The waiting...

scottgardener

I know I cannot be the only one who does this. Any of you, starting two weeks after PCGS receives your coins, finding yourself checking on "order status" two or three times a day, hoping to see the grades posted? I know they send you an email to let you know the results are in, but that email is often sent hours after the results are available.

I sent off several gold coins that gained and lost during the three weeks they've been out the value of some of the other coins with them. And, one of the coins I sent in is a gold type I dollar coin that I estimate to be either MS62 or MS63. Even if I'm right, that's a huge value difference for a coin sitting on the fence. If I'm wrong, at the extreme ends I could be looking at a coin worth anywhere from $150 as a Genuine or AU to $2000+ as an MS65.

I'm pulling my hair out!!! Gah! Ha ha ha! It's driving me nuts! I'm going to build a time machine, using leftover macaroni and my wireless router. Space-time is composed of swirling noodles! Whee!

BigRick

I feel your pain.

canadacolornut

Well I do it.

Kinda silly checking when you use economy and they've only had the coins for a couple of weeks.

But I do it anyway

coolkarma

I also check frequently once I believe the grades might, possibly, perhaps, in my dreams, be ready; and sometimes it is well worth it. For example, I submitted some buffalo nickels for "attribution only" that were entered in the PCGS database on November 12. The attributions were posted on the web November 17, but there was no email. Since they agreed with only two of my three attributions, I hoped they were taking a longer look at the third coin. On December 8 I thought they must have seen enough of it and called PCGS to see what was going on. Customer Support said they would check on it, and on December 9 I received the email that my grades (attributions) were posted. On December 15 I received the email saying the coins were in the paper mail.

scottgardener

Gah! I hoped at least they would have them posted before the weekend? Any chance they're working on Saturday? Then again, do I want them working on Saturday, staring at my coins when there's so much Christmas shopping they'd rather do instead?

leothelyon

<< <i>Gah! I hoped at least they would have them posted before the weekend? Any chance they're working on Saturday? Then again, do I want them working on Saturday, staring at my coins when there's so much Christmas shopping they'd rather do instead? >>



The best way to beat the boredom is to mail out your submissions about every two weeks. Do about 10 of them if you have the coins and money and then forget about them. Before you know it, you will have packages arriving in your mail on a consistent basis but you need to keep sending them money and coins to get your plastic holders. Of course they would just love you for this and when you run out of coins, this is when you start sending in those coins that you believe have a chance to upgrade. And since you will have about 10 grand invested by this time, they'll likely remember you and make some of those dreams you been having, come true.


Leo

canadacolornut

You know, Scott, you could put together your own mirror PCGS site, enter the coins and the grades you'd
like to have and click on the site every morning while you're waiting.

Of course, like most everybody else, you'll be jolted back to reality when the real grades are posted but,
what the hey ?- at least you had some fun and sweet dreams while you waited

Earlycoin

I found out submitting coins online speed up the grading process alot faster than using the form. Of couse I send in US Modern, but my grades are available for viewing in about 4-8 days, depending when they receive them. How it work for the other levels, maybe other forum members can help you out there

I hope this helps!

scottgardener

It might even be faster if I email the coins themselves, and they can email them back in the holders.

A few nights ago, I was working late in the ER. I had a patient who had a CT scan of his abdomen, and I was waiting for over two hours to get a report. A thought came to mind--the radiologist must work at PCGS. I do hope my grades come in soon, as the sun is slowly expanding as it converts hydrogen to helium and photons, and Earth will only be inhabitable for maybe another 600 million years.

leothelyon: That's a great idea, albeit an expensive one. Aside from the cost of the individualized submissions--the additional postage and service fees--there is also the added cost of acquiring coins worth sending in, as I can only re-grade so much. Granted, spending money on extra coins isn't exactly something painful or tortuous for any of us.

19Lyds

Two Weeks???


I start the daily routine at the 5 day mark and even double check Saturday and Sunday in case someone got enthusiastic and decided to put in some overtime!

I have had modern coins post in 4 days.

scottgardener

Still no results! They've had a full frigging day! Ga ha!

