What is the timeline/time period for a slab generation to become a Classic??
keets
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It is very easy for us to tell what a classic, older slab is because the color, shape, size or something else about the shell is evident to even a layman. What about everything which is post-1995 which generally looks normal in all regards except for subtleties such as the barcode, etc. which requires a little more notice?? When do those "Slab Generations" attain classic status?? For stuff like cars and furniture it seems that there is a time threshold like 25 years, but what about slabs??
There is a clear cut-off between old and new, the very visible prongs. So just speaking of PCGS slabs, there is a time from around 1995(post OGH) to the advent of prong holders which haven't been marketed as anything but normal. Any ideas on when that will happen or what a time is for a premium to be hyped for them??
Al H.
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The time for the hype and premiums to begin is when the "right" sellers feel they can find gullible buyers for such numismatic nonsense.
the reason I ask is because it has proven over time that some of the earlier generations were graded more strictly. that much we know for certain. at the same time, from 1995 till around 2004 there were acknowledged times when things got tight or loose, so that's the time I'm most curious about.
Interesting question!
For PCGS it's the holders that were used for a relatively short period of time like the white rattler, Doily and Regency. The holders that were issued for several years, it's hard to get excited about them. So I think it's more about the scarcity and intangible "nostalgia" factor rather than a set period of time.
It's interesting to see Ebay ads now and then promoting a "PCGS old blue holder".
For my generation set, I'm still missing 2 holders and would pay a premium for them, but it's likely no one else would.
One really horrible generation/design in between?
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My own feelings regarding paying premiums for "generations" of holders was formed by watching a very successful local dealer (who does travel to and set up at the larger shows) in action. Essentially, he pays very fair prices for the coins he buys with no nonsense. However, he does not pay premiums for "special" holders. He knows how to grade and he buys COINS and not HOLDERS. This has worked well for him for well over 30 years.
291fifth, I have never and probably never will pay a premium for the holder, it doesn't matter to me at all. however, to not acknowledge that it is a part of the Hobby is to bury our heads. it is interesting and although I don't collect like that I find it worthy of discussion.
I agree that it is part of the hobby for a percentage of the participants. However, like the dealer I mentioned earlier, there are certain hobby fads I simply disregard and the holder bit is one of them. If I were ever to land a coin in a PCGS Regency holder of original NCG black holder I would most certainly try to get a big premium for it when I sold it. However, it would be strictly a "one-way market" sale since I would have no interest in buying it back for a premium. There are other fads, some of the promoted on this board such as "dirty" gold, that I would treat in the same way.
There is a market perception that certain holders imply more conservative grading. Many holders predate plus grading. As plus grades can bring huge premiums, especially before the jump, coins in those holders have a definable upside potential.
Other holders are actually rare (gen 1, doileys, Regency holders, black NGC) and are collectible in their own right.
All of this has to be balanced with the fact that, over time, nice coins in older holders are often cracked when there is/was financial incentive to do so. Dogs in old holders will tend stay there.
When exactly does it happen? Whenever the fickle, fickle market decides.
I kind of think holders will become "classic" once they are a significant minority in the marketplace. (At that point, some mythology about the grading over that period of time will suddenly appear, and become part of the lore....)
Wondering if the "with coin number" holders are getting close to being of a minority status? Chances are, you/I/we have a bunch of them in our collections....but they seem more scarce "in the wild".
Added:
And, you know, for a small set of collectors, there is a bit of logic in chasing "with coin number" holders. If you are a crack-and-resubmit kind of person, you at least know they haven't been resubmitted since 2005! If you trust your eye, that at least says a little something....
I don't know but I only get all giddy over OGH's, rattlers, and doilies. Even then, I still have to like the coin.
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I avoid the "old blue holders" with the Coin and Series numbers on the label.
My experience has been that those were in a period of loose grading. Many of the coins I saw 15 years ago in those holders looked over graded, even back then. And my CAC success rate with the Coin/Series slabs has been lower than other generations.
I was also told by a PCGS grader from the late 80s-early 90s that David Hall issued a directive around the time the Doilies came out to "loosen up a quarter of a point" ostensibly from the rattler days. He says Hall loosened a couple of times to drive more submissions when the coin market hit the skids around 1990. He swears that's true.
The desirable "semi classic" period begins 10 days after you have sold the last one you had.
That is interesting, while I prefer OGHs like most everyone else, I tend to find that in the non-prong gasket group I seem to have good luck with the "series" holders myself.
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Leather pouch.
3 generations back?
With regards to "numismatic nonsense", I can't afford 6 figure purchases on a daily basis. Collecting samples and plastic for a few bucks now and then scratches my collecting itch.
Think of them as salesmen samples akin to Red Wing, Sleepy Eye, furniture makers, etc. Many of them have become scarce and very desirable/collectible over the years.
It's all good fun. If you can't get into it, no need to rag on those of us that enjoy it. Go find a thread you can make a positive contribution to.
When they are pursued by crack out players.
I think older holders are definitely worth the discussion. I like older holders for gold and copper coins. If there is a $2.5 in a rattler or "ogh" its safe (obviously not 100%) to assume the coin doesn't have putty on the surface, or it would have turned in the last 20+ years... so it can be considered stable. Same goes for copper in ogh/rattlers, people like the fact that they know the coins haven't been touched/dipped/doctored for 20+ years and are relatively stable.
As for the OP's question, I think the market decides that. Rattlers/OGH are the classics for PCGS. For NGC its is the "soapbox/fatties", "no lines" holders and older generation slabs.