Some Folks Must Not Understand What a Low Ball Set Is

Coxe · January 27, 2008 6:04PM

The Low Ball Morgan registry is dominated by mint state sets. I didn't understand it when people had MS coins in the PL/DMPL registry, instead of only PLs and DMPLs. This seems ever stupider. Hard to get really low-graded coins in there and then to get above people with nearly 100% completed set populated with UNCs pretty much takes the funout of it.

sonoranmonsoon · January 27, 2008 8:32PM

With the new registry/inventory format, it is easy to add new sets. I think some people just add all the sets that are possible with the inventory at their disposal. I doubt they focus to closely on most of them. I think I can make well over a 100 different registry sets quickly with my inventory, but I only create the ones I am interested in. Therefore I only have about 13. My morgan set is 100%, but I do not keep a lowball registry, because it is not where my collecting focus is. Others may feel differently. To each, their own.

ajia · January 27, 2008 11:50PM

Isn't that like saying "why would anyone enter low grade coins into a regular registry set, don't they understand these registries are for high end coins"?

Coxe · January 28, 2008 2:30AM

<< Isn't that like saying "why would anyone enter low grade coins into a regular registry set, don't they understand these registries are for high end coins"?

>>

Not exactly. A regular registry set is about completion of a set. There is competition too for better grades among many of the participants. However, a low ball set is SPECIFICALLY the challenge to locate specimens of the lowest identifiable but otherwise problem free grades. What is the point of having a 100% complete set in such a registry where all of your coins are choice unc and higher? Then you have folks with say 20% completion in AG and lower, which is significantly more challenging, pushed down off of the top 10 viewable page.

I have the same beef with the PL Morgan sets that are not 100% PL and DMPL coins. To get more registry points, put regular MS coins in some slots and justify it because there aren't enough PLs of that date to go around? To me that is ridiculous. However, I don't take the registry all that seriously myself. See the people who do to the extents mentioned as silly clowns.

ajia · January 28, 2008 2:44AM

<<Then you have folks with say 20% completion in AG and lower, which is significantly more challenging, pushed down off of the top 10 viewable page.>>

Do these folks not have the other coins (in higher grades) to fill the empty slots? If they do, then they can add them to their set & be on page 1, with a higher ranking than those that have only higher graded coins.
As they make/buy lower graded coins they can downgrade.

I think most of us understand how to play the game, and realize why the game is being played.

Coxe · January 28, 2008 2:56AM

<< <<Then you have folks with say 20% completion in AG and lower, which is significantly more challenging, pushed down off of the top 10 viewable page.>>

Do these folks not have the other coins (in higher grades) to fill the empty slots? If they do, then they can add them to their set & be on page 1, with a higher ranking than those that have only higher graded coins.
As they make/buy lower graded coins they can downgrade.

I think most of us understand how to play the game, and realize why the game is being played. >>

I understand the game and how it is played. I don't understand the mentality of competing in this way in a low ball set though. Why should someone put their higher grade coins in such a set? That isn't what it is about. And someone wanting to see all of the cool low ball sets, like Marty's for instance, should be presented with them as the top ten, not some MS65 bullies blocking out the really neat stuff. (And yes, I could complete mine in a snap but just see absolutely no point in putting those coins in, just as I don't see putting in the regular MS in my PL set.)

As for why the game is being played, I fail to see it in this particular case. Yes, for the regular sets it makes sense. It's about money; same reason overgraded junk is in a number of those sets....to get the points and promote the set when selling it.

Steve27 · January 28, 2008 10:26PM

MS coins are still worth a few points in Low Ball sets; thus, MS is better than nothing.

Coxe · January 29, 2008 3:20AM

But why put them in the set? I don't understand the mentality for doing so in a set that is designed to showcase ridiculously low graded specimens of each date. Practically anyone can complete the set if they do that. It is much more difficult to complete a good fraction of it in Good or lower.

