A Poll and a Giveaway...

Stork

I am having a small debate with my hubby. He is my official coin cracker (he's got the vise), so I he gets an opinion....this time .

I recently (finally) acquired the somewhat elusive Dansco Japan type set album (ebay has been good for me/bad for the checkbook in the last month). It came with a number of holes filled with above average circ/reasonable uncircs including a couple I didn't already have--nothing of really high value. The two best for me were the 50 and 100 yen from Showa 42 in BU (not as easy to find as you might think given the mintage).

I have filled all but 18 spots with unslabbed coins (okay, and I got creative with the trade dollar spot--I used my mega-chopped 1 yen) I already had. There are 10 spots where I could crack a coin and do either a significant upgrade or flat out fill a spot. The problem is...just what level of quality, degree of red, toning or dollar value make it better to just buy another and not crack out what I've already got?

The polls don't allow for multiple choice, so I did some lumping, so pick the best answer for you, then, if you are interested, post below to get entered for the giveaway.

The giveaway will be the extra coins (plus a couple of random extras I have lying around--probably about $25 in book value) plus a single Dansco page. I was a page to the album that I had bought seperately awhile back, just in case I found the rendition of the album that had that page missing.

koincollect

I say crack out all the dogs.

DesertRat

I went with #2. Seems like a safe bet to me since you don't lose a lot if something happens to the coin during the crackout.

Hyperion

<< <i>I went with #2. Seems like a safe bet to me since you don't lose a lot if something happens to the coin during the crackout. >>



I picked 2 at the same time for the exact reason... if it's not something special, crack it out, if it's got something going for it, then just leave it protected. you dont lose anything by NOT cracking it out, know what I mean ?

Rickc300

Uhmmmm.... maybe another choice? How about an actual size pic of the coin attached to card stock and placed in the album instead with a reference to the slab and grade? The cost of grading and then cracking the coin out to place in an album just bothers me. Especially when slabbed coins can fetch many, many times book value for a piece. Just my 2 cents worth...
Rick

Goober

I've been cracking some high end coins for my 7070. I don't mind busting them open. My wife thinks I should keep them slabbed for her sake and the value. For me it's about the hobby and I love being able to bust open an album and peruse.

dan8402

I went with #2. I like coins in slabs jus as much at the next person, but I don't see the need to keep coins that aren't "special" or "valuable" in slabs. They would look better in the Dansco.

BBQnBLUES

I had to vote for #3... much rather look at my coins in an album.. Reserve slabs for $1,000 coins !!

Silvereagle82

I voted for #2 but could just have soon voted for #3
$40 - $60 seems to be a reasonable lower threshold to slab a coin. IMHO

Coincracker

Stork, sounds like you have some nice coins.

I would only crack, IF it was less than $20 and less than MS-60. Although I have a few coins worth more, but never slabbed. I always like to think of the resale.

Omega

Crack 'em if you got 'em!

Aethelred

I voted #1.

My true feeling is that any coin that can't be upgraded or crossed to a better tpg should be left where it is.

Musky1011

i went with #3 I like looking at raw coins, if they turn brown, so what.
at least I get to watch them turn

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i>I voted for #2 but could just have soon voted for #3
$40 - $60 seems to be a reasonable lower threshold to slab a coin. IMHO >>





I did it the other way round, voted for #3 but it could have been #2. In fact I would have prefered a #2.5 option at $50.

JZrarities

#1 - I leave them alone....

tonyhar

I voted 1 because the Isle of Man is very damp ( understatement!!! ) and it is the best way to protect my little friends.

trozau

Leave them alone.

oldshep

Well, I gave my opinion - I think you will know when you look at a coin whether it should stay encased or not - if real valuable, I say keep it trapped, if not - liberate!!

Shep

Spiffy469

crack'em all out

TheKidCollector1991

I chose #2 due to the fact theres not much risk involved.

TKC!

IstilllikeZARcoins

Numero Uno for moi.

drjules

Nice safe (and not too expensive) vote #3 for me

Dr J

lordmarcovan

I went for #2.

newsman

I went with #1. If the slabbed coins are really nice, they should stay slabbed. If they're dogs, sell them. Fill the album with nice lower-grade pieces.

danglen

I would go with #2. Keep the high value coins in slabs and fill in the holes with lower grade material.

DBSTrader2

I chose #1. As long as someone took the time & trouble to encase them, keep them covered!

Stork

Thanks for all the responses...kind like I suspected though, if I lump 4 and 5 together, then it's pretty evenly divided . I am leaning towards #3 myself...I don't have THAT many super nice ones, but the ones I do I feel like would stay safer.

So far I've filled the album with as much loose ones I could (even so I haven't freed one el cheapo from it's 2x2 because it still has all the Japanese on it from when I bought it in Tokyo). Plus a few crack-outs of the more common ones for fun too.

In a way the album is a little liberating because previously I'd been using a checklist of all the types I could figure out from the JNDA catalog...which is a little daunting at times given my lack of free time. The album is more focused and I'm certainly at liberty to use a more esoteric variant, but I can save the bigger chase for a time when I can devote more energy to it, and enjoy the album for now.

I'll try to post pictures this weekend, and choose the giveaway winner, say on Sunday by 8 pm.

Thanks for the votes and the comments!



Cathy

Stork

I love the results of the poll--no help you are . Pictures will wait until I get around to charging up my camera battery.

And the winner, by random child number picking is....


ILikeZar, I mean, ISTILLlikeZarcoins


Please pm your mailing address and I'll send the coins and album page. Thank goodness they never came up with a gold page for this album!


Cathy