I confess (no I am not an idiot) I may have turned into a "grade snob". Are you a "g

lcoopie

Being on this board, and seeing some of our members (we all know who they are)
posting high grade common date coins, I felt that I must tag along.

Now I don't have an unlimited budget and collecting is really just a hobby for me,
and probably most of us are in the same category.

So recently I've been buying lower grade (MS64 instead of MS 65, 66, 67)
that have excellent eye appeal. I need the eye appeal factor as I would not want an ugly coin.
Whats the difference, maybe a mark or two that I can barely see anyhow.

And you know what, I am getting just as must satisfaction spending a lot less.

I just bought an IGC MS64 Morgan that is just beautiful from SeattleSlammer on the BST.

I could have spent 5x as much on a higher grade but I would not have gotten 5x the satisfaction.

BaseballAbs

That's pretty much my view as well lcoopie, I'm not sure how the Grade snob fits in though.

DIMEMAN

I completely agree.....I have been yelling this for years and years!!

Good job!!!

keyman64

I cannot say I am where you are at but I do applaud you! Good for you!

I am one that aims for the nicest examples that I can find within the Mercury Dime Varieties. By doing this I do get some Top Pops, the competition(DEMAND) is fairly low and that in turn keeps the prices down. Kind of a neat niche I have found. I also get to Cherrypick something cool every now and then....keeping prices really LOW. This is how I have approached numismatic competition and it has proved to provide me with a great deal of satisfaction.

yellowkid

I guess I am That's the first step I actually have acquired some AU58 South American early 19th century pieces, high MS states can be impossible and the AU pieces are beautiful. I think a collection with AU grades would be fun.

lcoopie

My numismatic guardian angel recently introduced me to the term "grade snob"
and after thinking about it a while, thought I would mention it here.

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DIMEMAN

Sorry Realone, but you are in denial.........you ARE a grade snob.

SkyMan

I'll take eye appeal versus grade every time. Do you have pix of the MS64 Morgan? Here's a (PCGS) MS62...

mbogoman

Maybe it's just me, but I would think that a "grade snob" would be someone who sneers at an MS64 because it is "so inferior" to a Gem or above...

FWIW, I fall in the beautiful "64 and below" camp for the most part. I just can't see paying up 3 or 4 or 5 times for a single point. I am also very fond of nice AU coins, too...

Sonorandesertrat

"I'll take eye appeal versus grade every time...."

This

PerryHall

I try to buy the most eye appealing example in the highest grade that makes sense---that is, the highest grade before the big price jump.

lcoopie

Sy, that's a beautiful coin there.

My newp IGC 64 from BST SeattleSlammer, stolen photo.

IrishMikey

I think he meant "eye appeal snob" instead of "grade snob." There should be more
of us thinking that way, except there are a finite number of truly exceptional coins.

I just added a Fine-15 to my collection that has a better look than most VF-EF pieces.
I am happy with it. Sorry, no images -- I am not that sophisticated (yet).

Billet7

Nope...give me overpriced, high grade, unappealing coins anyday!

lcoopie

for your registry?

yellowkid

I don't know if this one will make my foreign box of twenty, but I love it. It is the lowest graded coin I own, I think.



Lets see some more of those less than perfect examples!!!!

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bronzemat

When it comes to modern U.S. & World coins, no, I try and buy the best grade my $ for that coin can get me and if it has been dipped or something then I can live with it. I cant stand holed coins.

Now ancients, I tend to be a bit of a snob but only if its a common coin, if its some scarce/rare emperor or something then its the same as above.

Peacemonkey

I feel the same way but I have different ideas for my different set. For my world coins I am willing to drop into the AUs. For my Toned Peace $s I want to stay in MS 63 and above but I also want to have one blast white example in that set and that piece will have to be a common MS66 IMO. I think the MS64 grade offers a good value.

lasvegasteddy

myself
i've always had a taste for 64 examples in older classics
there's like a 3 point grading margin to begin with...a good 64 could be an undergraded 65 or an overgraded 63 so a 64 is a...63-64-65 somewhere in there
so nice eye appealing 64's from a price point make sense
you're not a snob here les but a great asset to these boards
looks like your getting more coins but i wonder if you're getting less in utter areas...hmmm
i know
here...some cookies for you...

Billet7

<< <i>for your registry?

>>




HAAA! Obvioulsy you haven't seen my registry set! Not a high grade to be found!!!!

lcoopie

<< <i>

<< <i>for your registry?

