Are you confident applying grades to your own coins?

ambro51 · October 18, 2013 9:01PM

....or do you depend on others.

MrHalfDime · October 18, 2013 9:05PM

"Are you confident applying grades to your own coins?" YES!

PerryHall · October 18, 2013 9:07PM

Absolutely YES!!! I'm the only one that doesn't undergrade my coins.

DHeath · October 18, 2013 9:14PM

Yes, I am completely confident applying grades to my own coins in the area of my focus. However, few others are interested in my opinion. While I work to stay in touch with the market, market valuation doesn't drive my collecting taste. Anyone who has collected for more than a decade can share stories of how grading has changed, and how TPGs and standards have come and gone. They can also share stories about how certain areas of interest have become fashionable or fallen into disinterest. Old-timers can share how toning used to be viewed as tarnish, detracting from market value. Now, original surfaces are en vogue. Anyone with a good eye can look at my collection and see the characteristics I value, and how I weight marks, strike, luster, rarity, etc. I expect the same is true for others.

ahopewell55 · October 18, 2013 9:39PM

No, I realize that I have a lot to learn. Tuition is often expensive.

BillJones · October 18, 2013 9:58PM

Yes. I know that I can hold my own with any grader out there.

crypto79 · October 18, 2013 10:05PM

I know my series better than save a few people on earth. Not to say people can't disagree on grades but it is a conversation I am prepared to have. I also know the principles of most other series but simply lack the exsposure to the quality needed for comparative analysis to varying degrees depending on series.

crypto79 · October 18, 2013 10:06PM

<< Absolutely YES!!! I'm the only one that doesn't undergrade my coins.

>>

This was one of the funnier and truer things I think I have ever read on the forum.

BAJJERFAN · October 18, 2013 10:11PM

<< No, I realize that I have a lot to learn. Tuition is often expensive. >>

No chit, Cherlock.

BAJJERFAN · October 18, 2013 10:15PM

<< Yes, I am completely confident applying grades to my own coins in the area of my focus. However, few others are interested in my opinion. >>

Precisely why those who say they know how to grade will never make it putting aftermarket stickas on slabbed coins. One's opinion has to mean something significant to many in the hobby/marketplace if one is going to grade coins for fun and profit.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 18, 2013 10:24PM

If not, I wouldn't have bought A Coin Shop 4.5 years ago. But by the grace of ____ and a few nice people, I've survived.

PerryHall · October 18, 2013 10:41PM

<< 

<< Absolutely YES!!! I'm the only one that doesn't undergrade my coins.

>>

This was one of the funnier and truer things I think I have ever read on the forum. >>

I was only half joking. I think it was David Hall that said ownership adds a point to the grade or something similar. It's hard to be unbiased when you grade your own coins.

ldhair · October 18, 2013 11:58PM

I'm good enough to stay out of trouble but smart enough to ask for help when needed.

lkeigwin · October 19, 2013 12:03AM

Everyone can grade...to their standards.
Lance.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 19, 2013 12:18AM

Yes, even details grade. I graded this AU details. The seller and I went round and round and when PCGS got done, adjustments were made.
Some things are not gradeable and in some instances I have to use professionals to prove or disprove others' theories or assessments.
Are you confident ? I'm not, but I do know when my eyes see problems that I can't fix.

CoinRaritiesOnline · October 19, 2013 12:20AM

Yes. I do this for a living, I buy a lot of raw coins and if I cannot predict with reasonable accuracy how they will be graded by the services or accepted by the market raw I will not be in business for very long.

At the end of the day, anyone can grade their own coins anyway they want, but until they actually try to sell them for prices commensurate with the grades they have assigned, or submit them to the services for validation they are kidding themselves.

keyman64 · October 19, 2013 12:31AM

I am perfectly confident within my areas of expertise but I still like to have them graded and attributed in PCGS plastic for the registry set.

JerseyJoe · October 19, 2013 1:07AM

When I first opened this thread I thought yes. have seen enough graded examples of what I collect
to make a reasonable estimation. After thinking about it I realize I do fairly well seeing the coins in
hand at a show but do lousey buying on the internet pics. Wen I see the internet purchase in hand
and do not like it I look at the auction to see if I should have seen it. It is usually apparent so I keep
the coin. Now I go with graded coins online and judge the raw coins myself at shows.

RYK · October 19, 2013 1:59AM

<< I'm good enough to stay out of trouble but smart enough to ask for help when needed. >>

Within my narrow areas of interest, I feel the same way.

BTW, the average grade in my collection is MS-84.

Unknown · October 19, 2013 2:00AM

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Billet7 · October 19, 2013 2:02AM

Yes. Over MS66 I'm not so good, but since I don't collect moderns that hasn't been a problem.

