Cheapest way to grade coins.

ANACS is plenty reputable and unlike the two you mentioned, does not have a membership fee, and thus is a lot cheaper if you want to submit to them directly.

You can argue they have a lesser reputation than the other two (and many have so argued) but if you're not talking high value coins here, and just want the coins protected and accurately graded, it is by far cheaper than either PCGS or NGC.

 

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Also, ANACS will grade things others won't.

One other thing: they'll negotiate.

 

ANACS grading quality has declined over the years. They once were considered a decent grading company but after an ownership change several years back...that changed. Today they are by far a second tier company and IMHO, it is a waste of money to use them. I consider all coins in newer ANACS slabs to be equal to raw coins.

As for being a lot cheaper, well...you get what you pay for.

 

This is my 3rd year with a NGC $39 membership. It has been worth it by learning to do it myself. I just sent a batch of 20 US coins in. Large Cent, FEC, Unc Buffalos, Unc Merc Dime, Unc Wash Quarter, WLH's, Old Comm's via the economy tier ($17). This tier will probably take about 45 days, but no big hurry on any of these coins. With grading fees, ins, & postage, it will costs me about $19.50 per coin. But the satisfaction of the experience is "Priceless"

Here is a 1936-D Wash Quarter from a previous economy tier submission I sent.




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Coin Information
Date/Info: 1936 D
Denomination: 25C
Grade: XF 45

Additional Information
NGC Coin Price Guide: $60.95
Total Graded at 45: 43

 

I don't disagree, but I was thinking of sending in some low value tokens and my Daniel Carr pieces (because who else will slab them?).

 

I've heard that opinion repeated often without much justification for why people hold it. I've even posted pics of ANACS graded coins here without telling people ANACS graded them, and lo and behold, the opinions people have of the coins' grades are quite often the same as theirs. This whole downgrading of their reputation strikes me as basically a self-fulfilling prophecy; people believe their reputation to be bad thus they disregard stuff they graded, giving them a further bad reputation. Despite the fact nobody ever provides any solid evidence for why their grading opinions are worse than anyone else's; they just declare that they have a lower reputation without giving any evidence as to why that should be. You have to at least concede they're quite a step up from no-name self-graders. PCGS and NGC are by no means infallible either; there's a thread going on right now where NGC didn't even label the slabs correctly.

And yeah, I get what I pay for; which is a grading opinion and a coin that is decently preserved and protected, and easier to store. I don't take it as a given that their opinion is provably worse than anyone else's (because no offense, the people here must have just as bad of an ability at grading as they do, considering how often they agree with ANACS' opinions when they don't know who graded the coin lol... and besides, all opinions, including those of TPGs, are by definition subjective.). As for investment potential well, read my signature. "Waste of money" is subjective, and as far as I'm concerned, paying extra money to get a coin graded by a TPG with a better reputation is a waste of money when I never intend on ever reselling the coin if I can help it. I'd rather spend that money on more coins.