Slabbed versus Raw

Mowgli

Many times on these boards I read that a coin would sell for more if it were slabbed. I also read that one is to buy the coin not the slab. Now if it is a problem coin it is worth more if it is in a "genuine" holder. Then there are the arguments that the TPG makes mistakes and that you need to learn to grade for yourself but apparently not well enough to buy raw coins. Also if a coin is rare/key there must be something wrong with it if it is not in a slab. This on top of knowing that TPGs will BB a coin cracked out of their own holder or will eventually upgrade a coin after multiple submissions.

How can anyone rationalize all these comments? I realize that registry sets are in slabs and a lot of the conversations on these boards are about having exceptionally nice coins. I also see people have slabbed collections of VF Barber coins which amaze me since they are not expensive coins and not much controversy over what a VF is. Personally I don't care whether someone spends more to slab a coin that the coin is worth. What I don't get is the bashing of raw coins. Not everyone slabs their coins.

garsmith

No one here really says not to buy raw coins - it's usually a warning not to buy raw coins sight unseen. Pictures on the Internet are not the same as seeing the coin in hand unless you have a full-proof money back guarantee on the coin from the seller.

tahoe98

.........i think in the future slabbed coins will be the norm. they sell faster than raw coins do and that's just the way it is. jmo

Gemineye

<< <i>How can anyone rationalize all these comments?....Slabbed versus Raw >>


These are Kool-Aid comments.The Slab is better...!!!...You can always trust a coin in a slab...!!...You can get your money back...!!!
This is a hobby of collectable coins and there are some good poins for slabs as well as drawbacks..
If you feel that the grade of a coin is better than what a TPG would give than why put it in a slab.If a coin has developed a sheen on the surface and the TPG would BB it then keep it raw.No one is telling you to collect slabbed coins.If you want to collect the labels and slabs with the coins then do so the choice is yours.

BAJJERFAN

Simply put, some opinions are worth more than others.

While slabs may not be perfect, they do tend to level the playing field for those who like coins, but never will be world class or even relatively competent graders.

ambro51

Having just bought a very rare coin in a Genuine slab, I will tell you for certain I would have passed it by even at the same price Raw.

ziggy29

"Buying the coin" because you like its eye appeal and "buying the plastic" for liquidity and assured authenticity are not mutually exclusive.

MFH

When I started collecting there were not any "slabs" and the normal way of
collecting was the tri-fold Whitman blue folders. The more sophisticated my
tastes became, I graduated to Whitman Bookshelf albums. If I had a very
special group of coins [ ie: 1891 Proof set ] I got a custom Capital lucite holder.

I collected a wide variety of US coins from 1960 to 1972. I got restarted in 1994
when I moved from New England to Florida.

The other day there was a Thread about "what was the first coin you bought 'slabbed'."
I mentioned it was an 1886 Liberty Head Nickel in a PCI AU 53 green holder. I had intended to
crack the coin out of its holder for my new Eagle album. [ Back in 1994 and not being in "the loop"
I didn't know one holder's worth over the other ]. I never did crack this coin out, I just added
a certified page to the Eagle album. { BTW, I did finally send this coin to PCGS and it came back
as an AU 58. As mentioned numerous times, always buy the coin and not the holder.}

Continuing my Barber quest, 95% of my Dimes were purchased raw with only a couple
already slabbed [ the key date - 1895-O - being one of them ]. The Quarters and Halves
were also bought in the same manner, however these higher denominations were first
sent into ANACS for grading and encapsulation, eventually selling off any Net-Graded coins.
Once these sets were virtually complete, I crossed the coins over to PCGS

At the moment, I am expanding the Dime collection with pre-slabbed coins as I hate to break
up the Dansco Dime album. I'm now down to nine coins missing in the certified set.