Personally, I think that I could do without grading services just fine. I know how to grade and have a very good dealer network that I trust. Having said that, they really do fill a need in the hobby for many reasons and they do plenty of things to provide information to collectors. Even if you don't like slabs or the grading services as a rule, it's hard to deny that they have helped to moved the hobby forward. To answer the original question, as a proof collector, I prefer PCGS. They are a little more conservative and I don't like how many obviously "conserved" coins are in NGC slabs, I feel that the work should be denoted when the surfaces have been altered for better or worse.
Ok, lets cut out the personal stuff. I DO NOT want to see it continue beyond this point, and that goes for the similar hissy fit in the other thread. Thanks.
I have bought several houses in my lifetime. Home inspectors are another useless breed and do not pay for their mistakes.
I encounter and buy a lot of raw coins. When I'm considering them one of my major concerns is will it grade. Having a coin in a pcgs or NGC slab makes it far easier to sell for me. I also like that it protects the coin well from accidental damage. Other then anacs I consider coins in other third teir tpgs raw or worse and seldom even look unless it's something rare or exciting. Slabbed coins are a fact of life and I feel a good way for many collectors to feel more confident in their purchases
You don't think that they plenty of educational work, established a benchmark for the Sheldon scale and help protect collectors from counterfeits?
Why do PCGS coins sell for the most money? Personally I think it's a conspiracy. However I must admit there are things I like about PCGS. My favorite hard plastic however is SEGS. I also like the DCGS slabs where you could see the whole edge of the coin, too bad they didn't last.
We have had these threads endlessly regarding PCGS vs. NGC. They are EQUAL in terms of reliability, accuracy and the desirability of coins in their holders. Some folks prefer PCGS, some NGC--it is like Chocolate vs Vanilla arguments.
I get asked all the time about PCGS and increased value while working the ANACS table at shows, basically "why should I submit to ANACS when the coin is worth more in PCGS plastic?" I tell them my experiences with ANACS prior to working for them, which is I've never had a problem getting good money for an ANACS-graded coin. We run show and online specials where grading is a little as $10/coin, and I also explain that PCGS charges more. I think all the major services do a good job grading most coins, but as we've all seen, mistakes do get made.
This statement says a lot about the problems with the grading services and the hobby. The coin is worth what the coin is worth. If its value changes just because you put a different piece of plastic around it then you aren't concerned with the value of the coin. You are collecting plastic. I collect coins.
Cool. Let me share an anecdote too. I was at a show in vegas and for some reason this dealer had 1 or 2 anacs coins in his case. A guy walked by, and looked at the coin. He told the dealer that while he was looking for that particular coin that he "didn't want to risk it". The dealer didn't either hear or understand what the guy meant. But I'm pretty sure he understood when the guy just moved on without even talking about it further. While you can argue the quality of anacs (and even segs ) all you want. But in the world i live in perception is more important then reality. People don't like hearing this. But not wanting to hear or accept it doesn't make it less true. Pcgs and ngc are the only market acceptable grading companies.
I'll buy anacs coins but I'll usually cross them to pcgs or NGC they should upgrade the design of their slabs that's the biggest turnoff for me they don't stack and I hate the yellow I like the little old white holders tho. I've had several anacs coins upgrade when sent to pcgs!!
I have to admit, I agree wholeheartedly with Mainebill on that one. As a company, I don't mind ANACS at all. I think the grading is fair, and the prices are reasonable. But god, those slabs. Ugh. Especially those yellow ones.