Grading Service Rankings -- Your Input Requested...

Stuart · September 30, 2003 12:38PM

Thanks for your previous guidance & comments about Grading Services.

How about SEGS? Are they a reliable & reputable grading service?

Russ · September 30, 2003 12:42PM

They have the best slab. Nicely designed and very tough to crack out.

Russ, NCNE

wingedliberty · September 30, 2003 12:43PM

Despite the fact that they have the best holder in the industry, their grading is horrible, particularly the quantity of PVC and AT coins that reside in their holders. Market acceptablity is very poor. They are on the same level as PCI.

Here is the order again in quality.

PCGS
NGC
ANACS
ICG
PCI/SEGS
NTC
ACG

Stuart · September 30, 2003 12:45PM

Brian: Thanks very much for your comments about SEGS, and especially for the grading service relative rankings.

I will jot this down for future reference...

puff · September 30, 2003 12:47PM

"Brian" has nailed it..... Including the order of the grading services!

Stuart · September 30, 2003 12:51PM

Brian and others:

Would it be a fair assessment to group the grading services into quality tiers as follows:

- Tier 1 Top Quality: PCGS & NGC

- Tier 2 Reliable Quality: ANACS & ICG

- Tier 3 Variable Quality: PCI/SEGS

- Tier 4 Unreliable Quality: NTC & ACG

wingedliberty · September 30, 2003 12:55PM

Stuart:
You hit the nail on the head.

wingedliberty · September 30, 2003 12:56PM

Stuart:
I now only stick to PCGS and NGC, why bother with the others? Why not have the best?

puff · September 30, 2003 12:59PM

<< <i>Stuart:
I now only stick to PCGS and NGC, why bother with the others? Why not have the best? >>

Damn nailed it again!!!

darktone · September 30, 2003 12:59PM

PCGS, NGC, ANACS in that order any other holder and I would consider it raw. mike

Stuart · September 30, 2003 1:08PM

Thanks Russ, Puff, WingedLiberty, and DarkTone! That's exactly the info that I was seeking.

I appreciate your guidance and your feedback.

wallstreetman · September 30, 2003 1:12PM

I would have to put SEGS above ICG!

CoinHunter2003 · September 30, 2003 5:05PM

Here's some rankings from an amateur. I only know about grading from what I
read here. All my Morgans are ANACS graded and I'm satisfied with their service.
I have coins graded by PCGS and by NGC and I'm pleased with them also. That's
probably because I couldn't tell the difference between a AU 58 and a MS 63!

Alex

I collect Morgans in any grade. I just luv that dollar.

Russ · October 1, 2003 1:31AM

<< <i>- Tier 2 Reliable Quality: ANACS & ICG >>

I would not put ICG in the reliable quality category. They're reasonable in Morgans, but they positively suck in proof moderns. They may be okay in other coins, but those are the two I have experience in with them.

Russ, NCNE

FanOfModerns · October 1, 2003 7:49AM

PCGS is #1

The rest are not nearly as good and should be avoided.

Stick to PCGS. They are the best coins! They sell for the most money!

airplanenut · October 1, 2003 7:53AM

FOM- I have some butt ugly PCGS coins... since they're the best, want to buy them at full retail value?

PCGS, NGC, and ANACS can all be good... but they can screw up... just know what you're buying, and if you can see the coin, all the better.

Jeremy

FanOfModerns · October 1, 2003 8:10AM

<< <i>FOM- I have some butt ugly PCGS coins... since they're the best, want to buy them at full retail value?

PCGS, NGC, and ANACS can all be good... but they can screw up... just know what you're buying, and if you can see the coin, all the better.

Jeremy >>

I'm sure the butt ugly PCGS coins are much better than the same grade butt ugly NGC coins.

I have also never seen a butt ugly coin in a PCGS slab in the series I collect. I'm not totally convinced they exist in a PCGS slab. They were probably all sent to the other services to get really high grades.

numonebuyer · October 1, 2003 8:43AM

This post has nothing to do with what the coins look like. If the coin is ugly, or beautiful is irrelavent. What matters is which company accurately and most consistently grades the best. The answer in my opinion is:
1. PCGS
2. NGC and ANACS
3. ICG
4. SEGS, PCI and NTC
100. ACG.

I have attempted to crossover (at any level) NGC, ANACS, ICG, SEGS, PCI and NTC. I have never received a did not cross (DNC) (equivalent to a body bag for already slabbed coins) for NGC, ANACS, SEGS or NTC. I have received DNCs for ICG and PCI. I don't waste my time on ACG.

NGC is usually (about 50%) one point off of (lower than) PCGS. ANACS is the same.

ICG has been (almost 100%) one to two points off of (lower than) PCGS. Like I said a couple of DNCs.

SEGS has been (almost 100%) two points off of (lower than) PCGS. However, no DNCs. So, that indicates to me they are good at determining if a coin (Morgan in my case) is cleaned or damaged, etc.

NTC has been 100% one to two points off of (lower than) PCGS. However, no DNCs. It just means they consistently grade too high, but still capable of discerning a cleaned or damaged coin (Morgan in my case).

PCI has been 100% one to two points off of (lower than) PCGS. Like I said a few DNCs - more than the rest.

Numonebuyer

darktone · October 1, 2003 8:56AM

Numonebuyer, I wonder what the outcome would be if we tried crossing PCGS holders to NGC or ANACS or even ACG?

Skipper53 · October 1, 2003 9:11AM

When I joined the boards it became obvious that PCGS was the grader of choice.
Every graded coin I now own is slabbed PCGS.
Thanks to threads like this I wouldn't reject an NGC coin if it presented itself.
They seem slightly less pricey and besides, it opens up a lot more availability.
Thanks for the rundown.

Skipper

jdimmick · October 1, 2003 9:25AM

PCGS is my my service of preference.

PCGS
NGC

ANACS
ICG

PCI/SEGS

Not worth ranking the others

fountainheadgold · October 1, 2003 9:31AM

Brian has the order right

koynekwest · October 3, 2003 2:04PM

Hey Brian-why the negativism on SEGS? Surely you don't really rank them down there with PCI and NTC?
You seem to be one of the most consistent detractors.Why?

Grading Service Rankings -- Your Input Requested...

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