I've come to the conclusion that the grading process involves five stages:

1. Denial: "Surely they're graded by now. I just need to check one more time."
2. Anger: "Gah! Still no results! Argh!"
3. Bargaining: "OK, I'll take an MS62 instead of an MS63, if you could just get it sent out today."
4. Depression: "They'll never get graded... They're forever raw, and I'll never see them again..."
5. Acceptance: "They're probably not ready yet, but I'll check one more time."

scottgardener

Still no results!

Since the coins went into the mail, their gold content gained and then lost almost $200; the Senate voted to end debate on a Health Care bill (though something tells me that the debate is far from over); 4.32 million people have been born at various places throughout the world; more than three million acres of rainforest has been destroyed; astronomers have published findings suggesting that the star GJ 1214 has a large terrestrial planet covered with an ocean hundreds of kilometers deep; and, contemporary golf legend Tiger Woods was exposed for having multiple extramarital affairs. My coins are missing life!

scottgardener

December 23rd, 1:47 local time (1947 UTC): still no sign of The PCGS Eight. My registry sets remain incomplete, with gaping vacancies and a sense of emptiness... longing... Christmas will soon fall, bringing with it merriment and cold snow. And yet, by the fire, we wait...

badger

I am the same way. I cn only hold off for so long, then I am checking the site 24/7.

I try to find ways to distract myself. Although, I thought that the suggestion made by Leo was brilliant. Submit coins every week so results are constantly appearing.

Dave

scottgardener

Grades are in!!!

1900 Indian Cent: Genuine, altered surfaces
Two Peace dollars: both AU55
Two gold dollars: AU55 and Genuine, altered surfaces
1881 $5: XF45
1997 half ounce gold eagle: MS67
1998 fourth ounce platinum eagle: MS68

Wha? I want a second opinion! Regrade! Just kidding. I'm a bit disappointed with some of the results, but I'm glad they're finally posted. The coins will likely take longer than usual to get back, since they'll be going out either right before or just after Christmas, and with New Year's coming up, the U.S. Postal Service will likely be a bit busy.

So, here is a more thorough reflection on what I have learned...

1900 cent, Genuine. I got this coin back in the 1990s, before I knew how to store coins properly. At the time it was RB, but the center of the obverse has developed a noticeable spot from being in a cardboard coin album. I knew this could hurt its grade, but I still hoped to get a low MS RB or even a BR. I guess with it being a copper coin and that policy controversy, they're not taking any chances.

Peace dollars: Both graded about what I expected. I hoped they'd do a little better, but I'm not surprised.

Gold dollars: I sent in an 1852 Type I and an 1862 Type III. I worried that the Type III might have been improperly cleaned at one point, and indeed it came back Genuine--but "altered surfaces" rather than "improperly cleaned." That's a little odd. The 1852 Type I, though, I thought looked to be fully uncirculated. I thought it would return MS62. I crossed my fingers and hoped MS63, as I thought it was sitting on the fence between the two grades. I am definitely still getting the hang of this. (Since gold $1s aren't overwhelmingly expensive on my budget, it might be worth my while to put together a grading set, for educational and reference purposes. Granted, such a set would add up rather quickly.)

Gold $5: That's what I expected. My Everyman set will look slightly less anemic soon. It's got nice toning.

The modern bullion eagles: They're each a point lower than I expected--I thought 68 and 69 respectively instead of 67 and 68. The significance of the very few dings I saw must be more than I have had in my mind. MS67 and higher are very demanding grades, and I'm more accustomed to working with older coins rather than moderns. Both of these were bought raw in my medical school days, the same years they were minted. Given how precious metals have done, they've really shot up in value since then. My plan has been to sell them if they graded exceptionally well or keep them for sentimental purposes otherwise. I'm still watching the market--the best time to have sold platinum was a year and a half ago, and the best time to sell gold was right after I plunked these coins in the mail to get graded. But, the ANA Money Show in Fort Worth is coming up in a few months, and cashing in these two could help me buy something much nicer.

scottgardener

Dang it, I'm so used to going and looking that I almost logged on and looked for my results again, even though they ARE posted. Maybe they'd change? Maybe there'd be some other ones graded I forgot about?