"CAC" sticker? Is this necessary, or should I pursue one?

I've recently had an 1893-CC Morgan grade at MS64+ and I was wondering about the little "CAC" stickers I see on some coins. Should I pursue getting one of these certifications for my coin or is it more of a non-issue.

Thank you!
-JP

 

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IMO - They are 100% worthless. Unless you're a sucker for marketing hype.

 

I think it depends on what you are planning on doing with the coin. Are you planning on keeping it or selling it? If you are going to keep it, then I would say do nothing. If you are planning on selling it now or down the road, I would get the sticker. Now, there will be a lot of people here who will tell you they are worthless...and many of those same people don't care for the TPGs. The bottom line is, they CAC coins do tend to sell for a higher amount than a non-CAC coin...just as a slabbed coin sells for higher than a raw coin.

The reason for this is simple, the coin has been evaluated by an expert. With a raw MS64 1893-CC verses a slabbed example...for the most part the coins are equal and of equal value. The coin that is slabbed has been examined by a recognized expert in the field and certified as authentic and graded at that level. This expert evaluation and the security that comes with it does have value...and anyone who says it doesn't is wrong. It also makes the coin easier to sell because there is little question as to what it is. CAC is the same thing. It's having a second expert independently evaluate the coin. Once the coin has a sticker on it, it is proof that the coin has been evaluated by two independent experts...two evaluations is better than only one and thus there is more security in that coin.

When someone pays more for a slabbed/sticker coin than for a raw coin...they aren't saying the coin is worth more slabbed. What they are saying is the expert evaluations of the coin add security to the piece and those expert's evaluation are worth something. That is the justification for the higher premium.

I still believe that when you buy a slabbed coin, it is pivotal to make your own evaluation and determine if the grader is correct prior to purchasing...but the slab and sticker do add a level of security and value that a raw coin does not have.

 

It usually helps online resale liquidity. Some feel more comfortable spending a little more on a coin they haven't seen in-hand if it has CAC approval, a similar effect TPG slabs have.

 

No, buy the nicest example of the coin that is in your budget, and if it has a CAC, great. If not, I would not spend the time and money getting it. It can definitely aid resale if that is your intentions, as it jacks up the price.

 

Words well said!
It is critical to learn how to judge a coin's grade independent of the grade assigned by a TPG.
I will pay more for a slabbed coin that I feel is properly graded (or even undergraded!) than I will for a raw coin in identical condition.
The cost of getting a coin slabbed and the crap-shoot aspect of the grading process make it worth my while to buy the slabbed coin.
But to get to the original question: if you plan on reselling your coins then the fact is that CAC stickered coins get better prices than those that don't have the little bean (all things being equal).

 

Coins with the sticker sell for more than the ones without, guess we can throw the 100% worthless idea out the window. If you are planning on keeping a coin it doesn't make sense. If you are planning on selling, a second approval on its grade is always a good idea (if not selling in person).

 

Sure, it "can" aid in resale, but it also requires an investment on your part. Will you always recover that investment? Of course not. If you sell it to me, I'll probably offer less for a graded coin than I would for an ungraded coin.

The only parties that consistently come out ahead in having coins graded are the TPG's...

 

While this is true...you might not always recover the cost of the sticker, if the 1893-CC MS64+ Morgan Dollar stickers I can guarantee you will recover the small sticker fee investment.

 

I ain't saying a @#$% word............:dead-horse:.


Don't make me unpack my......

 

The $10 submission cost on a $15 coin would be hard to justify, sure, but on a $1000 coin, it's most likely going to be ok.

If someone offers you a graded coin for $1000 and you counter at $750, will you pay them $900 if they come back a few minutes later with the same coin outside the slab?

 

I can't see getting a CAC on a coin unless it's an expensive coin, then it would likely make up the difference and possibly more. As a buyer, if I was buying a coin for thousands of dollars I would probably be more inclined to buy a CAC coin and maybe pay a little extra for the higher level of certainty.

For relatively inexpensive coin it probably make little sense.

 

To me, they are still absolutely W-O-R-T-H-L-E-S-S. In fact, I'd even say less than worthless as I might have to clean off that annoying sticker residue after peeling it off.

To someone else, they might be worth something. (There's a sucker born every minute!)

Then again, I'm not buying coins for resale. I buy coins that I want to keep and pass on to my kids. I buy them to examine and learn about them and the time and place they came from. When I look at coins, I don't want to be distracted by holographic stickers, grades, barcodes and other nonsensical bling-bling. When I look at a coin from the 1800's, seeing a bright green holographic sticker in my peripheral vision totally ruins the experience.

Heck, if it was a <$100 non proof coin, I'd probably remove it from a slab as well. I'd rather handle the coin than the slab, because that's part of the experience for me.

 

I don't know about that. Especially when you consider time value of money. If I was going to get a coin graded, it would be because I was looking to sell it for a profit. If I was selling coins for profit, which would I rather do: Buy a coin for $500 and sell it a week later for $600, or send it off and pay for it to be graded. Then wait. And wait some more. When it comes back, of course there's a risk that it didn't grade as well as I assumed it would. Or perhaps CAC didn't agree with the original grade. But assuming all went well, I sell the coin two months after I bought it for $700.

As a business man, I'd much rather buy and sell 8 coins for $100 profit each than sell one coin for $200 profit.

Of course, there's also the whole thing about shipping costs and the risks of losing a valuable coin and then fighting with the insurance company when they balk at reimbursing for "numismatic value". And then there's also stories of different coins being returned.

Why bother? If you're buying and selling for profit, buy and sell as quickly as possible, with as little risk as possible, and for a decent profit.

 

+1

 

Well, if you want to sell the coin and it does sticker, you will certainly recover the money you spent on the sticker, plus a bit more. No matter what anyone says, CAC coins sell for more than their non-stickered counterparts. There is one thing to consider though, the coin may not sticker. Since it is graded as MS 64 + it will need to be solid for the plus grade or better. If it just snuck in at the low end of plus, you might not get the green bean.

Mike

 

Take an example of two coins, A & B, up for sale at auction, both are the same grade. Your most respected numismatist has looked at both and said he thinks B is a superior coin to A, and he guarantees to buy the B coin from you if you wish to sell it at any time in the future, but not A.

Would you feel more comfortable buying the B coin, maybe even paying a little more? Would you tip the numismatist $10 for his advice? Would you shirk his opinion as marketing hype and buy coin A?

 

But this isn't what's happening. You said he looked at both and said he thinks B is superior to A and would buy B at any time in the future. But that's not usually the case when you come across two coins for sale, one being graded and one not being graded. Unless of course the seller volunteers that information, that both coins were submitted for grading and one of the coins was a reject.

 

But given the information you, as a remote buyer have, which would you choose? For people who don't have the knowledge, or people who want a little extra assurance, both a TPG slab and a CAC sticker offer some, and so people are often willing to buy, or even pay a fuller price, for that. The CAC sticker is a statement of opinion of a numismatist who is the founder of NGC and one of the founders of PCGS.

It's not a service for every coin, or every person. But it does have its place as borne out by the market's reception to it.

 

People who say that the CAC stickers are worthless are flat out WRONG. Perhaps they do not have value to the individual making that comment, but to a large segment of the coin hobby, those coins are very much in demand. So making a blanket comment that the sticker is meaningless is flat out inaccurate. Some collectors, especially those of high end coins value this designation. If one believes it to be hype-- that is an opinion, and only one side of the story.