Before the Sheldon Scale

Honestly, that's a bad rap. But it is an often repeated one. In truth, there have always been good dealers and bad dealers. What you are saying is true about the bad dealers, but they weren't all bad.

And ya know what ? Today is no different. To a large degree it's still the same way it was before the TPGs came along. There are still good dealers and bad dealers. And the bad dealers, if you are selling a slabbed coin, will look at the coin and tell you that the TPG over-graded it, and offer you less than it is worth. But once bought, they will praise the coin and say it was under-graded to potential buyers.

Good dealers, well, are good dealers. They will offer a fair price based on the coin itself and not what the slab says, and they do it in both directions, meaning when buying or selling. And yeah they are still out there just like they always were.

The difficult part is the same as it always has been. You, as a collector & buyer, have to know your coins. You have to know whether a coin has been graded correctly or incorrectly. Because if you don't know the dealer, that is the only way you can tell if he is a good dealer or a bad dealer.

So if you don't really know your coins then you should not buy any coin from anybody that you don't know and trust. That rule was valid a hundred years ago and it is valid today. But sadly, far too few people follow that rule.

 

David -

As I have explained to you before, I think the TPGs are the best thing that ever happened to this hobby. But that doesn't mean they are without faults or that I like everything about them.

There are way, way, too many people within the hobby who seem to think of the TPGs as almost being godlike - that they can do no wrong. So I make an effort to point out their bad points, their mistakes, and their policies that I just out and out disagree with. People need to be made aware of these things so they can make better decisions regarding the coins they buy.

You think about it for a minute, how many others are there that you are aware of who speak their minds about the TPGs ? How many others are there that tell the truth, regardless of what that truth is ? Not many is how many - and not near enough.

And they sure can't do it on the PCGS forum because such comments are deleted and the members who made them are banned from the forum. So much for truth.

As for plastic buyers - well, the most commonly repeated, and best, advice there is in this hobby is - buy the coin and not the slab.

That kind of says it about plastic buyers doesn't it ?