Well i asked for ANACS free thing, and it tells you how to send in coins. but what im still unclear, is how much it costs. For example, it says: Economy, 12$, minimum of 5 coins. my question is, is this 12$ PER COIN?! thanks
Get used to it. Third-party grading can be ridiculously expensive if you have a reputable company do it, and horribly worthless (though cheaper) if you have a cut-rate place do it. And between those two, your best bet is going to be to bite the bullet and pay the premium - but you should really do your homework about all the majors before you send anything in to be graded. Me, I'm still doing said homework. Fish
Well, now that i know how much it costs, i dont think ill be sending in any coins. I dont have anything that fantastic to send in, just an MS 1963 half, and 2 MS quarters ('61 and '69) maybe when i get a really high-end piece ill do it.
ANACS is the cheapest Grading Service out there that is any good.....PCI will sometimes have a $8 day when you can send in something like 10 coins for $8 each. Speedy
Would PCI be considered the "5th best" grading service after PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS? An even more remarkable observation is that there are so few competent grading services. It's a skill, but probably somewhat easier than brain surgery.
All things being equal, I would say "yes", but the real question a submitter should ask is NOT what are the fees for submitting coins, but how will their "slabbed" coin be perceived ($$$) in the marketplace?? If you are going to slab, you may want the opinion of the graders at the given TPG, the slab itself for protection and preservation over a 2x2, but most will slab so they can get on a phone with somebody across the country and state I have ___ coin graded by ____ service. I am asking/bidding ____ for it. Other than that, you are buying/selling a raw coin and you have to rely on your own grading experiences (that is, if you can SEE and HOLD the coin) and of course, the "trust me" factor. Sure I may pay $18 or $30 per submission, but if my coin is now worth $50 more over a service that charges only $5 per submission...well, YOU do the math!! Market perception, actual prices realized, etc., all play a role when you pick a third party grading service. Lets put it this way...You have a MS65 1880-S Morgan graded by PCGS against one graded MS65 by PCI...just take a guess which coin is going to DRAMATICALLY obtain more dollars when it is sold?? Just take a guess... When I am buying, I am equal opportunity...especially if I can SEE and HOLD the coin. When I am submitting a coin to be slabbed, I use the service that commands and realizes the highest dollars for my submitted coin(s).
As Midas says, stick with the top TWO grading services, PCGS and NGC. Most high-grade or valuable coins in a PCI, ICG, or ANACS holder will eventually be cracked and submitted to the top two. This is because PCGS and NGC slabs DO realize higher prices than any other TPG.