Baley · October 19, 2013 2:04AM

Are you confident applying grades to your own coins?

I'm confident enough to not have to apply grades to my own coins.

roadrunner · October 19, 2013 2:17AM

<< Yes. I do this for a living, I buy a lot of raw coins and if I cannot predict with reasonable accuracy how they will be graded by the services or accepted by the market raw I will not be in business for very long.

At the end of the day, anyone can grade their own coins anyway they want, but until they actually try to sell them for prices commensurate with the grades they have assigned, or submit them to the services for validation they are kidding themselves. >>

THIS!

Type2 · October 19, 2013 2:24AM

I think i do ok most of the time.

lcoopie · October 19, 2013 2:29AM

no

crazyhounddog · October 19, 2013 2:30AM

I do just fine.

ctf_error_coins · October 19, 2013 3:02AM

Yes and I am also confident in the identification of error coins.

ricko · October 19, 2013 3:11AM

Yes, I am confident in my abilities - always remembering that grading is subjective and basically an opinion within certain general guidelines. Cheers, RickO

roadrunner · October 19, 2013 3:20AM

I'm confident in my abilities.....until I sell a bunch of coins.

Then I usually find out I overestimated more coins than I underestimated....especially in the current market which has a lot in common with the fussy market of 1981-1982.
Today we have a plus, sticker, and star to try and separate the better coins. Back in 1981 dealers just graded 1-2 MS points tougher when they bought something.
What do they say?.........ownership adds a point.

Icollecteverything · October 19, 2013 3:25AM

I am pretty confident but I never put the grade on a coin for sale. Who needs the arguing and waste of time. Price you can argue, grade you cannot.

Aside from 2 ANAC's photo-type graded coins that are gone, I have no TPG graded coins. Never had a slab.

magikbilly · October 19, 2013 3:52AM

With the stuff I buy and sell - absolutely.

Eric

TwoSides2aCoin · October 19, 2013 4:00AM

I'm more confident with one eye closed.

nags · October 19, 2013 4:08AM

No. But I'd much rather underestimate my abilities and use appropriate caution than overestimate.

coinkat · October 19, 2013 4:10AM

Yes

I prefer to buy raw and submit.

AUandAG · October 19, 2013 8:14AM

I'm extremely confident....that PCGS grades better than I can/do.

bob

Walkerfan · October 19, 2013 8:46AM

Most definitely. There is so much MORE going on with a coin besides it's technical grade such as strike, surfaces and whatnot. So I don't even trust someone else to tell me the coin is good even if it's in a TPGS slab-----I ALWAYS have to see and like the coin for myself.

hchcoin · October 19, 2013 10:08AM

I am confident to + or - ten points

I still find it amazing how many different opinions you get on a guess the grade thread.

I still double check my own coins versus grading standards and auction pictures to stay realistic.

Unknown · October 19, 2013 11:15AM

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johnny9434 · October 20, 2013 7:44AM

i do ok with it. theres always room to learn more

TireKicker · October 20, 2013 7:51AM

Depends on the series

LMM · October 20, 2013 9:07AM

Heck NO!!! I collect moderns and I can't tell the difference between a 69 or 70 95% of the time

TheRegulator · October 20, 2013 9:23AM

I'm confident enough to not have to apply grades to my own coins.

I like this response.

telephoto1 · October 21, 2013 7:03AM

<< Yes. I do this for a living, I buy a lot of raw coins and if I cannot predict with reasonable accuracy how they will be graded by the services or accepted by the market raw I will not be in business for very long.

At the end of the day, anyone can grade their own coins anyway they want, but until they actually try to sell them for prices commensurate with the grades they have assigned, or submit them to the services for validation they are kidding themselves. >>

Agree 100%. I don't think it's possible to improve upon the above statement.

ModernDollarNut · October 21, 2013 8:58AM

The TPG's, including PCGS, could learn a lot from groups of experts that specialize in primarily one series, in this case, The Ike Group.

The problem is our detailed knowledge, based on concentrated focus and innumerable examples, provides us with more grading information than can easily be conveyed so for the most part we are left to our own "devices" and over time profit from trades and re-subs.

Not that we can't play the TPG game: our cumulative record of CAC green and yellow stickers is probably untouchable.

And, we are strong evidence that computerized photo-grading will always lag any of us given a few seconds with an Ike in hand.

On the other hand, when one of us rendesr an opinon, there is not the weight of a major enterprise backing up that opinion as there is with our hosts, so TPG's like PCGS and ANACS will always have the dominent role in grading Ikes. Stay tuned for a year or two, we are trying to put all this between the covers of a book. . . Rob

Are you confident applying grades to your own coins?

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