ICG vs PCGS, NGC

Even for almost ten years later the threads topic is still relevant today. I think certain TPG's have gotten worse with 'market acceptable grading' inflating grades notably PCGS. Personally I'm not a fan of slabs for grades assigned by a third party; but I do like them as a protection method for coins. What's the old saying 'buy the coin not the slab'. I think it's more relevant than ever as TPG's seemingly keep grading coins upward due to what's become 'market acceptable'. Do the coins deserve the grade or is it because many collectors no longer know how to accurately grade and rely on what the TPG's slabs tell them a coins grade is.

Does this lack of knowledge allow big companies who certainly have a vested interest in keeping coins flowing in and back in for grading/regrading to inflate grades? I mean corporations especially publicly traded ones are beholden to operate for the shareholders benefit making profits. Why do so many people seek out coins in the older slabs especially to play the crack out and regrade game to profit on upgrades.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Even though most collectors and dealers repeat the mantra "buy the coin, not the slab", there is (IMHO) a gravitation toward PCGS and NGC slabbed coins. Not speaking so much of moderns, but this is the case for most older U.S. coins. There is also a marketing collusion between NGC, PCGS and CAC. Again, just my individual opinion.
BTW...welcome to coin talk! If you think people on Facebook can disagree, you ain't seen nothing yet!

 

If you look at the population reports you will see that PCGS and NGC are more consistent with the amount of MS70 and PF70's.

ICG and now more often ANACs give out a lot of MS70's and PF70's for certain coin's. The Kennedy's clad anniversary are a great example. How is it possible for ICG or ANACS have 100's of more 70's than PCGS or NGC? You can see examples of this if you research the Census reports.

I find it amazing that some of the coin shows have 1000's of ANACS and ICG 70's for sale of the same coin that NGC and PCGS only have a handfull of the exact same coin, and some of these even come with a first day release label too. all I can say is do your research on the census reports that thay have.

 

Check out the post today on GTG 1950 Franklin half...it tricked several people...so much for ANACS over grading.

 

QUESTION: Why at one time did Clorox Bleach outsell ordinary bleach and at 3X the price when its chemical composition is exactly the same as that of ordinary bleach? ANSWER: Because housewives were buying the Clorox label, not the bleach.

 

I agree that ICG coins sell for less but I think there coins are graded as well as PCGS or NGC. I think Mr Campbell is one of the finest graders in the country. ICG is the only company that uses holders that are made in the USA, which makes them the most secure holders in the industry. The other holders can be counterfeited. So buy ICG coins for less, crack them out and send them to PCGS to increase the value of the coin you just purchased.

 

I've heard one major dealer refer to ICG as "I Can't Grade." Also, I sent several coins to Heritage to auction. They returned the two graded by ICG even though I had bought them from Heritage! My collection now contains almost exclusively PCGS-graded coins.

 

Talk about up-grading Send coin from any top tier company coin to Heritage to sell, they re-grade them and they always come back higher. That's my experience.
I have no reason to defend ICG but all the talk is BS. They grade just fine. The value is not there due to collector perception.

 

So you must be a multimillionaire by now?

 

Thanks for the sarcasm. I'm just pointing out that everyone thinks that PCGS and NGC coins are worth more. The sarcasm is why I don't like this forum with all the edited

 

PCGS "marketing grades." That's why it's on top.

 

Not think, but facts!

 

Sales this past week on the 2015 P HOMESTEAD NEBRASKA QUARTER WDDR-004 PUMP HANDLE ERROR MS 66

In a ANACS slab $80
In a NGC slab $159

 

Why do you think that is? Let me take a wild guess, they have "better" market graders. What a laugh that is.

 

Well that's because NGC market graders are twice as good. Yeah, that's it.

 

Fact of life friend.........

 

So do what I said and join me as a millionaire

 

Open market dictates which grading company is preferred.