Connecticoin · January 29, 2008 4:38AM

They should modify the points so that all coins higher than a certain grade (say XF or AU) get zero registry points. That will kill off the MS sets.

itsnotjustme · January 29, 2008 5:49AM

And they could also make all coins lower than XF zero points in regular sets. That would kill off those people who put low end coins in high grade sets.

itsnotjustme · January 29, 2008 5:51AM

Coxe, don't forget the free grading for a complete set.

<< 3. Free Submissions. We recognize that not every coin in every important collection has been graded by PCGS. In order to encourage participation in the PCGS Set Registry program we are offering the following free grading benefits for sets that reach 90% completion:

If the set composition is 1-9 coins you are entitled to 1 free grading.
If the set composition is 10-24 coins you are entitled to 2 free gradings.
If the set composition is 25-49 coins you are entitled to 3 free gradings.
If the set composition is 50-99 coins you are entitled to 4 free gradings.
If the set composition is 100+ coins you are entitled to 5 free gradings.
Free submissions are for coins within the set that has reached 90% completion. You should request your free submissions with the intent to either add or upgrade your set with the coins that are being graded for free. You cannot submit the same coin twice for free grades. All coins must be submitted at one time.

If your set has reached 90% complete and you have not previously received free grading for this set, please contact setregistry@pcgs.com with your name, address and phone number. You will be sent, by U.S. mail, a submission form to be used exclusively for your free gradings. If you wish to send coins in for different service levels, i.e. crossover, regrade, raw, etc., please inform us when you request your submission form as separate submission forms are required for different types of services.

Due to the amount of time it takes the PCGS graders to attribute varieties, the free submission benefits are for grading only, not variety attribution. If you wish to use the variety attribution service as well, please include payment for this service with your submission. It is your responsibility to pay for postage and insurance.

Connecticoin · January 29, 2008 9:19AM

<< And they could also make all coins lower than XF zero points in regular sets. That would kill off those people who put low end coins in high grade sets. >>

Come on, you can't be serious about that.

The ones with the MS coins in the Low Ball registry are just trying to make a mockery of it.

RegistryCoin · January 29, 2008 2:32PM

<< 100% completed set populated with UNCs >>

Is the low ball registry heavily weighted towards the lower grade coins? Perhaps the weights should be adjusted?

itsnotjustme · January 30, 2008 5:24AM

<< Come on, you can't be serious about that. >>

I say it tongue in cheek to point out denying high grade coins in lowball sets would be as fair as denying low grade coins in non-lowball sets. I have even PO01 coins in my type set, along side MS67 and PR65 coins.

<< The ones with the MS coins in the Low Ball registry are just trying to make a mockery of it. >>

Not all of us. Look at my set here.... the number two best low-ball Copper-Nickel-Silver type set. Link I have some of the same coins in my high end set. In some cases I have two coins, one for the high set, the other for the low.

Dan50 · January 31, 2008 5:37AM

Have a rule that any low-ball coin listed in a low-ball set, "can not" be listed in any other set.
The MS coins will come out of those sets real fast.

BECOKA · January 31, 2008 5:38AM

<< 

<< 100% completed set populated with UNCs >>

Is the low ball registry heavily weighted towards the lower grade coins? Perhaps the weights should be adjusted? >>

It is completely reverse of the normal set. P01 = 70 points, MS70 = 1 point.

Steve27 · January 31, 2008 8:24AM

" But why put them in the set?"

Points is points.

RegistryCoin · January 31, 2008 9:38AM

<< It is completely reverse of the normal set. P01 = 70 points, MS70 = 1 point. >>

Ok, so do you guys think that greater weight should be given to those coins further down (towards P01) the scale? Would this take some of the pain away from seeing mint state, or higher grade circ. coins filling up the holes, and reward more for the coins that really are the tough-to-acquire "low-balls"?

Some Folks Must Not Understand What a Low Ball Set Is

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