so i think it goes without saying that if one is buying a graded coin or bullion in coin form, these are the two companies a serious collector is going to go with. my question is, which one is going to carry a higher premium on the same coin; ie, the exact same coin is graded by both companies and sent to an auction, which one would the gavel bang a higher number for? i have been reading a decent amount about this, and it appears as if PCGS is a hair ahead of NGC. i personally do not agree with this but that is neither here nor there. i think the NGC holders are superior. i love the ability to look up EVERY NGC graded coin on their website. now, i have never sent a coin to be graded before, i am only the end user purchaser so i know my opinion doesn't matter other than for my own personal tastes. i am curious what other collectors such as myself who do not send the coins for grading think, but, more importantly, i am curious what DEALERS who are sending coins in volume think. do you see a higher return on one grading company or the other? is one more expensive than the other?
Purely my personal observation, and I am far form an expert, PCGS seems to be a more strict grading company, and PCGS coins seem to get a higher premium because of it. Personally, I have a set of proof silver eagles in PCGS holders, so I will stick with them because I am anal, but I would have no issue going to NGC on another coin; I think they are actually a bit cheaper as well, and I agree w/ you about the NGC holders. In fact, I just bought the 95W proof set; the Silver eagle will go to PCGS to get slabbed and the gold will most likely go to NGC.
Let's throw this thought into the mix: For a coin that is the exact same coin as you suggested, sending to either PCGS or NGC is going to be graded about the same, but depending on the experience of the graders and their tolerance levels, which is pretty similar IMO. Either way you might get a spectacular grade (meaning it's highest grade possible for the coin) or it might be low-balled (meaning the grader wasn't for some reason, giving it's highest weight to it). And it could depend on the scarcity of the coin, so that the market grading (meaning it's likely money value per the TPG) is considered in there. So.... on a good day, you send that puppy off to NGC and it comes back MS-66 ....and you think wow! (because you never thought it would get above the MS65) ..... But you send it off to PCGS (this is theoretical....since you can't send the same coin at the same time to both TPGs) and it comes back MS65 or even MS65+ ..... Now you have a coin that carries a value based on a label - I'd say in the NGC holder this exact same coin is more valuable to most, but for some, if they prefer or think that PCGS is tougher will value the PCGS coin. But if it was reversed, and PCGS came back with the 66 grade and NGC came back with the 65 Grade, who's being 'tougher' on the coin, grading wise. Personally, for a collection, it might be important to pick up one TPG from another, or go for one 'grade' over another, but in the end, it is the coin you are buying, not the slab.
