Are the TPG services pricing themselves out of business?

Steve27

I can't help noticing how many $100+ coins I see for sale on the BST forum that in the past would have only been offered slabbed. Are the membership fees, slabbing fees, and shipping fees of the TPG services causing a return to raw coin selling/collecting?

ArizonaJack

ya think?
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MrKelso

I stopped submitting back when i started.

WTCG

Grading fees haven't increased much in the last decade, so unless some drastic price jump happens (as in fees doubling) in the near future I do not expect a drop in grading submission volume. Although it sounds arrogant to many, remember that dealer submissions constitute the vast majority of the volume of coin submissions to PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG.

WaterSport

$40 for Lincoln grade and variety designations suck. You send in 10 coins and its over $400, but the value wis listed less than in the guide! What is worst is a coin ALREADY designated by PCGS, and they STILL want the Extra $20 for the new label so it will load in the variety sets..that REALLY sucks.

WS

291fifth

In the case of lower value coins the answer is yes. It's not just the basic fee, it is also the shipping charges and the requirement that you be a "member" in the case of the big two TPG's.

There is also the problem of too many different rates, which makes putting a viable shipment together more difficult.

Interestingly enough, I recently asked my local PCGS & NGC authorized dealer if they would send in a coin for me. They declined, saying that they had insurance problems since they use Fed Ex, and had gotten burned on a lost shipment. They no longer send in any coins for customers!

Hyperion

PCGS is prohibitively expensive for a small timer like myself. I dont have alot valuable enough to justify the fees and shipping etc etc etc.

I joined PCGS a couple years ago and let my acct expire without renewing

Hyperion

I do submit to NGC though, tho infrequently. nice that as a member of the ANA I get automatic submission privledges over there for ZERO extra fee (if I do have a coin I want protected)