PCI doesn't have a price guide that at least ostensibly tracks the market so it's kind of hard to say.
Personally, I hate that motto and think that it is a disservice to most collectors, but with PCI graded coins, it works well.
I completely and 100% agree. I think this is a terrible thing to say (when talking about top tier TPGs: PCGS and NGC). It completely devalues the slab. Despite what a lot of people around here like to say...the slab has value. Here is my line of thinking and IMHO, this really only applies to PCGS and NGC. One could make the argument that old ANACS slabs also apply to this. Anyway, my thought is these top tier TPGs are an expert in this field...when they slab a coin they are labeling it with their expert analysis. It just like having an appraisal done on a house or having a medical exam done by a doctor...their experience and expertise has value. Now, I'm not saying a coin is worth more when it is slabbed verses raw. If I sent in a 1893-S Morgan Dollar and it is slabbed...the coin is worth the same as it was before I sent it in. However, the package of the coin with the slab is worth more than the coin alone. On top of the increase in value, the slabbed coin is more liquid as well.
My reason for hating the buy the coin not the slab is because most collectors don't have the requisite knowledge to make the advice worthwhile. If you can't correctly evaluate the grade assigned by the TPG, how on earth are you supposed to follow that mantra?
I completely agree with you...100%. Most collectors lack that ability. However, when people say the slab has no value it irritates me.