Slab Coins

To answer your first question, Some people swear by slabbed coins, others would prefer raw examples.

I am a firm believer in buying the coin, not the slab. I have seen slabbed coins having a higher price than they should cause they were graded by a major TPG.

My best advise to you is to collect what you want. If you prefer all your coins to be in the same kind of slab, then that is what you should do.

What you collect an how you collect is entirely up to you. The best advice I could give you is to know your purchase and not overpay for a coin that is house in a slab.

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I got some good advice from a dealer about slabbing a few months ago. It's not worth it unless the coin has considerable value - over $1000, say. At that level you want to know whether it's real, what it grades, if it's been cleaned, and whether it has any problems that an experienced eye will disclose. These questions should be nagging for a concerned buyer, and ANACS is only $30 for a considered opinion.

Beyond that I'm with just carl. I keep a couple slabbed specimen coins around for grading reference, but the rest are kept raw. I wouldn't pay any premium for a slab, that's for sure. Think about this before you slab: are you going to be selling it soon? If so, and it's high end, slab it. Otherwise, stick it in your pocket. Coins are round because it's a convenient shape for money, not because it's a convenient shap to enbalm in plastic.

Recently I've purchased slabbed coins to guarantee I'm buying authentic coins. Once I begin to purchase lower cost coins, I will pursue raw specimens.

I agree with everything that has been said in this thread but one thing that has been left out is each slab isn't created equal. If you are a new collector you have to be very careful because some sellers on ebay are dealers and all they do is buy plastic cases and inser their own stock (sometimes it looks like they take their own pocket change and inset them into the plastic holders) and then they will put a grade on a label that makes new collectors think the coin has actually been graded by a reputable Third Party Grading Company when in fact it is a one man operation and they know a MS-65 coin will bring more money than a XF-45 coin so they put the grade on the label as MS-65 and if the new collector can't grade or tell if a coin is authentic they get burnt badly. I have seen these type of slabbed coins very highly over graded but even worse I have seen them with counterfeit coins in them. So my advice for a new collector that isn't sure about how to grade or authenticate I would have to tell them to stick with PCGS, NGC,ANACS,NCS or ICG graded coins just to be sure the grade is atleast a separate persons opinion besides the person that owns the coin and is just slapping them in plastic and grading it what ever they think will get them the most money for their own inventory

Well, I buy most of my coins raw. I am fairly confident of my own ability to judge whether a coin is genuine, and what it's approximate grade is.

However, my parents like to purchase coins for me every now and then as gifts. As they know nothing about coins, I have told them to ONLY purchase a coin if it is in a PCGS, NGC or ANACS holder.

I have found that this works well to keep them from being taken for a ride!

I saw a lot of mentioning about PCGS, NGC,ANACS,NCS and ICG but not PCI. I saw some good coins graded by PCI.

It appears that some time back I never saw a slabbed coin. Then the odd looking piece of plastic with a PCGS name on it started to appear. Not sure if they were first, but like so many other things, TPG services are poping up faster than coins it seams. I thought I heard of PCI but not sure. Just way to many and now with the fakes, imitations, counterfeits of coins and slabs, I would stay away from a slabbed coin from someone you never heard of. Might be OK, but why take chances. Although $50 if in MS-64 or 5 might not be to bad but if in reality it's badly over graded, then what?

Hi tmor. Sadly fake slabs are already in the marketplace. I have read reports of fakes of all the major TPGS. Always try and buy from a reputable dealer and when you can make sure to at least check the slab I.D. with the coin on the TPGS register. You can still end up with a tampered holder (coin changed). It is still wise to learn as much as you can about what your buying. Having said all that Major TPGS offer some measure of protection. Mike