Are First Strike premiums worth it on AGE/ASE? What about 69 vs 70?

RB1026

Or is it all relative and you are just tying up more $$ per piece? I was sorting through some listings on eBay and I can honestly say that between the whole 69/70 thing and the FS labels I am thoroughly confused as to what is the best approach to owning AGEs and ASEs. Any insight veteran investors can offer is greatly appreciated.

derryb

Well worth it if you are the one submitting for grading and then reselling. Not so worth it if buying slabbed on the aftermarket for resell unless you get a great price.

70's over 69's seem be be more profitable than FS over non-FS. 70 FS is the cat's meow.

As a collector, your first concern is that they are authenticated by a reputable grading firm.
You have to choose what your goal is. If it's just a good collection then you can accomplish that with 69s for not much more cost than raw. My suggestion to collectors is to stick with certified 69's. If you're one of those who has to have the "best" then be prepared to pay for it.

RB1026

Thx derryb! Great info.

I appreciate it.

ricko

I agree totally with derryb...... If you are selling though, then you go for the extra sizzle... Cheers, RickO

morgansforever

If you make 70, unload it ASAP, or you might end up with this. Purchased spot free in 07, spots developed sometime in September 2011.
Search "milk" nuff said.

carew4me

derryb nailed it.
The only slabbed bullion I will buy is PCGS MS69 1 oz AGE.
The authentication aspect is worth it to increase the buyer pool when the times comes.

jmski52

First Strike is a copyrighted marketing logo. It doesn't guarantee that a coin was anywhere near being one of the first few coins off the die (and consequently having the boldest strike) - it only guarantees that PCGS received the coin for grading within the timeframe allotted by PCGS to receive that designation, usually within a month of the coin's release. So, it's really a bit of a red herring that doesn't necessarily mean what you might expect it to mean.

The only thing that a First Strike Label really guarantees is that the coin hasn't been re-submitted for grading on various occasions. Sometimes a First Strike label carries a premium and sometimes it doesn't. For many coins, it's not much of a consideration. For a few issues, it's apparently a bigger deal - (but only if you're trying to sell a coin for top dollar).

The difference between a 70 coin and a 69 coin is that of a professional grader's opinion. That opinion may vary from grader to grader or from day to day or morning to afternoon - even with the same grader. The grade is an opinion, albeit the graders are skilled professionals and they operate with consistent standards in place. In reality the grade is what you pay for an expert opinion much like you would pay for a legal opinion on a legal issue or a medical opinion on a medical issue. A second opinion may or may not be of benefit. You can always agree or disagree.

Since the difference in price between 69 and 70 is sometimes significant, it's an advantage to sell 70s but to form a collection around 69s (like derryb recommends). Usually, it's hard to see any big visual differences but again - it's only an opinion in the first place.