Help me!! I have been CAC assimilated!

TommyType · July 21, 2014 2:28AM

Oh, woe is me! After months of avoiding this horrible fate, I have just ordered a PCGS 1920-S VF-30 Walker....and it’s been Green Beaned!

It will be my first CAC’ed coin. Now the rest of my collection will look bland in comparison. I’ll cringe when I look at them, and will have the uncontrollable urge to upgrade or submit. My collecting life has been turned on its head! Is there an initiation ceremony one must go through at this point?

Maybe the correct course of action is to use a knife to carefully remove the Bean? Maybe place a small piece of tape over it to hide its glowing greenie-ness? Are there eyeglass lenses I can acquire that will filter out certain shades of green?! What am I to do?!?

....

I’m only kidding! I actually have no deep seated fear of the Bean. While I don’t find them to be a REQUIREMENT for my purchases, and I haven’t actively sought them out, I do feel a certain....assuredness....from seeing this coin being CAC’ed.

I have a feeling that the only reason I’ve “avoided” being beaned up until now is that, 1) I’ve been inactive for 6 years, 2) CAC is quite a bit less prevalent in lower grade/lower priced coins, and 3) I'll admit that I just may have a different eye than some. Some combination of the three, anyway.

I’ll probably survive this tragic event.

ms70 · July 21, 2014 2:36AM

Sorry to hear you drank the kool-aid.

AnkurJ · July 21, 2014 2:39AM

OH YEAAAAA

ms70 · July 21, 2014 2:40AM

<< OH YEAAAAA

>>

OKbustchaser · July 21, 2014 2:40AM

A towel and a hammer will not only cure the "greenie-ness" but it will also cure any nagging problem your collection may have with differing holders.

dpoole · July 21, 2014 2:42AM

<< Sorry to hear you drank the kool-aid. >>

Shouldn't be. It sells better than Country Time.

TommyType · July 21, 2014 2:46AM

<< OH YEAAAAA

>>

Ok....the green Kool-Aid avatar scares me a little.

mercurydimeguy · July 21, 2014 3:01AM

In general, when you see enough CAC coins and ones that you know were sent in but didn't CAC, it will provide some additional learning beyond where you are now (numismatically speaking).

At least that has been true for me...I'm a collector and direct submitter to CAC (one of the lucky ones). I can say that I've grown as much numismatically from CAC as I have from advent of TPG's like PCGS.

PCGS has made a better collector out of me, and CAC has also. This is not coming form a guy who is a head mentality type person -- there are times I disagree with both -- but those are few and far in between, to be fair. Both services have made me much more objective about coins than I was previously, which has helped me in my collecting interests.

So...CAC be it

BillJones · July 21, 2014 3:24AM

I buy coins with and without the CAC sticker. I came close to finishing my Type I gold dollar set at the summer FUN Heritage auction and added a key Dahlonega coin for what had to be a record price for the grade. None of those coins had CAC stickers.

Then I got home and ordered a coin I had seen at the show. It had a CAC sticker, but that did not influence my decision to buy it. The CAC sticker mostly comes for the ride with me. If it there, that's nice, but it's not essential.

Justacommeman · July 21, 2014 4:14AM

<< OH YEAAAAA

>>

BAJJERFAN · July 21, 2014 4:29AM

lostincoins · July 21, 2014 4:39AM

A warm to hot towel will help loosen up the sticker from your holder and make it easier to see, This will keep the holder as it should be and showcase the coin without shinny green distracting stickers.

TommyType · July 21, 2014 4:40AM

Ah, living proof that the Walker's can look good well into the VF range....and lower.

Picked up a VG-10 1921 (non-CAC) as part of the same purchase noted in the OP. Still looking good!

I have finished my "short set"+ back to 1938 in mainly MS-64, and decided to push onward. With a budget of $200 each, or so, and a willingness to go to VG, there are only a couple of dates I'll have to stretch on. (Though, waiting on the "right" coin may make it a long term goal....)

