How Low Will You Go!

I think Gold is the exception to the rule. So many really good fakes. I just would prefer a gold coin slabbed for additional piece of mind personally.

- tend to avoid the MS-range grades because my storage sucks and I know it sucks and I don't really expect myself to be able to not damage a MS coin over the next few years.

That said, I do like an AU or XF coin with good details if it doesn't cost (much) more than a F/VF example (common for modern coins), and if a coin is readily available in MS but scarce in lower grades (common for proof coins and NCLT) I'm willing to get a MS example just because that's what exists and it's not like a VF would be any cheaper even if I somehow found one.

(I do have a few slabbed coins in my collection, though most of them were gifts and I don't actually recall if I've ever bought one.
I do not expect to slab any of my raw coins anytime soon... though I can't rule out this happening in an exceptional situation - e.g. if I somehow find a rare key date US coin in a junk bin I'd probably have to slab it.)

When looking for coins to fill my Dansco albums I look for MS coins, if after a very Looonng search, I'll settle on high AU.