Hypothetical question. If I have a slabbed coin and I want to add it to an album, would it be smart to take it out? I'd like 2 answers please, one assuming the coin is an expensive key date (1909 S VDB for example) and one assuming it is a common or slightly scarce date (I dunno an example, just something less expensive).
When you crack a coin out of a slab you void any guarantee you had from the TPG (authenticity, approximate grade, original surfaces, etc.). Stories abound about collectors who cracked out a key date only to discover the coin was fake, altered, etc. If you think your authentication skills and grading skills are on par with or better than the TPG's skills then by all means crack that sucker out. But if you are not certain the coin is genuine or that the assigned grade is appropriate you would be better off leaving the coin in the slab.
Then how do I go about filling in expensive key dates in my albums? I don't wanna buy a raw coin that turns out to be fake. Should I just study the coin very carefully and, if I decide it is real, risk buying the raw coin? This is still hypothetical cause I don't have any slabbed coins that I can put in an album. Just preparing for the future.
buy coins graded as genuine and crack them out to fill your album. There are lots of nice coins that go for a fraction of the value. Here is a coin I paid $25 for graded PCGS genuine code 98 (damaged)
Another alternative that was suggested by a member on another forum would be to take photos of the coin in the slab, resize the photos to the correct size, make prints, cut the photos out and place them in the album (I'm assuming you are referring to a Dansco or similar album). Chris
Here's a thread I did awhile back here about my experiences in cracking slabs and putting nice coins in albums... might be worth a look: http://www.cointalk.com/t70588/ I'm still against the cracking game for several reasons and am very happy with my coins in their slabs. They are much better protected and much more marketable in the slabs than in an album. If I want to upgrade one of my coins, it's easy to sell my current slabbed example... will you be able to sell your cracked out coin if you decide to upgrade? Will a dealer agree with the previous grade? A bigger concern for me is my family. When the time comes and I pass on, my family is much more likely to be able to sell the higher value coins in my collection in their slabs than they would if I had cracked them all out and stuck them in albums. It's up to you whether you crack or not, but before you do so make sure to really think it over first Good luck.