>>




HAAA! Obvioulsy you haven't seen my registry set! Not a high grade to be found!!!! >>




that's a wink I gave you

SeattleSlammer

I always collect the most eye appeal that I can afford. Usually that means lower grades but not always.
The sweet cameo proof Induan I picked up last weekend is just a 63....but I'm thrilled it's only a 63 because I likely couldn't afford it in gem.
Hey, nice Morgan!

lcoopie

<< <i>I always collect the most eye appeal that I can afford. Usually that means lower grades but not always.
The sweet cameo proof Induan I picked up last weekend is just a 63....but I'm thrilled it's only a 63 because I likely couldn't afford it in gem.
Hey, nice Morgan! >>



do you want to buy it SS?

crypto79

I feel people get caught up in grades and it becomes more about competing then collecting. Your coin and the one Yellowkid posted would be positive additions to any collection. Well bought

johnny9434

theres no harm done in what your doing lcoopie

lcoopie

I am also going to try this

instead of spending a long time trying to photograph it without the glare, then
tucking it away in the safety deposit box

I am just going to keep it around and actually look at it

MikeInFL

I am not a grade snob. To the contrary, I've sold a few higher graded coins for lower graded, more appealing examples.

BillJones

For me it all boils down to eye appeal, rarity and cost. For the modern coins, which I most often buy as Proofs, I collect PR-69 DCam for the most modern material, PR-66 or 67 for the Buffalo Nickels, Mercury Dimes and Walkers, and PR-64 to 66 for the earlyh 20th century. Oddly I have found Proof Barbers in PR-64 with good eye appeal to be more desirable than some pieces I see in PR-65 and 66. For the 19th century its often Proof or Mint State 64 for me. Once you get the 1790s and early 1800s, AU-58 has often been my ideal, but not always a reality because of the high prices. I did splurge and buy an 1800 half dime in MS-64 because the coin was so outstanding, and the early half dimes have long been among my favorites.

For gold I am become a "grade snob," and I've gotten worse. I don't own any graded (slabbed) gold coins that are less than AU-50. The lower grade stuff just does not please me, and to be honest a lot of the pieces that get called AU-50 these days are "old time" EF or even Choice VF to my eye. I have upgraded some of the more common types to MS-67. This include the Type III gold dollar and Liberty $2.50. Early gold is very expensive, but usually it takes an AU-53 or better to please me. NGC tends to grade early gold more losely, BUT the market reflects that, and sometimes you can get some real bargains in that area if you know how to grade. For example I bought a Reduced Size Cap Bust (1829-34) $5 gold piece (a VERY rare type) in an NGC MS-61 holder for less than AU money. The coin is not "perfect," but it's darn nice for that price. The easily grades AU, dispite the fact that it is not original. When it comes to this type one is darned happy just to own one. This is the most date and variety in the series, and there are and estimated less than 50 example known in a grades including the "ungradeable" ones.

SkyMan

Nice looking Morgan Les.

Billet7

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>for your registry?

>>




HAAA! Obvioulsy you haven't seen my registry set! Not a high grade to be found!!!! >>




that's a wink I gave you >>




That was a sarcastic "HAAA" Everyone knows I'm not a grade snob, eye appeal yes...grade not so much. When I grow up I plan on being both!

lcoopie

Here's one I have on the way

it's a 65 and it replaces a 66

GeorgeKellogg

Not me. I like coins in many different grades.

astrorat

Trying to separate "eye appeal" from a market grade (used currently by PCGS, NGC, ANACS ... and I assume ICG) is a silly exercise since eye appeal is the major component of the market grading of MS/PF coins.

To claim that I would prefer a coin with better eye appeal than one with a higher grade is, well, penetratingly obvious. Who wouldn't? An investor or noob, perhaps, but no collector I have ever met. Why do you think eye appeal is so important with market grading? Because that's what drives desirability.*

*Other than the rarity of the holder ... I just had to add that one!

crazyhounddog

Just give me the eye appeal.....Damn the grades, I have a few high graded coins, but I do not feel that I am a snob. Maybe a coin slob but NOT a snob.....

bestclser1

<< <i>Just give me the eye appeal.....Damn the grades, I have a few high graded coins, but I do not feel that I am a snob. Maybe a coin slob but NOT a snob..... >>

Me too hounddog Joe!

crazyhounddog

This is a MIGHTY pretty 64. I could sell this coin for WAY more than the book value. The beauty of this buff brings em runnin. I have had more offers on this buff than I can count........Joe

bestclser1

Eye Appeal!!!!!

lcoopie

<< <i>Just give me the eye appeal.....Damn the grades, I have a few high graded coins, but I do not feel that I am a snob. Maybe a coin slob but NOT a snob..... >>




excellent

TwoSides2aCoin

Grading can be so subjective that it can actually take the objective out of collecting, altogether. If the joy is there, so will be the appreciation for what one has, and even what one has yet to achieve.