this is especially true for establishing the most appropriate grade for a higher end MS coins.

Grading has a subjective component and that will never change. Having afew others offer their thoughts seems to be an opportunity to learn about all the components associated with the coin series that is the subject of the thread.

worldcoinguy

I actually enjoy the grading posts; I think they are tastefully done on the darkside forum. I see it as a learning tool, especially since I dont get a chance to see many shows in person.

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i>I am glad that you echoed my sentiments Ron.

BTW nice to see you on the Darkside. >>





Actually I was surprised by Ron's reply. Not by its content, with which I entirely agree {I wish I could agree with PCGS' grades that much }, but by the fact that the big brother is indeed watching us all the time.

satootoko

<< <i>I actually enjoy the grading posts; I think they are tastefully done on the darkside forum. I see it as a learning tool, especially since I dont get a chance to see many shows in person. >>




Obviously I didn't succeed in my attempt to make it clear the my gripe is with the implicit statement that there is some absolutely correct grade for each coin, by using the term "guess the grade"; not with the idea of looking for consensus.

oldshep

Ah, Roy, you stirred up the pot - good for you. That's what these forums are about education and opinions and discussion.

Shep

olmanjon

I think it is a great idea guys. Not all of us are experts yet. Us newbies need training and not all of us can afford these thousand dollar coins. Thanks for letting me vent--a newbie