The most difficult place I see to judge this is the incuse Indian $2.5s and $5s. Yep. That's why my Indian $2.5 set is AU. 50% less than MS61, yet just as nice.
The poll title says 'some' tpgs, so I voted that I am better just based on SGS. As for the other tpgs, I am not so competitive.
Hey now, nobody is more consistant than SGS, and thats what counts.....consistancy. Plus they have gold foil, do you?
Right on !!! ROFL Just consistently grade everything 70 ! How hard is that ? This "grading" thing is easy.
Some are arbitrarily placing graders employed by these organizations on the same pedestal as sports superstars or movie stars, LOL...
Oh, a poster or two have alluded to it when I read between the lines... BTW, who is JP? Really... Thanks Ben
Maybe you're reading something that wasn't there? "JP" is J. P. Martin - I believe he was formerly an ANACS grader, then an ICG grader and now an ANACS grader again.
JP Martin, a top notch grader, who WAS with ICG, but with all the movin around, Im not sure anymore. I was just jokin about the autograph thing.
Thanks Mark, while I'm aware of the differing subjectivity and varying standards of the key TPGs at various points/timelines, I really have no idea who the key players in TPGing are. Here is a post which alludes to my "reading between the lines..." Take Care Ben
Ben, Greg, who posted that is an active and extremely knowledgeable collector. He also apparently knows a number of graders at the major grading companies and has seen, first hand, what they can do. I am not usually as blunt as he is, but I basically agree with him on this subject. Based on my experiences as a dealer, a former grader at NGC and an instructor at the ANA summer seminar, I believe that many people (that includes collectors and dealers) can't grade nearly as well as they think they can. And I am aware that I have my own shortcomings as a grader, as well. On another subject, Jack, what are you offering for autographs today?:kewl:
You make it sound like I've broken some unwritten rule of decorum??? He's simply another forum member who happens to collect coins, like you and everyone else who's a member here. I respect his opinions just like I respect anyone else's contributions. Sometimes I agree and sometimes disagree. There is no pecking order here, no secret allegiances, or devotions. We're all on the same level and judged on our contributions to the forum... Take Care Ben
You must be reading between the lines again, as I neither thought nor wrote that you had broken any rule of decorum. You had written: I had responded that I didn't see it that way and explained why.
I thought bone was referring to this statement...calling them gifted... Any dealer will, most likely, be all for TPGs as it gives them a reason to charge more...The sucker is the collector who has decided to buy into it and let others do what any collector can learn to do for himself. The person who said this statement above who seems like more of a cheerleader for TPGs also said this: so certainly the slabs are working for him as he flips...not that I know anyone who would pay extra for a slabbed ancient This was in a thread with this gem: and this is not as uncommon as you think, I cant say how many times I have seen a misattributed ancient in a slab...If they cant attribute them...how could they ever say with any confidence if it is genuine!! I wonder if Mr. Martin, that star of TPGing, had anything to do with this insanely misattributed coin. A slab gives me NO extra confidence thus it warrants no extra money. Why pay other collectors to do what you as a collector can do yourself with just a little time and effort? Isnt that what collecting is all about? learning? Why send my coin out to be slabbed, attributed and graded? half the fun is doing all this yourself...and as a hobby, I am not reselling hoping to flip a coin to eek a bit more money for an already high priced item...so it just doesnt have any use at all to me.
Please see below. I wouldn't call 209 posts to this site in almost 5 years active. Therefore his contributions to the hobby must be beyond the CoinTalk community. However, since I'm not an active show collector (never been to a coin show) or a prolific forum poster (I frequent only two) his contributions were missed by me and a few others I'd imagine. Personally, I think that any dedicated coin collecter can grade as good as any (in place) TPGrader (since it's all subjective) if they are provided instruction, are liked and get along with the other graders, etc... Well we simply differ in our opinions. Nothing wrong in that... Take Care Ben