Aladinslamp - I'd also like to share the converse of that point. It's VERY true - and I'm sure you now this, but for others who might not have thought about it, let me put this point.
Buy the coin, not the holder. But the holder don't hurt when it's right!
I've recently been interested in buying some neat coins. The dealer I'm working with mostly is extremely well-known in the niche and very well trusted (indeed, he's a CAC submission house for his niche). He's selling a coin in a holder a lot like this one Adam_E shared. It can't be trusted. It's not the nicest coin, but it's certainly desirable, just for what it is.
It IS odd that he's selling it this way. I can't figure that out, but it's not up to me. He gives the coin his HONEST appraisal and grade (obviously different than the holder grade), and prices it accordingly. Since this dealer is the one selling it, I have no doubt about the coin, no matter what holder it's in. It's priced exactly right, too. But I don't want it because if it's in an iffy holder, the previous owners probably tried the better
TPG's and couldn't even get a genuine out of them.
Okay, this coin is genuine, I know that because of the reputation of the dealer (perhaps I'm naive, but I don't think so).
BUT my point is this. This dealer selling this coin, asking a fair price - he'll get it.
Now ME? A nobody? What about when I decide to upgrade? I might be stuck with it because it may not be possible to get it into a real holder - because let's face it, I can say all I want about the history of the coin, who it came from, what I paid, but in the end, that holder is going to hurt me. And if that's the best holder available, it's simply not a coin for me.
I never imagined this happening or fathomed the possibility, so I thought I'd share the story because it's an important point, I think...
NOW, what I could do is go to the dealer and say, "Hey dealer, I'll pay for the submission if they'll bite - see if you can get PCGS to give that a Genuine slab. That's all I want." And then the problem is solved.
I suppose I might yet do just that, but since I'm not that into the coin in the first place, I think I'll just let it be somebody else's problem. =)
Posted 07/18/2011 6:42 pm
