Why PCGS is better than NGC

Good point. I hate that you can't see a pic of the slab with the TrueView. Hard to verify, and the coin could be upside-down for all you know.

 

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What makes the True View pics so deceptive ?

I recently bid on this coin and am convinced it PROBABLY didn't look as blast-white as the photos. Thoughts ?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1884-O-MOR...-13822/392555131768?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

At the beginning of the year, Brett Charville had an "ask me anything" thread running, and then answered several questions in that thread. One I asked was, "Do you think PCGS will eventually be imaging all coins -- even simply mug-shot photos in slabs -- as a safeguard against counterfeit holders and coins being tampered with in the holders?" His response was simply, "yes." I don't know when this is coming, of course.

 

I call True View photos “glamour shots.” Do you remember those photos from your high school yearbook? A poor girl with acne who had a “pizza face” looked like she just stepped out of central casting.

 

With technology, robotics, and imaging light-years ahead of where it was 10 years ago....with 4K UHDTV a reality....scanning should be easy and a major plus in deterring counterfeits.

 

That seller is known for enhancing his photos. The coin doesn't look like that in hand (photo looks ultra deep mirror proof-like while the coin will look closer to a normal proof-like).

In regards to your question about Tru-View pictures, they are done under the most ideal light conditions, combined with the best angles and use some editing post photo. Basically the conditions are usually not easy to replicate for most people.

 

I wouldn't use the term "most ideal" to describe the lighting conditions. The only thing that is ideal is the lack of a slab in front of a coin, so I guess what's "most ideal" is the conditions allowing you to choose how to light the coin. This opens up lots of possibilities to light the coin in a way that does not reflect how the coin is normally viewed and evaluated, but rather one that flatters the coin. It may be that once the coin is slabbed, it's not even possible to view the coin to see something that matches the TrueView. The customer can also call the shots as to how they want their images to look to a certain degree, especially where toners or cameo proofs are concerned.

I've often been given toners to shoot, and due to the slab, usually can't come close to the colors that a TV shows. In some cases (19th century proofs that are dark, but colorful in just the right light), I've actually told people at shows who want to see all the colors at once to just have PCGS reholder and TV the coin, especially if the current holder isn't important. Dealers who use a single picture want to show the coin that the customer will see when opening their mail. More subtle colors and a good picture of the surfaces is more important here. They want an optimal photo -- one that sells the coin quickly and does not get it returned.

 

I found after their decision ngc coins became much harder to sell and people were cracking or crossing old holder cac coins even

 

@Mainebill Harder to sell to whom? NGC coins sell on ebay, heritage, etc.

To people like Legend auctions? Oh definitely, Laura is so biased on what she wants, she evens says it: PCGS coins only. PCGS has its hardcore supporters that down NGC coins, crosses any NGC coins just to make it look like PCGS is the best and/or NGC is just terrible. This occurs on a daily basis and its tiresome, but imagine your a new collector and all you hear is negatives about NGC? You'll probably make a choice to just stick with PCGS.

@messydesk Yep your totally correct on the true view, its a very very flattering picture of a coin that at times isn't totally realistic. I've seen true views of a proof coin that look deep cameo and then a slab picture that shows the coin with no cameo and actually had haze all over it, pathetic. Its hilarious when you see Instagram pages, Facebook, etc filled with just True views and/or people constantly saying: I will get a true view of this coin as if its the best thing ever!

 

SLABS.....as an aside, I think the type of slab can really improve the coins look in the holder.

I have grown very partial to the all-black inserts in the NGC slabs that they used on some of the Proof and RP Buffalos and the 2013-W Silver Eagle Enhanced and RP.

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/3520/Retro-holder-2013-American-Buffalo/

The pics on the label are kind of funky, too !

I wouldn't mind seeing a Saint-Gaudens or Liberty DE in something like that but you usually don't see a classic in an up-to-date holder that is that recent.

 

WHAT decision ??

 

He's referring to the decision a few years back when NGC didn't allow PCGS coins in its registry. So many people were upset that they crossed their NGC coins and stuck to PCGS. Laughable and makes no sense that you get mad at a company that once allowed you to put a competitors coins in their registry. Put it this way, these people never once got mad that PCGS never allowed any NGC coins in their registry. NGC was just doing what PCGS has always done and people get so upset at NGC.

I also see posts from some pcgs fans that because NGC didn't allow PCGS world coins in their registry, they don't want to come back........dude don't come back, 99% of what you post is already in PCGS holders, whats the point.......stay on the PCGS registry since most of your coins is already PCGS or crossed over!!!

 

They emphasize color above all else. If the coin isn’t rainbow toned, then the TVs are much more reliable.

 

This is 15-20 years overdue. The damage is already done. Over 10 million PCGS coins don’t have PCGS-verified pics to establish authenticity. Counterfeiters will have plenty of fodder to copy from.

NGC, on the other hand, has been doing that for years. The pics are horribly underlit and useless in many cases, but it was a step in the right direction.

 

With the improvement in technology -- both ligh-years better 4K quality AND much cheaper -- I wouldn't mind seeing PCGS and NGC ask for those older, non-scanned coins to be sent in at no charge or minimal cost and begin a retroactive scanning/counterfeit program.

There are plenty of wealthy people in this hobby. A nice donation to the ANA or to a new foundation that promotes the collecting hobby would go a long way to improving it...and making a nice legacy for someone on the Forbes 400 list.

 

I find at shows that pcgs coins often sell better and for more. Pcgs cac and I won’t have the coin long if the price is fair.

 

There was a lot more involved when NGC made that decision. I, for one, spent many hours building my registry with photographs and write-ups that were sometimes quite extensive. Putting up a good registry set, that is in the running for "Best presented," is not "free." It requires a lot of work.

Finding properly graded, attractive coins from either service is not that easy when you are looking for classic coins with limited surviving populations. When you are limited to one company's product, it makes that search that much harder.

NGC's decision left me hamstrung so far as taking my registry sets any further. To be honest I find more coins that I like in PCGS than NGC holders. A big part of the reason is that so many of the NGC's better coins get crossed to PCGS.

I had never joined the PCGS registry until NGC made their NGC only decision. I did not like their PCGS only policy. I joined PCGS registry, mostly to display my Classic Head $2.50 set. Given their PCGS requirement, I could see early on that it was a waste of time for me to post my complete type of coins there. So I gave up on the registry stuff all together.

Now that NGC has reversed their decision, I’ll spend some more time on it.

 

I’ve never understood that. For all the resources it takes to scan/image, upload and store on the server for each cert. how hard is it to turn the light on or at least add a really simple auto brightness plugin to the process?

 

If the free pics are too good, people won't pay the extra money for their photo service. They are only trying to make the photo show the slab well enough to verify the authenticity of the slab - nothing more.

 

PCGS is probably just trying to figure out a way to spin the introduction of slab shots so it doesn't feel like they are following NGC's lead. ...don't want to give the competitor credit for a good idea, dontchaknow.