Album vs. Box for Slabbed Coins.... FIGHT!

So as my collection increases I'm wondering what you guys think of as a storage option for slabbed coins. I'm trying to decide between...

ALBUM

PROS

• I can see 9 coins at a time front and back.
• Don't need to pull the coins out to take a peek.

CONS

• A 3-ring binder seems kind of cheap.
• Will the binder pop open and the coins go rattling on the floor?
• Not able to hold a 50 coin collection. (looks like 9*5 = 45 is the best you can do)

WOODEN BOX

PROS

• Would tuck away nicely in the safe. (as would the album I guess)
• Seems more befitting a "heirloom" collection
• Holds a good amount of coins. (I can get/make one large enough for 50 coins)
• Very stable when moving around.

CONS

• You've got to pull the coins out to see them.
• Same size if you have if it nearly empty or full.

I would love to read your thoughts/experiences with both.
Thank ya, thank ya very much...

 

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Personally, I like the album. Primarily because you can easily view your coins 9 at a time. Purchase a good, sturdy binder, don't skimp on a $2 flimsy binder with cheap binder rings, and put 3 pages if they're larger/heavier coins, and 4 pages if they're smaller/lighter coins. The pages are very durable and have three rows of two locking mechanisms so it would be very hard to accidentally pop open. Although when storing them, either lay the album flat or if you prefer to store it like a book on a bookshelf, I would recommend storing it upright with the "opening" side of the binder face down...so the pages hang instead of the weight of the slabs pulling from the top binder ring if placed like a book.

-LTB

Oh and this is for a 3" binder ring. If you go larger, I'm sure you can fit more pages. But again make sure it's a good binder with good rings.

 

For currency I like albulums. For slabs, I like the plastic boxes, that PCGS sends out to its customers.

 

Yeah I like those too. For my pf ASE set, I keep those in the plastic TPG storage boxes...but only because you've seen one pf69 and you've seen all the rest, so I don't frequently pour through those But for differing coins, I'm partial to the album. Although the TPG slab box stacks and stores neatly. I'm not a fan of the bulky wooden box IMO.

-LTB

 

As nice-looking as the box is, I'd go for the album. Mainly because I would want it to be easier to look at the coins at any given time. As for the box, I think I'd only choose it if I planned on storing them for long periods of time without wanting to look through them that often. So again, the album gets my vote.

 

I like the box for the simple reason that it is a convenient way to store them. However, I personally would go with an album style holder for the simple reason that it provides a much better way to display and view your collection. I feel part of the joy of collecting is to be able to view your collection in a presentable manner.

 

Umm.. not much help there Mr. Louie. ;-)

 

So far its
ALBUM - 3
BOX - 2

 

I don't own any slabs but I think the TPG Boxes are better.

 

Not according to the voting.
It show 6 to 0 in favor of the albums.
Box voters must be from Florida (hanging chad).

BTW I went with albums.
I must have about 10 of them.
I find it's best to NOT use the 5-page ones; they are a bit clunky to handle.
Stick with the 3- and 4-page ones.

 

I voted wood box but would recommend the plastic PCGS boxes mentioned earlier.

 

I tried the Eagle pages for slabs and found that they didn't hold up too well. The plastic ends up cracking at the holes for the 3-ring binders and the slat over the slab that holds them in place. Yes, I've also experienced the binder rings slipping open from the weight of the slabbed coins. These pages are also very expensive.

Now, I'm in "cheap mode"! Whenever I receive a submission from a TPG, I always save the shipping boxes which can hold as few as a dozen to as many as 50 slabs. They also come in handy for my 1000+ collection of US & foreign medals. Besides that, I also learned that the auction companies will, from time to time, throw away the red storage boxes they use to transport consigned slabs to the major shows. So, I now ask if I can have any of the boxes that are destined for the trashcan.

Chris

PS. You didn't include "Other" in your poll, so I didn't vote.

 

Sorry, I didn't figure out the polling thing until later.

 

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I think I'm going to go the album route. That seems to be the clear winner. You guys rock.

 

I'm from Florida, but I would have voted "Other" if it had been in the poll. No big deal, though!

It's funny that you mentioned the "hanging chad" SNAFU. The Four Queens in Vegas issued three commemorative $5 chips for the 2000 election. One was for the Republican Party which had an elephant on it for the GOP, one with a donkey for the Dems and both of these were a limited edition of 1107 (Election Day). The third chip "Too Close To Call" showed the states carried by the GOP in red, the Dems in blue and good old Florida in white. This was also a limited edition of 1218 because that was the date that the Florida results were finally certified.

Chris

 

You might want to get opinions on album page manufacturer.

I've only used one brand, so I can't speak for others, but I've found that Lighthouse makes good/durable slab pages.

-LTB

 

Album Inserts

So here is a followup to this thread.
I ended up going with the Eagle Album instead of the box.
I do like the way I can page through the album and see nine slabs at once.

However, I think the insert that comes with the album is lame. So spent the past few nights making my own. Check out a screen capture of it below. I printed them out and placed the pages into sheet protectors and PRESTO instant historical background for each coin. I think its pretty sweet.
You would think Eagle would already have something like this for the sets they offer.
I gathered most of the information from a combination of the redbook and the web.
If any of you are interested in a PDF version of the file I'm including a google docs link to it right HERE. The forum doesn't allow the posting of PDF files. I have not proof read it with a fine tooth comb yet so if you see a mistake that needs fixin let me know.

-Clay

 

Does not look like anyone has mentioned Intercept Shield Boxes. This is what i store my slabs in. http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/intercept-shield-pcgsngc-track-box.html They add protection and they are very well made boxes.

 

Something else to consider is portability. I like to be able to store/hide my collection when out of town. It's easier for me to move/hide my Intercept Shield albums than moving/hiding some more cumbersome wooden boxes. This is my situation. May not be the same for other people.

 

Sorry I didn't see this thread until now. I use Eagle brand pages. I only use two pages per 1/2" 3-ring binder. Every binder I own is 1/2" without exception. I arrange the coins so that when the book is open, you can see 18 coins all facing forward. This requires placing one of the pages upside-down but this is not apparent when viewing the open book. The books also hold Capital plastic 2x2 holders with an Eagle brand foam insert.

The books only take a small percentage more storage space than NGC & PCGS boxes. Both the 1/2" binders & the boxes can be conveniently fitted into the bank's safe deposit box if you get the proper size box.