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Slabs Or Albums - High Grade Set - Please Assist

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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  12:21 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Alright so this is something that I will eventually have to figure out. One of my long term goals is to build a very nice high AU - BU set of Buffaloes. With that being said, I'm not just looking for coins in slabs. My discovery so far has been that most are slabbed though.

I should also state that I would rather have them in a album, but I'm concerned.

  • As stated in another post - sometimes the albums have pieces of cardboard that will dislodge (like little particles of dust).
  • Sometimes the plastic sliders can scratch the coins. I haven't personally seen this yet, but I'm told they can. (I have however seen the sliders get scratches on them - just not the coins yet).
  • Toned coins could further tone in an album. My guess is that this is only if they're not stored properly
  • Insert your answer here


I know that there are some of you out there with really nice quality coins and I'm open to hearing what you have to say about this. I haven't ruled out 2x2 completely, but I don't find them as attractive as slabs.
Edited by lukkyseven
02/11/2011 5:38 pm
Bedrock of the Community
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 Posted 02/11/2011  4:12 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Not sure how to do this but somehow here on Earth we must get people to not say Folders when they mean Albums.
Massive differences.
There is nothing wrong with Albums. Yes it is possible for a slide to scratch a coin but not really easily. You would have to slide them in and out constantly and try to catch the edge of the slide on the coins. Not easy to do but if you try you could do that.
My self and many others put coins in Albums. I put all my best coins in Albums. Also, each is in a Zip Lock Plastic Bag with as much air pushed out as possible.
One person stated he used those things that suck air out of plastic bags for clothing or food storage. I'd like to try that sometimes but I'm always opening my Albums to just stare at the coins. Old age I guess. Don't know why I do that since they didn't move, change or even say hello to me. They just sit there.
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BadThad's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  4:23 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I use multi-layer protection:

1) AirTite
2) AirTite goes into a 2x2 (mainly so I can label it)
3) The 2x2 then goes into Cowans 2x2 sheets
4) Sheets go into a 3-ring binder
5) Binder goes into a huge ziplock bag with a giant desiccant pack
6) Whole thing goes into a tupperware type container

Note that some coins in this old pic are not in AirTites. I'm planning on replacing those with better coins. Only the "keep forever" coins go into airtites. I also bought a little Brother P-touch label maker a few months ago so many of 2x2's are labeled with that.

I also intentionally leave gaps on the pages so I can add. For most years/mints I have 2 or more examples (not shown) for various reasons, i.e. toned, woody, variety, error, etc.

Slabs-Or-Albums---High-Grade-Set---Please-Assist
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Edited by BadThad
02/11/2011 4:28 pm
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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  5:43 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Why thank you for showing that Thad. That AirTite is a pretty slick move... I just really like the look of albums so I don't know. There's nothing wrong with the binder of course. If I could get an album that held AirTites.... This is where someone say's "YOU CAN" So before that happens I'm going to go look.

@Carl, point taken and changed the wording. I actually typed "album" once.
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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  5:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yuck - the Air Tite albums are cheap looking. You have me thinking about it though Thad... I have a few creative ideas I need to explore.
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 Posted 02/11/2011  6:08 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add OneBowl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Regarding my Dansco comment in the other thread, note that I've only seen scratches on the plastic slides. I see no evidence of damage to the coins, but I have to figure over time, it could happen to a high end coin. Many of my coins don't fit tightly either, so they move around a bit, causing more contact with the slides. My set is circulated and the only MS coins in it are a few $30 ones, so it works for me. I personally would be scared to crack an expensive coin and put it in there. But as others have said, they put their best in albums with no problems. Unless you hear of confirmed damage-by-album, I'd say add another one to the list of personal preference.
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BadThad's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  7:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You're welcome. I don't like albums because they are not air tight enough for me to trust my high-end coins to. They also force you into what they think you should have, like the 1955 DDO, 22 plain, etc. There's really no provision in them to handle muliples either. I have like 15 1909VDB's and probably 8-9 1922-D's.
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BadThad's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  7:46 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Here's what my labled coins look like today:


Slabs-Or-Albums---High-Grade-Set---Please-Assist

Every single one of my Lincoln proofs from 1937 to current is in an airtite....well...except a few I have slabbed:


Slabs-Or-Albums---High-Grade-Set---Please-Assist
Lincoln Cent Lover!
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  9:18 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I use Dansco albums, but other than my proofs (broken from sets), I collect from circulation. They have served me well for over 26 years now.

That being said, I have considered starting some high-end collections. BadThad's method would serve those needs best, since I would probably build sets that are more free-form and not constrained to how a Dansco is labeled.

I do not really care for slabs, but that is a personal preference.
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Maineman750's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  9:33 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Maineman750 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I use Dansco albums and love them. You can also buy them not labeled for you free form collectors.But if I don't want a 55 double die, I put a regular 55 in the hole, never know when my roll searching may pay off.
justcarl, you could take pictures of your cents, then vacuum pack for protection...just look at your pics when you get the urge, no loupes or glasses needed
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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  9:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yea I'm leaning towards what you're saying Thad. I dont how the Buffalo book has the 1918/7 in it, but I don't care so much about the 3 legger. I could just omit that from my collection.

I really like how clean your set up looks - it's just something that's not doing it for me. I don't know what it is though...
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 02/11/2011  10:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
You can also buy them not labeled for you free form collectors.
I should probably expand on my previous post. I have a few free-form Dansco albums. One is a custom Indian Head cent, Buffalo nickel, and Mercury dime album. It has six blank pages, two for each denomination. This allowed me to skip all of the varieties that the regular Dansco albums have.

By serving my needs best, I meant that I want to use AirTites for the high-end coins and desire a nice, efficient way to store and organize them. The fact that I would be doing a free-form collection reinforces that decision.
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Johnny1328's Avatar
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 Posted 02/12/2011  12:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Johnny1328 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I had a friend who put his presedentail dollars in direct fit airtights and then put them in a dansco albulm. The direct fit airtight out side diamensoin for cent through small dollar the same size. Only thing that changes is the inside diameter to hold the different denomanations of coins. The outside diamter is a little over 28 mm. You can order dansco pages by there opening size. A good place to get them is Brooklyn Gallery. Then you can make what ever kind of albulm you want.
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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/12/2011  07:45 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I was about to see what size AirTites I can get and then find out if those dimensions match any common US coin. Then see how tight the fit is :). I'm sure someone else out there has done it like you're saying. My problem is just having access to all those Dansco's.

This leads you back to the way Thad's doing it.
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numismaniac's Avatar
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 Posted 02/12/2011  08:13 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add numismaniac to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think if you are putting together that type of set, some of the coins will certainly be slabbed when you get them. This leads to a question about wether you want to break them out and put them in albums if that is the way you choose to go. This set would also be fairly expensive to assemble in au/bu. Depending on ones ability to assess grades they might be better off getting some of the more expensive coins slabbed just to ensure they are getting what they paid for.
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lukkyseven's Avatar
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 Posted 02/12/2011  09:37 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I couldn't agree with you more about the ability to assess grades on expensive coins. I was originally going to try and get some of the expensive ones out of the way first, but have since altered my thinking a bit. If I can see enough of the more common coins I think my ability to grade them will improve - then I'll be better sure what I'm getting when it comes to the expensive ones. Of course if a good deal comes I might not be able to pass it up.
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