If a person wants a coin in a slab b/c they just like having slabbed coins, then fine...no problem.
But a person who is going to get a coin graded to sell it will be disappointed and lose money unless they understand:
1. Some companies require a membership that will add significantly to the cost of the slab. Check the company policies.
2. There is no verifiable science at all behind grading. A slabbed coin only shows the opinions of the graders...and this can vary depending on all the factors we humans face in life (bad day?).
3. A slabbed coin broken out and resubmitted even to the same company is never guaranteed the same grade again. In other words, the assigned values paid disappear when a coin is broken out...the prices paid are not about the coin itself, but about the coin+slab+label.
4. Not even the most experienced dealers who live, eat, drink, breath and sleep coins can tell what a grading company will assign to a coin...again...its all subjective. Watch youtube vids of *dealers* getting back coin lots and not understanding why the company did what they did. It is a gamble.
5. Take into account any selling fees such as
ebay fees and Paypal fees.
6. Know the grade that the slab must show to be worth enough to cover all the above costs mentioned.
This is NOT saying not to use the companies.
It is saying that the very mistaken but prevalent mindset that collectors need to look at every coin through the glasses of "is this a slab worthy coin?" is what makes a lot of disappointment ($ loss) for submitters of coins, and a lot of business for the companies.
Proof of all of the above this is the huge amount of face value coins in slabs and the amount of existing slabbed coins not worth the cost it took to slab them.
Just be educated and do the homework.