Hello fellow Mpc collectors!! The debate lingers onencil: To grade or not grade that Is the question, But i have an easy answer:loud: most Certainly yes! Why? This is easily answered, And i think the best reason For third party grading especially on high end notes But would come to the same conclusion on lower Grades as well, Just because of the high rate of "Fakes" floating around this is easily seen on sites Like e-bay, Just take a look at all the copies being Offered there, It just doesnt take much to not Put that on there! This is more then reason enough for me! How About you?
For my collection the most of it is raw. My high $$$ notes are in PCGS holders, because I bought them in the holder. I really couldn't care less for the grade they assigned as I buy the note not the holder. The holder is nice if and or when I want to sell though as there are people that care far more for the holder than the note. The one MPC I have that I know is holdered is the Series 661 $10, for obvious reasons - it is a very rare and pricey note.
most of my collection is raw, and i have every intention of keeping it tht way. I have very few high grade notes, unless they are modern and common, so the need for a flimsy piece of plastic to protect them is not needed. I recently bought 15-20 graded notes, and cut every one of them out. I didnt care about the assisnged grade, and the 'slab' they were in was not sealed at the top. I wont name the TPG, but for those who also own their slabs, you know who they are. As for all the fakes, yes their are alot on the market - but even the TPG's make mistakes. I think its better to try to learn to tell the fakes from the non-fakes yourself. Leaning on the shoulders of a TPG just hinders the learning process IMHO.
I have three TPG MPC notes in my collection. They were all obtained through auctions in the holders. I was unable to attend the auctions and relied on the grades from the TPG when bidding. All were 65s with the appropriate paper quality designator. One was OK, one had an edge tear and the other had light stains on three edges of the note. Never again. Your comment relates to authenticity, however. Since I buy few higher end notes sight unseen, this is not a concern for me. The only MPC copies I have seen are the Chambliss replicas. All of these are well marked as copies and the serial numbers are known. Anyone who falls for these has not done their homework. I see no purpose in having lower value notes TPGd. I am amused to see MPC that is common in high grades like Series 641 fractionals (all of which catalog under $20.00 in UNC) in TPG holders and listed for sale in excess of $100.00. Anyone who buys these notes at these prices are in for a rough lesson when it is time to sell.
Remember, buy the note, or coin, not the holder. TPG's are for people that are investors, not collectors. I collect banknotes and coins because I like them as art and history, they are NOT an investment.
Well first off I can not say that I own any MPCs. The reason for my comment here is because of the TPGs comments. Many of you here know that I have a fairly broad collection that includes raw and graded notes. The notes that I have graded for the most part have been purchased that way! I have sent a few off for grading due to valadation reasons and value. For me, grading notes that are common or notes that it would make no sense grading is a waste of $$$. I think SM said it best.. buy the note, not the holder! For personal goals for my collection, I have bought notes that fit into both catagories. A good dealer friend of mine put it to me simply one day; He said "Rick, if you want a graded note, then buy a graded note"..that speaks volumes to me. So with that... everyone is different and not everyone will see things the same way. Doing your homework is critical regardless if the note is in a holder or not!! Good collecting to you all... RickieB
That is just the crux of it, you have to know what you are doing. I have a few foreign notes that are TPG graded, and frankly I do not agree with the lofty assigned grade, but again - I bought the notes based on the merits of what I saw in the note, minuscule flaws and all - if I went based just on the grade the TPG went with - I would have been ripped off. I have one note that has pinholes that are not disclosed on whoever's holder is on the note. Not just indiscernable pinholes either, good sized ones. But it is a very rare Canadian and I bought it for the beauty, and the rarity of the note - not for the piece of plarstic surrounding it.
perfect answer ask 20 folks about TPG's and you will likely get 20 completely different answers. None are right or wrong for anyone other then the person who gave the answer. TPG's do have a spot in the hobby, but not for everyone.
I think the main question here is "phony Money" Ive been collecting and Dealing MPC,S for a long time, The bottom line the "Fakes" are very good With the technology available today even the best informed collector Or dealer can get duped! The question i have, How do you know its real? Answer you dont why? Because most all copies are identical in every way to the original Atleast the good ones....lol, I guess you could date the paper but Since there not that old that probably wouldnt work either, I hate To be the unpopular one here but for me atleast, I will continue to certify All my MPC,S for nothing else but piece of mind!!
Just because your opinion differs from the few that responded to the thread, dont make you unpopular! We all recognize we each make differing choices with respects to how and what we collect - and for those who responded in this thread thus far - we dont let different collecting styles affect our respect for other collectors but for the quote above... who do you think grades notes at TPG's? Are they in any way better then a well educated and knowleged dealer or collector? Dealers, collectors and TPG graders all stand a chance of passing a fake note as real. Nobody is perfect.
I am not going to challenge your decision to TPG your notes but I am curious about the fakes you mentioned. I have also been in the MPC arena for a good number of years and am unfamiliar with any significant copies other than the Chambliss replicas and some contemporary counterfeits. I am curious where your information about copies of MPC comes from. With the exception of those items I just mentioned, I have never heard of any other copies in either the MPCGram or at the MPCFest. I do have a Series 461 $.50 note and a Series 692 $20.00 note that someone tried to make into a replacement by removing the suffix letter. There are too obvious to fool anyone, though.
Heres what iam looking at mostly when it comes to TPG, First its the "Fakes" Iam sure There floating around out there, Lets face it, Its a fact of life, If you dont think So your kidding yourself! Like i said with all the high quality copies out there, It just wouldnt take much For someone not to put that word copy on the back and say, Lets make some Money!! Does it happen? I would say more often then you think but thats just My opinion! Heres something that i also find interesting, Since we all have a competitive Spirit and we like to compare our selves to other peoples collections? How Do you do that with out TPG? And thats really what it boils down to, Two gem Notes whos is better each with his own opinion, Need i say more!
Being new to collecting MPC's I feel that untill I have more experience @ telling fakes or overgraded notes I'm only going to buy PCGS & PMG holdered MPC's .
