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Vaultbox Slabs: Good, Bad or Indifferent?

124Spider124Spider Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 31, 2026 3:53PM in U.S. Coin Forum

Hi,

As I search for the coins on my shopping list, I stumble across coins in a Vaultbox slab from time to time.

Gambling has no attraction for me, so I have never dabbled in that game; but I have no problem with it existing.

I find that I am absolutely turned off to the idea of buying an otherwise acceptable coin if it's in a Vaultbox holder.

I'm wondering if others share this aversion.

Thanks.

Mark

Comments

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    cheezhedcheezhed Posts: 6,334 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don't search them out if that means anything.

    Many happy BST transactions
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    lermishlermish Posts: 4,790 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would immediately reholder any coin I bought in a VB slab but there are some perfectly fine coins in those holders.

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

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    MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 39,601 ✭✭✭✭✭

    i would buy if i saw something on a white whale list because it can be reholdered :tongue:

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
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    johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 32,954 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No, I haven't even thought of it outside of seeing it here. No interest in it either

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    124Spider124Spider Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @johnny9434 said:
    No, I haven't even thought of it outside of seeing it here. No interest in it either

    Just to clarify, I'm talking about coins that were graded by PCGS with a special label showing it was a Vaultbox coin, that is now trading on the secondary market. I assume that the grade is as reliable as a regular PCGS slab, but I am turned off by the Vaultbox label; I'm wondering if others share that aversion.

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    MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,653 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don't buy coins in VB Slabs or coins in several other slabs.

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 1, 2026 2:53PM

    I think of it like any other PCGS slab.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    humanssuckhumanssuck Posts: 678 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:
    The same holds for those Trader Bee abominations.

    Those slabs = 😬😤🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮😵

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    oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 3,150 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Indifferent. I have a few and the coins are nice.

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    fathomfathom Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:
    I think if it like any other PCGS slab.

    You get extra credit for your consistency.

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 1, 2026 3:01PM

    @fathom said:

    @jmlanzaf said:
    I think if it like any other PCGS slab.

    You get extra credit for your consistency.

    Meh. I'm just not OCD enough to care if my slabs are all identical. I don't even care that much about the Trader Bea slabs, other than i would pay less for anything I'm reselling because people do seem to care. Although I've also met people who like them.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    U1chicagoU1chicago Posts: 6,937 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 1, 2026 4:19PM

    If I liked the coin, I would pay the same amount for it as I would any other modern PCGS or NGC slab.

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    MasonGMasonG Posts: 7,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Label? Don't care.

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    skier07skier07 Posts: 4,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Buy the coin and not the label on the holder.

    I don’t particularly care for the label but if it was a nice coin that I wanted I’d most definitely buy it.

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    Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 9,863 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No interest in that.

    Investor
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    BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,901 ✭✭✭✭✭

    2nd mouse gets the cheese.

    SOMEBODY overpaid to get that slab, lost their shirt on the resale, and now the market has them fairly valued.

    -----Burton
    ANA 50+ year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
    Author: 3rd Edition of the SampleSlabs book, https://sampleslabs.info/
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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BStrauss3 said:
    2nd mouse gets the cheese.

    SOMEBODY overpaid to get that slab, lost their shirt on the resale, and now the market has them fairly valued.

    That may be true of a vast majority of moderns in slabs. The number of under $20 coins in slabs is staggering. When added to the number of bullion coins that sell for melt (or less), only the TPG and the 2nd mouse are getting any cheese.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    coinbufcoinbuf Posts: 12,507 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @124Spider said:
    I'm wondering if others share this aversion.

    Yes both the VB and Trader Bea slabs are a turnoff for me. Both are so garish and take your attention off the coin, I would not avoid buying one if it had the right coin but would need to include the reholdering costs into the deal.

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2, 2026 4:29PM

    @coinbuf said:

    @124Spider said:
    I'm wondering if others share this aversion.

    Yes both the VB and Trader Bea slabs are a turnoff for me. Both are so garish and take your attention off the coin, I would not avoid buying one if it had the right coin but would need to include the reholdering costs into the deal.

    VB slabs are "garish"? They are black and/or red.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @fathom said:

    @jmlanzaf said:
    I think if it like any other PCGS slab.

    You get extra credit for your consistency.

    I guess I should say NGC not PCGS.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    MasonGMasonG Posts: 7,271 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2, 2026 4:39PM

    @jmlanzaf said:
    VB slabs are "garish"? They are black and/or red.

    Well, the red is sort of garish. The black, not so much. ;)

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    P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I actually bought a coin in a VaultBox slab last week (in part) BECAUSE it was in a VaultBox slab.

    It was a Barber proof listed online, and the seller photos were no better than basic slab scans, so there was a lot of uncertainty about the purchase and I was leaning towards passing on the coin.

    But, when I looked the coin up on the VaultBox website, it included the buy-back offer for the coin. The offer was exactly the same price as what the seller was asking for the coin.

    Since this essentially de-risked the purchase, I pulled the trigger. I haven’t gotten it in hand yet, but if I dislike it, I’ll take the VB offer and be made whole.

    If I do like it, it’ll be sent to CAC stickering and then CACG for reholder.

    Nothing is as expensive as free money.

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,027 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MasonG said:

    @jmlanzaf said:
    VB slabs are "garish"? They are black and/or red.

    Well, the red is sort of garish. The black, not so much. ;)

    Well, it it's a matter of taste but basic red and black doesn't strike me as "garish".

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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