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 Replies: 24 / Views: 3,712 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
I rarely buy slabbed coins, and half the time it's to crack the slab. Being certified is gravy, but not worth paying extra for. For the last 50 years, since the days of Whitman books, the strategy is the same.
Buy the coin not the condition.
It's just a hobby for me, among many others. In regards to this coin, buy it if you like it. I'll buy the same coin again and again if I have the opportunity. Having five 1923-S walkers or 1858-S quarters is better than having just one.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
10/20/2016 11:44 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2023 Posts |
Buying a slabbed coin from a poor picture is an invitation to disappointment if you care about eye appeal, and some sellers know how to hide blemishes with creative photography (glare that happens to cover spots, disallowing zoomable pictures so you can't see the scuffs and scratches).
You say you're "trusting the grading service" but also recognize that "not all MS-64's are the same even for the same year/mint". Between those two statements, I go with the latter and hold out for either a better picture or a better coin.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
533 Posts |
You are buying the coin within the slab. I always buy based on the pictures yes if it looks like a 64 to me and is in a 62 slab I won't pay more than 62 prices so in a sense I am always buying the slab when the coin is slabbed.
This is the first time though where the pictures just weren't that good and I went with the coin anyway. Th picture I show is fuzzy so it is hard to tell I mean it looks fine with no visible problems but they could be hid. But I guess I am trusting that PCGS graded it correctly and it is a decent example of a AU50
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4211 Posts |
I would have done the same thing Jax if I needed one. I trust PCGS more than the poor photos..... with a return privilege. Once you get in in hand  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1450 Posts |
I trust PCGS but NGC I am not so sure. I have seen so many MS66 NGC graded Morgans on ebay selling for really low prices that I suspect fraud. These are common Morgans in uncommon condition NGC graded and slabbed. I have to buy online at times and I buy slabbed coins, but I would rather buy from an individual coin shop or dealer especially if we both know I am going to do repeat business. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
Of course the fact that the seller had lots of good feedback and no negatives helped a little plus his other pictures of coins that I was fairly sure were good were also not the best. I think he just don't know how to photograph a coin. I mean when was the last time anyone seen a bad 1879-S PCGS Morgan 63 or 64? Yet his photos of them weren't much better
Plus this isn't a high dollar coin I think he just slapped it up there without thinking too much
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
Bad pictures are not always hiding problems on bad coins. Sometimes the seller just doesn't know how to take pictures. For example, I gambled $45 ($30 after ebay Bucks) on this set of horrible pictures:   This is what arrived:   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4211 Posts |
NICE Typecoin!  Very nice Barber  |
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Valued Member
United States
114 Posts |
I've had purchases that were definitely influenced by the certification. If the lighting in the pics is poor for example. And if it has a CAC sticker I'll take special notice. Often times the coin looks better in hand, and I'm willing to grant the benefit of the doubt. My 1813 bust half has gorgeous toning that wasn't evident in the photos. My MS64 Peace dollar has stunning luster, but again that wasn't so clear in the listing. I do always check the seller's return policy. But if the coin looks ugly then the grade doesn't matter. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
790 Posts |
Speaking as s very inexperienced collector, grading does influence my purchase quite a lot with some coins. For example, I picked up an 1852 $1 gold AU55. For that type of coin the pricing was reasonable, but I hesitate to drop much over $100 unless I'm certain it's a legit coin and the grading is right. Professionally graded coins make it easier for me to be comfortable with those purchases. I also bought a graded 1943d Mercury dime. It was my first time in that shop, and the owner had let me pick his brains for a bit, so I wanted to buy SOMETHING, just to establish myself as a customer. I figured the $10 he was asking was fair for the dime, and I was curious why someone would have a dime like that graded. I might have bought a different coin if not for that. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
I have bought the slab instead of the coin a few times. However, I was purchasing sample slabs so the coin is largely irrelevant in that case  |
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5173 Posts |
Quote:I have bought the slab instead of the coin a few times. However, I was purchasing sample slabs so the coin is largely irrelevant in that case Funny, I thought of sample slabs too when I saw the title I'm surprised nobody posted that earlier. (I don't have a single TPG slab, whether sample or otherwise, in my collection, incidentally; there's no ideological reason though - I simply don't have that kind of money.) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1795 Posts |
Occasionally I will buy a coin raw but rarely. I usually buy slabbed coins especially when buying Gold but if the coin has no eye appeal I don't care what grade it is I won't buy it. Now there are exceptions to the rule but I can't afford those coins anyway.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
So my pics aren't much better but it looks nice in the hand. The slab itself seems a little dull or almost dirty I think the camera is focusing on the holder and not the coin. Is there a good way to clean slabs?   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
Notice the D in United it looks almost chopped off but it looks just perfect in actual. The line you see running between the D and the S is on the surface of the slab and not the coin. The coin looks great the slab looks like it was stored lose in a box. Not beat up but not as clear and shiny as I would like
so do they make slab polish?
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Posted 10/20/2016 11:57 am
