Looking For A Guide On How To Select Grading Services

I just always thought that it was collectors who were slabbing for their own collection and didn't really care if they spent a bit more than the resale value. Otherwise perhaps if people are sending in 1000 coins at a time like a dealer, they might get a huge discount? Perhaps a bit of both really.

I would say that's about the right order BStrauss3. I only use ANACS. I don't need top of the line TPG'ers. I'm just a hobbyist. ANACS is fine for me. Mostly just testing my non-professional grading skills. I like their costumer service and turn-a-round time.






Yes, why would people spend more for the slabbing then the coin is worth?


Keep in mind, for most people this is just a hobby. They would have starved years ago if they had to make a living out of coin collecting.

The question you need to address is why you want the service to begin with. Are you someone who likes to collect slabs specifically? Are you someone looking to make the best profit off of selling them?

Unlike what it would seem people think because of the huge number of slabbed cins on ebay and other online sights, slabbing is a optional service and not a vital part of the hobby overall.
There are those who only want to collect slabbed coins and try to make the best registry sets online they can, but there are those who heed what is said here on CCF all the time,, "Buy the coin and not the slab."

One of our departed members, BiggFredd wrote about the start of "professional" coin grading services here:
http://goccf.com/t/130186

The facts are that you can take, for example, an MS65 Morgan from any grading company, break the coin out, resubmit it to the same company, and get a different grade assigned to it. Despite what people think, the grades assigned to the coins are not guaranteed and definitely are not based on anything scientific and verifiable.

Here are some of the not-hard-to-find actual results of current grading systems:
http://goccf.com/t/346174#2967242

These companies exist as a profit making business. They will find all sorts of ways to make a salable product for the masses. Their not using scientific methods (especially in this day and age where it would be practical) aids them in making money b/c the uncertainty of the process means there is always that chance they can get a coin graded higher, and hence (in some cases) the coin, though unchanged itself, can bring in a much higher profit when sold.

How slabs are sold at such low prices are that people, unknowingly and who do not do their homework as you are doing, see a shiny coin (knowing nothing of actual grading), think "shiny" means $$$$, and help the slabbing companies to profit off of legitimate public ignorance.

I personally know two old and respected (in their areas) dealers who were hired/trained by a grading company and quit b/c they said they did not want their own dealer reputations to be hurt if the actual facts of how the company was working vs. what they claimed was known.

Both dealers (independent of one another and in two separate geographic locations) told me that while employed they were always rushed to get as many coins done as they could. They graders were paid by how many coins they graded per day, and so the other graders wanted to go through them quickly. This is very unlike youtube videos by the companies showing a bunch of people sitting around a table discussing just one coin. Its no wonder things like slabs picture in the link above are not difficult to find if a person starts to look for them.

If you are a person who understands all of the (please verify it for yourself by doing the homework) above and still likes collecting slabbed coins, then go for it. No one can tell you how to have fun with your own money and hobby...or its no longer fun for you!

Just be smart, educated and realize there are a many things (I could go on) that show not all that glitters is gold where these companies are concerned.