What's The Value Of A 3RD-Party Grade?

Scooby Due,

I meant just buying the empty holders so that I could
put characteristics with the coin instead of in a separate
book or on a 2x2 I have had to re-package a number of coins
in 2x2's
The coins that I have that are the core of the collection
are not for sale just my triplicates or higher
and there is instruction and funds available for
my son to have them all graded when he becomes the owner
of the collection. Hopefully that is not for a long time

P.S. I do not buy any coin regardless of who packaged it
whether it be a basement slabber or PCGS,NGC or Anacs
without either seeing it in hand or with good enough pictures
that make me feel comfortable enough to take a chance on the coin.

Terry

I buy stabbed coins only of highly counterfeited coins just to ease my mind, other than that there are very few coins is even consider picking up. I feel I know what my coins are, I don't need someone telling me.

eddiespin, your kid and his coin buddies probably know way more about coins and grading than I do.
That being said, I will tell you what a new collector like myself thinks about TPG companies.
I believe that they drive the premium on high grade coins out of the price range, that I am comfortable
paying for coins, that I can still find roll searching. However, if and when
I ever do get into collecting older and more rare coins I will certainly lean on TPG's as they
offer the certainty that a coin is legit and not a fake/copy.
Great post by the way, I have enjoyed reading everyone else's thoughts.

justcarl pretty much summed it up for me..and I think slabs are the "lazy way" to collecting.

Many of you have said that a TPG slabbed coin is worthless. I do get that it is just a third party opinion and I agree that many people are slab happy. However, I think generally speaking that there is a value to the slab and grade itself whether you think it's valid or not. I've sold both raw and slabbed coins and not only were the slabbed coins easier to sell, but they brought in much more money. I spend a fair amount of time on ebay, which to me, is one of the better ways to judge the actual value of a coin. I've followed certain types of coins that I want to purchase, but wait for the right one to come up. For example, I purchased a raw 1869/9 S-3 IHC I grade as G-6, I bought it for $111. Following that, several slabbed exampled came up, graded as G-6 and they sold for about $180. The only material difference between my coin and the ones that brought in more money was the slab and TPG grade and attribution. I've seen the same phenomenon with other coins too.

I think TPGs can be useful and I do believe they increase the value, or at least marketability of a coin. There are exceptions, such as buying from an expert on the coin you are interested, i.e. Rick Snow, I would trust their grade of a raw coin then a TPG and I think any coin sold and graded by Rick Snow would also bring a premium. Overall, I think whether you like it or not, it's really hard to argue a slab isn't worth something.

What did I say?




What's a shinny? I see that used a lot here.

Oooopppps, I must have a nervous right index finger and probally hit the "n" key twice. Funny, spell check didn't catch that and "Ima no typeada angash Language real goot."

I took English as a second language all through High School and College. All my teachers called me a triple threat grammarian and I still don't know what that means.

Ooooppps again, I almost forgot to agree with eddiespin. If we distill out all the rhetoric, it's the same reason a "Gordon Gecko" would by a Rembrandt from a Sothebys (sp); not that he doesn't really appreciate the art, but because he can without having to do all the work to find and authenticate the piece.

I also enjoy sending coins that are worth it to get graded and slabbed because I can compare my grading skills to those with more expertise. I have had disagreements with what some TPGs have graded a coin as, but also fully agree with others. To me, that makes it educational as well.