Label Desirability

As we all know I'm sure, older TPG labels usually carry a premium. I understand the reasoning behind the older label being of lesser supply. I also know some folks believe the older label coins were graded more conservatively - although I don't know if . However shouldn't the grade on a more recently graded coin be more likely to be accurate?

An older label was graded many years ago. Isn't it more likely to have changed its appearance some from deterioration since the time it was graded? This is especially true of copper coins.

As a result, I would fathom newer labels are more accurately graded. Along with that, newer labels are better sealed and more resistant to counterfeiting due to technological advancements. All things considered, I'm surprised so many people go gaga over old labels.

 

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Grading has changed over time, mostly in the direction of higher grades for the same coin. A dealer friend cracked out a bunch of 63's slabbed in the early 1990's and sent them in about a decade ago. He got them back as mainly 64's with a couple of 65's. So the reason older slabs go for higher is the assumption that they are either fairly or undergraded. Environment should never affect a coin if stored properly.

 

Yea but it makes no sense to pay a premium for a coin that might be a grade or two higher when you can buy that higher grade already slabbed for the same price.

On top of that you get all the benefits of the newer and more advanced slab.

 

Who says it sells for the same price? An old 63 might sell for 63+ money today, and the buyer might think it could grade 64 or 65. I never said they sell for the same money as an already graded 64 or 65. However, its not unheard of to have a two point jump from an old slab to a new one. If the person sees the coin in hand and knows how to grade, picking up an old 63 for 64 or 64+ money that will get a 65 if resubmitted still is a money maker, is it not?

That is why old labels get attention. They have the potential to be upgradable.

 

Well those that really know how to grade and really know values for each grade are ahead of the game. It seems to me though that those people are very few and far between. I find most people are bidding up all the old labels like monkeys. I'm willing to bet a lot of them don't even know about the ungraded thing and are just bidding up thinking the label itself is what makes it special. DAMN MONKEYS!!

 

Probably some of both. I for one don't buy labels, yet I do pay more for coins in old slabs, as I haven't seen any that do not grade higher by today's standards. Although the belief is these old slabs have already been picked over for higher grades, I still see many that will upgrade and there are still many that are cherry picking them. Rather than re-slab them, I sell them at higher grades to collectors that know the difference.

 

Good points. I guess this is also where CAC makes their living.

 

Has the minting process improved so much that higher grade coins are now commonplace? Or, has the grading system been lowered to get higher graded coins which sell at higher prices? I remember, not so long ago, MS-70 was unheard of. Not today, not with any new coin minted.

 

When the TPG's came out, they promised the hobby they would NEVER grade modern coins. The worry was that modern coins being graded would be used to fleece uninformed collectors and make grade seem like a rarity. Well, they broke that promise in about 10 years, when they were running out of other commodity stuff like Morgans to grade.

That, and the fact the mint has gotten better at making better coins, is the reason why you see so many 70's nowadays.

 

I'm sure someday they will change the scale to 100 or something like that and start all over.

 

I'm not so sure they would change the scale away from what it is.

 

I don't own any 70's and don't see it happening anytime soon. Why pay an absurd price for the same thing in 69? Only fools would. Unless you're buying them to flip it to a fool. In that case you're exempt.

 

I don't think so... for some reason Americans really don't like the metric system ;-)

 

Moderns? Graded?

 

The game with the older labels is whether they were bought and put away (i.e. pld grading never reviewed) or been bouncing around the circuit at which point several eyes have decided they won't... and it has to be a coin where 1 point (maybe 2) will pay the fee and at least a bit more.

So your common date Morgan in 3 will probably come back 64, but only be worth the 20 or 30$.

For the big money upgrades, I overhead one dealer at the show saying to a customer that he was pricing them with the upgrades already built in.

 

Having seen mint products from the last 40 years Doug, I would disagree with saying the mint has not gotten better. They had some real garbage coming out for many year, pretty low quality control. I do not LIKE the new coins they put out for the most part, believing the lack of relief it killing the attractiveness, I do believe the last 15-20 years are better quality than before. I believe the state quarter series, and now the ATB series has been some really nice artwork. I just am sad we are like other monarchy countries and lose one side of a coin to pat the egos of politicians, and the low relief just makes everything unattractive.

 

I think the technical term is BIDIOTS.

 

Not fools, suckers!