Anyone ever throw in the towel?

Sounds identical to what TPG does with ancients. On the average, they are one whole grade too high. The worst part though is their using US grades on ancient coins.

Anyway, to the OP I would rather you quit buying raw coins versus quit coin collecting. Even slabbed coins are coins.

 

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i am 100% raw, but that's also because i rarely buy coins at all. most of my collection is either from circulation or bank-recovered coin (i.e. junk). on the rare occasion i actually pay a premium for a coin though, i would not prefer raw any more than slabbed. it's just worked out so far that i have only bought raw coins.

 

As I become more comfortable with grading, I am becomming slightly more comfortable with raw coins.

 

I like 'em both. My confidence level is at about $100 for raw: confidence in ability to re-sell as well as to evaluate. More than that, and it's direct from the mint or slabbed PCGS/NGC. I do like to have one example for certain series, for peace of mind that a TPG says it's not counterfeit, and as a rough guide for grading...such as a Brit Peace dollar or a Indochina Piastre. Not to say I take them as gospel, but as a...well, a TPG. I'm not cracking any open, and I'm not sending any in, at this time. And I won't turn away from buying anything under $100, just because it's raw or not.

 

I like to stick with raw coins especially now that I'm getting a grasp on grading.
But when it comes to coins that is rare or heavily counterfeited I like to get graded.

 

If I'm buying online, I tend to lean towards slabbed although not 100% of the time. (Excluding Bullion) At a B&M store, I buy what coin I like whether it's raw or slabbed.

 

Despite seeing photos online, the RAW coins I've bought online are always a little disappointing when I see the actual coin...

 

Try to buy from only sellers who take crummy photos!

Seriously, photos have severe limitations. If a coin does not look like you thought, you should have every right to return it. This is why coin shows have not died with the advent of the internet. There is a lot of value in seeing the coins in hand before deciding to buy.

 

There is also the fact that some sellers may photoshop the image. And sometimes when you take pictures of coins if you alter the lighting it changes the coin's color too.

 

I feel similarly about my collection not being very structured, and seem that I have decided to change some of my coin collecting goals as I bought some folders for my coins recently so I can start filling them. I can't really afford slabbed stuff so much at this point but I have been more interested in grades of coins recently, and even bought this years Red Book so I can start getting some better ideas.

 

I enjoy the grading part too. A good friend and fellow collector gets so upset when I speak of grades... literally to the point of anger! He feels there are three types of coins - UNC, Circ. and proof. I've tried to understand WHY he is so passionate about his believes, but I could never figure it out. ;( It's now something that I just DON'T discuss with him...

 

Right or wrong I buy from only two grading companies PCGS and NGC in that order. NGC seems to be a little more progressive in services offered and PCGS seems to be a point harder on the grade scale. Both do a fine job.

 

1. My top collection is my type set. Therefore I have quite a few EAC coins.
2. I enter my coins into NGC Registry Sets. Therefore PCGS or NGC slabs are necessary.

That's why I ONLY purchase PCGS or NGC slabbed coins.

And I haven't had good luck buying raw EAC coins and getting them into slabs.
I used to buy from a nationally known dealer.
But of the 4 I bought, then submitted for slabbing, 2 came back bodybagged.
I got my money back for those two coins (that was part of the purchase agreement) BUT the dealer never reimbursed me for the expense of submission.
Since these were 4-figure coins that was not a trivial amount.
And his response was ALWAYS slow; I'd buy at one Whitman show but it was the next Whitman show before things were corrected.

Anyway I will NOT buy a raw coin anymore, with the exception noted in my other post.