I guess my subscriptions to coin mags got me on a mailing list. American Coin and Stamp Brokerage out of New York started sending auction catalogs so of course I looked at them. After about 3 months I figured I'd take a shot and bid on a few things. They give estimates/trends for each lot that I would call optimistic so I put in conservative bids so if I won anything it would be at a pretty good price. Got their letter today and I won two of the five items. My question to you gents ( and ladies but come on, it's got to be 90/10 right?), how accurate will their grading be? Anybody with experience with this dealer? It felt retro to participate in a mail bid and depending on the outcome might be my one and only. The two items are : 1832 half cent graded XF-40 for $84 and 1883 Hawaiian .10c graded F-12 for $46. Sorry, no pics, just mailed my check today.
I used to participate in the ACSB auctions for a couple of years, and I learned very quickly that their grading estimates on raw Morgans was a bit optimistic, and you couldn't trust their DMPL attributions at all. Still, I did get a lot of very good deals on NGC & PCGS certified Morgans bidding 25% or more back of their price estimates which seemed to be just a bit higher than CDN "Ask". I haven't participated in their blind auctions for 5-6 years now, but I still get their monthly catalog. Chris
Obviously we can't help you until the coins arrive and you post good well-lit non-camera images here.
The only experiences I've heard have all ended in disappointment... That's not to say they all will, but just having heard what I've heard keeps me personally from ever wanting to purchase raw coins through magazine classifieds, catalogs, etc.
Participating in these is akin to burning your money except that you do not get the benefit of the heat from the fire.
