Album Or Slabs?

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Fred, my point is: It is the same coin...the coin's value does not change, only the slabs label. You should have stated, and I think you mean, that a coin is much more liquid in a PCGS Slab. Your statements may confuse some novice collectors, or investors in this context.

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Now you're getting semantical on me. Yes, same coin, but its value changes with its presentation which, if properly performed, enhances a coin's value. As stated in the March 2007 Numismatist in which the discussion revolved around this very subject, "The respect commanded by the third-party grader lessens a purchaser's risk in the marketplace and adds value.".

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...Note that most answers are based on value for resale. If that is your main purpose in coin collecting, then what has been noted about keeping coins slabbed is true. You can easily see that most of the reasons for leaving a coin in a slab is to note it's professionally graded state and to hold it's value. However, I am a coin collector, not a plastic collector. I am rather on the older side, have been collecting coins for well over 60 years and not really worried about resale value of my collections in the distant future. Not sure if there is a distant future. Not even interested in what someone else will think of my methods that inherits this mess. If that individual wants slabs, let them take care of that. I am to old, weak and tired to want to lift mountains of plastic slabs to look at my coins. I really like opening one of many albums and looking at ALL the coins in the set at one time.

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As mentioned earlier, we are merely caretakers of these coins as irreplaceable legacies for the future. It is our responsibility to maintain them as best we can an to minimize risk of degradation.. A sealed slab is still the best method yet developed to preserve such coins. How many 200-year old coins have been irreparably damaged when they popped out of someone's album while being viewed and bounced a few times on the floor?

I have a lot of slabbed coins and a lot of raw coins. Slabs are better for more expensive coins, and they do IN FACT protect a coin's value. The only reason I would crack a coin out of a slab would be for resubmission. I got a tool on ebay called, appropriately, a "slab cracker." It's kind of like big pliers or sheers, but it has a head perfectly suited for precision cracking.

Another reason I favor slabs for expensive coins, besides the guaranty of value, is that I find it much more convenient to examine coins in slabs. The coins I have in albums are situated so that if I want to view the reverse of the coin, I have to turn the album upside down and back again for every coin in the album.

Plus, in my experience, albums are not safe for higher grade coins. Especially DANSCO, which for the life of me, I cannot figure out why people love these albums. I have a lot of raw coins in a Dansco 7070 Type set album. My copper coins that were red when I put them in the album are now RB except for my cheepo 2006 1c. My Jeff nickles are toning, as are my clad and modern issues.

Not only that, coins can slip out of their slots and slide around between the cardboard and the leatherlike material that covers the cardboard. (I can't tell you how many times this has happened to my MINT STATE silver 3c coin.) This one fact drives me crazy. So, for now, I'm buying slabbed coins or coins that I will eventually get slabbed myself. I just renewed my Collector's Society (NGC) membership, and got 5 vouchers for free grading. I'm definitely going to pick out my favorite coins in the type set to have graded.

Like I said, a lot of my coins are raw. In addition to the type set coins, I've completed a set of Walkers, most of which are circulated. I use CoinEdge holders for the Walkers and the "sheets" that hold those holders, and I keep them in a loose leaf album. I really like these holders and they are completely safe.

I would think that someone could mount slabs in a nice frame with plexi on both sides so one could view both sides of the coins in a display situation, thus keeping the value and viewing pleasure. I love to please everyone, especially myself. (Did that come out right, Super Dave?)

I love Dansco albums for circulated coins and Capital Plastics for uncs. They may cost more , but I believe they are worth it for one main reason. I won't buy "junk" to put in an expensive album. I've found that I become far more descriminating in my purchases when the holder is top notch. As far as slabs go, I like them for authentication purposes, but use my own judgement when it comes to grade. To me "eye appeal" is worth far more than a number on a little card.