BryceM · July 21, 2014 5:19AM

Used to be a thread like this wouldn't last long. It's part of collecting now though so love em or hate em, you've got to reconcile with them. I think the stickers have been a net positive thing, but I still place more emphasis on the first opinion. Their existence will hopefully limit the extent of gradeflation. Their willingness to buy what they sticker is an important part of the equation that people sometimes forget.

I don't know if it's easier to sell stickered coins or harder to sell non-stickered ones but there is a liquidity difference that has become quite real in the marketplace.

Not sure it's healthy for the market for one opinion to carry so much weight though. Even a well-respected expert carries certain biases.

mozin · July 21, 2014 5:42AM

Attempting to cross NGC CAC coins to PCGS was much much more successful, than those NGC attempted crosses without the sticker.

I have many PCGS Registry sets, and what sticks out in them, is my coins that do not have the CAC sticker. My Fifty Classic Commemorative set is 82% complete, and only three coins are missing the CAC sticker. I have NGC CAC coin for all but four of the missing slots.

DIMEMAN · July 21, 2014 6:27AM

The sticker doesn't mean anything to me. I go by the coin in the holder.

I'm like bryce....if it has a sticker....OK....if not OK.

Coins without stickers do NOT mean they failed. It simply means they never were sent. A lot of collectors like myself haven't and never and will send coins to cac. I know what I like. Don't need cac's opinion.

BillJones · July 21, 2014 7:22AM

Do you want a critique of the Walking Liberty half dollars you have bought? Sent me a PM, and we will discuss it.

mdwoods · July 21, 2014 7:25AM

Above all the coin must appeal to the buyer CAC or not. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a CAC coin or non CAC coin if I like it. Especially when you consider only a small fraction of slabbed coins have been to CAC even the ones with "bean" potential.

coinkat · July 21, 2014 7:40AM

Why do these Walkers need to go to CAC in the first place?

I am just unable to see the point.

TommyType · July 21, 2014 7:41AM

<< Do you want a critique of the Walking Liberty half dollars you have bought? Sent me a PM, and we will discuss it. >>

I don't have pictures....or the coins in hand yet. I USED to be minimally proficient in taking coin photos, but I need to find my camera and practice again. (My phone's camera has proven to be totally useless).

And I failed (again) to capture the dealer's photos before I purchased. They tend to disappear down the black-hole after they are sold, as is the case this time.

For now, I soldier on solo....

But, the 1921 I bought might have been a good study! Looks natural, and original to me, and the dealer who is VERY honest in his descriptions said as much as well. But at PCGS VG-10, I think it's slightly over-graded. With grading guide in hand, and the full honesty of a guy who did NOT own the coin, I can't see going over VG-8. (A small, but significant difference of opinion for this date).

So why, you may ask, did I buy it?!? Because it was priced just below VG-8 price guide!

A coin that, I believe, would not warrant a CAC sticker for that reason alone, but certainly still well worth owning at the right price.

(All based on photos, for now, of course. I'll know better once in hand).

There are no bad coins....only bad prices.

coinbuf · July 21, 2014 7:45AM

<< Used to be a thread like this wouldn't last long. It's part of collecting now though so love em or hate em, you've got to reconcile with them. I think the stickers have been a net positive thing, but I still place more emphasis on the first opinion. Their existence will hopefully limit the extent of gradeflation. Their willingness to buy what they sticker is an important part of the equation that people sometimes forget.

I don't know if it's easier to sell stickered coins or harder to sell non-stickered ones but there is a liquidity difference that has become quite real in the marketplace.

Not sure it's healthy for the market for one opinion to carry so much weight though. Even a well-respected expert carries certain biases. >>

Funny really that so many here feel that way about the bean but do a 180 when discussing TPG's; why is it healthy to have one TPG carry so much weight in some minds but not one bean? Sorry to the OP not trying to derail your thread, you might find that having that bean may even grow on you.

