OK ... here comes a whole slew of questions!! Does anybody know about walk-through PCGS grading at coin shows. Has anyone ever done it or watched it beign done? I see an upcoming coin show near me that lists PCGS as having a table. If PCGS has a table, does that mean they will be doing walk through grading? Does PCGS do live on the spot grading and slabbing at ALL big coin shows or just some shows. If it's the latter, how do I find out which ones? If I go up there with 5 to 10 coins to be graded and slabbed, how long would that take? (How long is the process for each coin?) Are there generally long lines for walk through grading, so you end up standing in line for 2 hours, then wait another hour or more while they grade and slab your coins? If lines tend to be long, are there certain days or times that tend to be less crowded (first day right when they open ... or last day, later in the day)? If I take an NGC slabbed coin to be regraded and reslabbed as PCGS, can they handle that there? That is, can they crack open NGC slabs for you, or do you have crack open the slabs yourself beforehand. If they wont crack open NGC slabs, will they crack open their own slabs if you have an old scratched up PCGS slab? If they charge extra for cracking slabs, does anybody know the fee? Last question, if I take an NGC slabbed coin to them that has a grade of say MS68 to be regraded and reslabbed ... it is possible to have them grade the coin in the old slab before cracking it open ... and then have them tell you what the new grade will be ... so if they say, we are going to put a PCGS MS65 grade on this, you can decline the reslabbing, regrading service and keep the old slab with the much higher grade. I imagine they still charge you if this is allowed. .... Or once you hand over your coins, do they disappear in some back room and never talk to you until the reslabbing process is done, so you dont know what the new grade will be until the end. Hey thanks if anyone has answers to any of my many questions!
I have submitted coins at shows for grading but never was interested in paying the extra fee for turnaround grading at a show. I can tell you a few things, though. Generally, if PCGS is attending the show they offer turnaround grading. But ask first. Because they often leave early, can't do it at the last day they're there, cut off all new submissions once they have all they can handle, etc. The grading is usually overnight. There may be special exceptions to this. Ask. I don't think there's a problem with PCGS cracking slabs, as needed. Regardless, there are always dealers with the right hardware (e.g., Charmy). Crossovers are handled in the usual way. You state the minimum acceptable grade. If a through-the-slab eying achieves at least your minimum, they'll crack and reslab it. Otherwise it is returned, unopened. You cannot specify a higher minimum grade than the one the coin already has. MS/PR70 coins must have a minimum of 69 or lower (you can't specify 70 for a 70 coin), or must be cracked first by the owner and submitted raw. Yes, once you submit your coins to the PCGS rep, they disappear. You do not see what happens, there is no exchange of information, no questions and answers, etc. They reappear the next day. Again, play it safe and ask all your questions in advance. Don't assume anything, don't crack anything until your questions are answered. Lance.
Typically it is a 24 hr turnaround. They do have a Show Express 4 hour grading service as well but the fee for that is $200 per coin, $250 for Secure Plus.
hey thanks for all the responses to my questions ... this info is GREAT! i appreciate you all taking the time to help me out.
