How many of your purchases are slabbed vs raw?

spoon

Just out of curiosity.

I've posted the same question on the US forum, so please, if you consider yourself more of a lightsider in your collecting habits answer over there. If you're not mainly a darksider use the last option to see the results.

Here's the Lightside poll

TwoKopeiki

These days it's about 60% slabbed.

StubbyMcNumbthumbs

I have never owned a slabbed coin. Not because of any intentional avoidance, it's just that I have never seen one I really felt compelled to purchase.

If I did buy one, I'd be very tempted to set it free. The whole idea just doesn't sit right with me, I reckon.

I should probably keep those types of thoughts to myself around here, eh?


Indeed.

RobP

Less than 10% as I've been concentrating on hammered this past 12 months. It might go a bit higher from time to time, but I prefer raw coins as you can examine the rims and edge much more easily when in the hand.

canadacolornut

Probably 75% slabbed and of these,80-90% PCGS.

Looking at the economics, the fact that I need a minimum of MS 65 or PL 66 to
make any improvements in my registry sets and the tougher grading standards
at PCGS these days I've just about abandoned my former practice of buying
raw coins or PL and Proof sets and pulling at the top coins for grading.

I end up with a very low percentage of coins that make the grades I need-or
cross from ICCS (a little better from NGC and ANACS, but not much) so
I have to blow off all the other raw coins and sell the holdered ones at
a loss.

So my first auction look is always at PCGS examples, usually paying more,
but coming out better when all's said and done....

laurentyvan

Unable to appreciate slabs but would certainly take advantage of the security they offer for particular valuable coins.
Otherwise all raw.
Shucks, I've been known to de-slab...

FilthyBroke

Less than 10% slabbed. Not many feel the need to what I've been buying lately (tokens, jetons, etc.). I picked up some CoinWorld slabs so that they can be protected and accessed.

theboz11

I rarely buy slabbed, unless it is the finest know

farthing

Less than 10% for the last few years as I have been almost exclusively buying Conder tokens, and the vast majority of them are still raw.

IloiloKano

I mostly buy mostly raw and have them slabbed myself, since that is the least expensive way for me to obtain high grade coins, if I am patient enough to wait for the opportunities when they come around, and if I can stick to my original plan of only buying when I can get an uber good deal with a pretty good chance of getting the coin to slab at a significantly higher grade than the seller thought. It's a rare, but it happens.

On the other hand, I am in the process of completing a purchase from a board member for two PCGS slabbed US-Philippines Centavos.

About 60% to 75% of my collection will end up slabbed at some point, although I currently have 2 disappointments slabbed PCGS Genuine. Greater than 50% of my PCGS certified coins were purchased raw and submitted by me.

OchoReales

I would guess that overall, it would be about 50-50.

wybrit

Guestimating about 35%-65% slabbed vs raw.

Most of the slabbed ones I do have now were bought raw by me several years before they were entombed.

It's getting to the point where I can't afford to buy slabbed coins, based on the latest results from Heritage and Goldberg.

Gazza

Of approximately 1000 coins in my collection about 12 were slabbed, they are no longer.

Hussulo

I've went for:

40-60% - roughly even slabs vs raw

When I focused on British coins most where raw. Now I collect World gold I have more in slabs.
I buy gold coins raw or slabbed but if they are already slabbed I don't crack them out.

The only coins I bother getting slabbed are my fractional farthings (playing the registry game)
and US coins as I think US coins are easier to sell slabbed.

STLNATS

Have only purchased a few slabbed coins, generally crack them out since I don't see the value for the series of greatest interest to me (Vatican/papal medals, baroque papal coins, an extensive collection of "follis" from RIC VI, etc). And frankly I guess I'm one of those heretics that just likes to handle his coins. Plastic is too sterile for me. Probably the highest % of slabbed coins I've purchased have been Vatican Lire 100 gold coins for my 1929-1959 date set, especially if bought over the internet and I didn't have a chance to see them in hand. Provides some sense of what they look like and if they're actually unc or not. The balance of coins in slabs I've picked up just happened to come that way and generally the coins were immediately broken out.

As indicated in my tag line I also collect US currency and think I currently only have 2 banknotes that are still slabbed. Both have courtesy autographs of Treasury officials and I think the slab provides some guarentee that the sigs are legit. I don't have in depth knowledge of such sigs and am uncomfortable buying such notes without some sort of protection.

zeebob

I have had bad luck with raw coins. Most I've purchased have been cleaned. While I do appreciate the education that comes with these purchases, I tend to look for coins in PCGS plastic now. I still try to judge the coin not the plastic, but having a qualified disinterested party's opinion on the coin's problem free nature is re-assuring.

Bob

JimK

I'd say about 20-25% slabbed, 90% of slabbed are in PCGS slabs. Of the raw ones, there's about 50-75 I will eventually submit. I have a 6 coin submission ready to go as soon as the other coin arrives.
Jim

JCMhouston

Sitting in the airport lounge, hoping British Air doesn't decide to have a strike over tea breaks, gives one time to think.

Probably 70% of my purchases over the past 5 years have been slabbed (mostly by the guys acorss the street), and the rest I had slabed myself. Unfortunately I still find significant problems buying raw, even from some of the top UK dealers. I won two pennies in a recent auction by a very well know dealer, both described as nearly FDC, one no better than a 63 and the other obviously cleaned. It is such a hassle waiting for a coin only to finally recive a POS ad have to ship it back to the UK with the attendant hassles on their end, then wait for my money back.

I think my slab percentages will only go up in the future.

coinkat

I would rather buy raw and submit what I think needs to be submitted. I have bought slabbed- and that works-

The sad thing is I like to see what I buy before I buy

bidask

About 50/50.

WWW

40% slab to 60% raw, but most of the raw coins get slabbed. It's how I pay for the slabbed ones.

1960NYGiants

I checked off 40-60% slabbed but it is probably less considering how many collections / hoards / lots I've acquired.

I slab the nice coins to add to my Registry sets or for resale (if slab costs can be recouped).

wybrit

Unfortunately I still find significant problems buying raw, even from some of the top UK dealers. I won two pennies in a recent auction by a very well know dealer, both described as nearly FDC, one no better than a 63 and the other obviously cleaned. It is such a hassle waiting for a coin only to finally recive a POS ad have to ship it back to the UK with the attendant hassles on their end, then wait for my money back.

That is becoming a huge problem in the UK. I had to return several coins from what I thought was a good seller, selling "Choice UNC" material, for utter surface destruction of his coins. He must be doing the dirty deed as well, since everything he sells has that same horrible appearance as what I saw in hand.

bidask

about 50 50