TommyType · July 21, 2014 7:50AM

<< 
Funny really that so many here feel that way about the bean but do a 180 when discussing TPG's; why is it healthy to have one TPG carry so much weight in some minds but not one bean? Sorry to the OP not trying to derail your thread, you might find that having that bean may even grow on you. >>

No problem. I think the thread has played out. I figured I'd get slammed for my (attempted) light hearted treatment of CAC. But everyone behaved.

djdilliodon · July 21, 2014 8:29AM

I only collect what I know and because of that I will buy any coin that meets MY standards that I can see in hand regardless of what sticker it has or holder its in.

BryceM · July 21, 2014 8:57AM

<< 

<< Used to be a thread like this wouldn't last long. It's part of collecting now though so love em or hate em, you've got to reconcile with them. I think the stickers have been a net positive thing, but I still place more emphasis on the first opinion. Their existence will hopefully limit the extent of gradeflation. Their willingness to buy what they sticker is an important part of the equation that people sometimes forget.

I don't know if it's easier to sell stickered coins or harder to sell non-stickered ones but there is a liquidity difference that has become quite real in the marketplace.

Not sure it's healthy for the market for one opinion to carry so much weight though. Even a well-respected expert carries certain biases. >>

Funny really that so many here feel that way about the bean but do a 180 when discussing TPG's; why is it healthy to have one TPG carry so much weight in some minds but not one bean? Sorry to the OP not trying to derail your thread, you might find that having that bean may even grow on you. >>

True, but at the TPGs each coin gets looked at by up to 3 people and the pool of graders is much larger and theoretically more diverse. The graders come and go over time too, which should dilute the effects of their personal biases.

sonoranmonsoon · July 21, 2014 10:16AM

I have been slowly getting my collection trueviewed. I have a whole bunch of those little green things that I stick on the side of my desk, when I peel them off the slabs before sending them to PCGS. I figure if I ever sell my desk, it might bring a premium now that it looks CAC approved.

DIMEMAN · July 21, 2014 1:14PM

>>> I have a whole bunch of those little green things that I stick on the side of my desk, when I peel them off the slabs before sending them to PCGS. I figure if I ever sell my desk, it might bring a premium now that it looks CAC approved. <<<

I LOVE IT......I REALLY REALLY LOVE IT!!!! Finally a good use for the sticker!

Baley · July 21, 2014 1:32PM

The CAC sticker mostly comes for the ride with me. If it there, that's nice, but it's not essential.

That's exactly my attitude toward slabs, any slabs. I've still never seen a CAC sticker in person, but having one on a slab wouldn't prevent me cracking out the coin.

DIMEMAN · July 21, 2014 1:39PM

>>>That's exactly my attitude toward slabs, any slabs. I've still never seen a CAC sticker in person, but having one on a slab wouldn't prevent me cracking out the coin. <<<

Been there...done that! CRACK CRACK!!

DaveW · July 21, 2014 5:50PM

Sounds like they sucked you in.

georgiacop50 · July 21, 2014 10:54PM

I love CAC. But the beans are kind of superfluous on circulated material IMHO.

BAJJERFAN · July 21, 2014 11:11PM

There are 514 1880-S Morgans in ms65 with beans. Those and anything below them are likely superfluous as well.

TwoSides2aCoin · July 21, 2014 11:39PM

If you find yourself singing this in the shower, you could be a coin geek.

Where's my shower cap ?

originalisbest · July 22, 2014 1:47AM

<< I love CAC. But the beans are kind of superfluous on circulated material IMHO. >>

Depends on the circulated material in question. I wouldn't mind a green bean on an early dollar, for example.

For the Walkers, I like all of them; perhaps the obverse of the '28-S shown, I like that look the least, but that coin aside I would be happy with any of the others in my album.

Help me!! I have been CAC assimilated!

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