Just wanted to say what a pain it was submitting some Pandas to PCGS. I broke lots of rules me thinks. Firstly, the thought of me breaking open Panda capsules and popping them in slips filled me with dread, would probably scratch them or they'd end up rolling across the living room floor. So I sent them as they were (broke rule one). Trying to create a shipment on UPS! What a pain that was. They want a name of someone at PCGS and the issue about import taxes and duties and who pays threw me. When I rang UPS (the PCGS designated carrier on their form) they couldn't help and as soon as I said coins, they left me on hold for 15 mins whilst they tried to find out if they were allowed to accept coins. After more delays, running up my bill and asking stupid questions about can the coins be replaced I hung up and gave up. So I just sent it Air Sure (broke rule 2). At my local post office as soon as I said coins they said USA don't accept coins, "it's in the rules." So i wrote metal discs...... much more of this I'm taking up stamp collecting
Well, you experienced about all of the same bumps in the road that pretty much all first time submitters, or basically anybody who tries to mail coins, run into. Of course all of them can easily be avoided if you know what the standard proceedure is - but when you don't, well it can be pretty frustrating. You see, in the US there is a rule that the US Post Office (and UPS and Fed Ex) has - they do not allow you to send money (cash) in the mail. The reason for this is pretty simple and understandable - people steal cash from the mail. So to avoid that issue they don't allow you to do it. So when you tell the Post Office that you are mailing "coins" - to them that means you are mailing money - a no-no. Now you overcame that by saying you are mailing metal disk, that works. But perhaps the easiest thing to say is that you are mailing collectibles. This term is also important when it comes to insurance. For if you try to insure your "metal disk" for $5000 - you're going to get some pretty strange looks and most likely questions. But if you say you want to insure collectibles for $5000 - nobody will even think twice about it. That covers the "how to" of mailing and insurance. Regarding the flip issue, you raise a concern that many others also have. They fear they will do some harm to the coins by handling them, placing them in flips etc. The TPGs allow you to do just what you did, leave the coins in the original holders. However, they will charge you $1 per coin to remove them from those holders. Now import and custom rules are something that US collectors rarely have to worry about, but for you folks acrross the pond it can present some problems. Of course there is an easy way to deal with it, it's just that most folks aren't aware of the solution. That is that PCGS has offices in Europe. And mailing stuff to another European country is much easier than mailing something to the US and most of those problems and issues go away when you do it that way. Now you're probably going to say something like - well why don't they tell you these things ? Well, they would, if you asked the right questions, of the right people. The Post Office, UPS, the customs office, even PCGS itself - those are not the right people. The right people are here on this forum. They are people who have run into all of these issues, and more, many times. And they know how to deal with them. They know how to make it easy. So next time just come to the forum and explain what you want to do, and you'll get step by step instructions on how to go about it. The easy way
Thanks for the reply GDJMSP....Yes it was very frustrating trying to jump through the hoops and all I got was unhelpful people and systems. I don't mind paying the $1 for them to take them out of the holders but that also raises the issue of a fixed price on the submission forms which I signed, so can they alter that to add the extra cost of my five coins in holders? I also hope that they accept Air Sure as I thought they were a rather picky about only accepting coins from UPS from us Brits. I guess they won't turn the work down when it arrives though. So, I can send my 'collectables' to a European branch of PCGS...where would that be and what happens to the coins then, graded in Europe or sent on somehow. I also read that homeland security are slowing mail down from countries in Europe. Another issue: I just got a numismatic invoice from Canada (Charles Moore) asking for cash or an approved cheque. Surely they can't expect me to stuff large sums of unisured cash in an envelope do they? Whats wrong with a wire transfer these days?
The PCGS office is in Paris, France. According to this press release, the Paris office can only accept submissions from within The EU. Anything originating outside of the EU must still be sent to California. Kind of a slap in the face to those of you on the "Big Island", isn't it! http://www.pcgs.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=6218&universeid=313 Chris
Not sure where 'the big Island' refers to as we Brits are in the EU.....got me puzzled that one.....anyway.... I don't like the sound of having to submit my coins to Paris through another authorised dealer.....what nonsense. So this select group of 'authorised dealers' do this for free of course. I have heard of the practice before though..... I thought that was the idea behind taking out membership to submit coins, not to pass them onto a third party..... or have I got the wrong end of the stick.........marbury518
Update of the PCGS Paris link: DNW, one of the few on the list of British dealers recognised as accepting coins for submission to Paris don't do it. I just spoke to them and I feel they think it is a real hassle.......so nothing is ever straightforward it seems.
No idea. But apparently they did say "approved check". Can't say as I blame them for that. I'd be leary of accepting a personal check from someone in another country too - wouldn't you ?
Reply to both....a wire transfer seems most sensible....they charge 35 dollars for such an approved cheque.....and sending cash isn't an option for me. Re Paris......DNW is a firm I have an account with and one or two of the other firms I'm less than eththusiastic about. I could ring them but they may say no too......we'll see but it still doesn't appear the easy option using third parties if they find the process burdensome.
I called NGC once and asked if I could submit my coins in their original government capsule or did I have to take it out? I was told I could leave it in the original, and I might not get the holder back. She didn't mention an extra charge to take it out of the original holder. I would THINK the Top companies would prefer customers send their coins in the original packaging capsule if applicable. It eliminates tampering - dirty fingers etc. To me anything outside of doing that you're risk damaging the coin during shipment, processing and so forth. Just my opinion.
I agree Silverhouse but I think in the PCGS detailed submission procedures they say something like placing the coins in the two and a half by two and a half (inert) flips is what they expect and anything else with delay the process. Regards...Marbury
Not if you think about they could harm the coins taking some of those out of the original packaging. Plus it takes time for them because of the extra step and that could mess things up.
Well, my package sent on the 25th of February hasn't arrived and the Royal Mail this end won't look at the issue until it's been missing for about 2 months........great! Left US customs in NY on the 3rd march.....never using AirSure again.......bite the bullet and use courier......
OK..so it got there.after 3 weeks. No charge for leaving my coins in their orginal capsules it appears.
Just got my results back and I thought I'd mention it as I bought these Pandas on e-bay and there are frequent discussions about it re fakes, etc. Anyway the silver 2001-D came back MS69 pop of 85, the 2008 MS68 pop of 9, two other 2011's came back MS69 and one came back MS70. So pretty pleased really and a quick result from arrival with PGCS if not a very slow door to door time-frame on the way from UK to USA.
