Rare coin in a SEGs holder.....

SEGS has never been taken seriously as a TPG...not since day one. If you think otherwise you are simply wrong. They are a TPG joke.

Now, ICG is a little different. Years ago, they were somewhat reputable. Back when they had their original ownership...they were considered a lower second tier grading service. At the time, PCGS/NGC were the clear top tier followed by ANACS and then ICG. When ANACS and ICG began to change hands...their quality and reputation dropped. Today, most serious collectors consider coins in ICG slabs to be raw while even ANACS is heavily scrutinized. PCGS and NGC remain the only TPGs that are credible today.

As for SEGS, they are simply not considered a serious grading company. I always viewed them as raw coins...but after what LostDutchman has said about them in this thread, I might even be more suspicious of them than raw coins. LostDutchman knows his stuff and I'm inclined to believe him.

I'm somewhat confused why you are so attached to them.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Why I like SEGS:

1. Best looking slabs
2. Best description on slabs
3. Best and strongest slabs for coin preservation
4. Best Third-party grader for attributions
5. Grading standards have become more conservative making them a competitor
6. Lower prices to slab
7. No membership required to submit to them
8. They have no eminence or status so their grading will not be compromised by elite dealers and auction houses.
9. They will grade all coins and rounds that fit in their holders.
10. They will be honest if your specimen is a bummer and grade it details and explain why.
11. They do very meticulous work to preserve your coin and take the time necessary to be sure proper procedure is followed.

 

Your personal opinion, I'm OK with that

Your personal opinion, I'm OK with that

I'm pretty sure this is not correct.

Also, pretty sure this is not correct.

Perhaps they have become more conservative...but they still overgrade regularly and slab problem coins.

You get what you pay for.

You get what you pay for.

So the fact that they have such a poor reputation that auction houses will have nothing to do with them is somehow a good thing?

So, basically they will grade anything to get paid

Yet, they are known to grade problem coins.

I have my doubts on this one...but even if it's true, so do the top tier TPGs.

 

I think you're kind of missing the point with this declaration. No one is valuing the coin in their slabs as a PR 70. So if you are paying anymore than PF69 money, you're wasting it.

 

Exactly, just because their slab says PF70...the prices should prove to you that typically these coins don't meet the standard of PF70 to most collectors. Now, I personally don't see much difference between PF69s and 70s...but I would rather buy a PF69 in a PCGS slab than a PF70 in a ICG or SEGS slab. I'm also certain I could get my money back from the PCGS coin much more easily than the others.

 

I disagree again. Since ICG and SEGS don't offer conservation services (that I know of) their higher grade coins are more likely original and not doctored or played with by experts to get them in higher grade slabs.

 

Have you thought of buying up all the old Accugrade stuff out there? They were really good at MS and PR 70 slabs.

 

<<shaking my head>>

 

Could not agree more. I had a West Point 1995 Eagle in a SEGS 70 slab. Everybody who knows Silver Eagles knows that is an expensive and uncommon coin for the series. It did not look anything like a 70, and I knew it was not. I ended up selling it for 69 prices, and it was re-slabbed as a 69 in an NGC slab. Fortunately, I did not pay 70 money in acquiring the coin, or I would have been concerned--I paid low 69 money for it. However, the folks that don't understand that SEGS is a distinctly second-tier grading company might have paid 70 prices for a coin that was obviously NOT 70. This is where the problem lies with them--in the market place ICG/SEGS coins just do not stand up monetarily, and unsuspecting collectors sometimes buy them, thinking that the grade on it is more than fiction.

 

@Mila: how long have you been working for SEGS marketing?

 

You can disagree all you want...what I said was a fact not an opinion. Just because you disagree doesn't make my statement any less correct.

 

I'll vouch for the best description on slabs. It may seem like clutter to top-tier TPG's, but is really helpful.
SEGS will sometimes say what type of clean, what SIDE of the coin (left/right) was cleaned or has damage, and even describe the damage (nicks, location of nicks etc).


But I think we can all agree, the cheaper the cost to slab the more likely people are sending their problem coins. No one sends a holed/plugged gold piece to PCGS and expects to get a grade.

 

​

 

I don't work for them however I will admit we seem to talk a bit over the telephone since I submit to them plenty. They don't pay me anything. One thing I don't like regarding SEGS is they're slow to return submissions but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's better to be careful and slow than careless and quick.

 

Last I know SEGS had not graded anything as 70. I could be wrong because I don't normally follow TPG grading. It's been awhile since I talked to him about it, but it used to be that Larry didn't believe in the possibility of a "perfect" coin.

 

I honestly don't know that they have. I was just using that as an example. The truth is, unless the coin is in a PCGS or NGC slab...to me it's raw.

 

I have heard of dealers liking the way that Larry Briggs/SEGS did attributions that the others would not. I have never heard of a dealer agreeing with a SEGS grade especially when the # equates to $$$. The usual cop-out on coins that may not deserve a given grade is "buy the coin not the holder". My advice would be to buy both or judge a coin both on its merits and possibly by non-mainstream holders, at least someone else's opinion beyond the dealer peddling his wares has been assigned.

 

If you go to shows and look at Larry's table... You won't see many SEGS coins. You will probably actually see more PCGS or NGC graded coins then SEGS coins at his table. That was the case a few weeks ago at least.

What does that say?


I'm not sure.

 

PCGS and NGC have larger marketing budgets than SEGS?

 

Really simple they do a more market acceptable consistent job of grading coins plain and simple try selling anything that's not in their slabs anacs can do a decent job too but the market won't pay quality money for a coin in their slab there can be money made buying a good coin in an off brand slab and re submitting it but you gotta know coins first and buy the coin not the slab