If you always wanted to create a PCGS want-list, but felt that it would be a very tedious undertaking, I want to share with you a method that could make it a lot easier. Sign in, and find your want-list here. It may already contain some items, or be totally blank like mine was. http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/mysetregistry/mywanteditems.aspx The fastest way I've found to create a want-list is to use the upload feature at PCGS and simply bring in your want list. The only column you really need is the PCGSNo field. You don't need to use Excel, any spreadsheet type program that is easy to use and can save your file as a comma-separated values file type will work. You could even use notepad! Here is what my Excel file looks like: Header-row names must be named exactly as above, but can be in any order, and not all require data. I look up the PCGSno values here: http://www.pcgs.com/pcgsnolookup/ and cut and paste them into my Excel form in bulk. Meaning, you can grab one, or ten, of 50 records all at once. Highlight the coins you want, and hit [CTRL]-C (or right-click COPY). Then back to Excel to past them in, [CTRL]-V. Don't worry about the color / font formatting. Do a save-as to create a CSV version, and upload it here: http://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/MySetRegistry/AddWantedItems.aspx Then you will see something like this: I have a lot more coins to add, but these 64 will be a good test. See, I went from nothing in my PCGS want list to this in a few minutes work: Hope this helps!
My want list is very simple. I want someone to give me $100 million so I can buy whatever I want, whether it is ANACS, NGC, PCGS or raw. Chris
Like most of the features on PCGS and NGC, you can use the inventory system or want list feature to track all kinds of coins, not just same brand. Just because I suggested you lookup the PCGS number for all you want coins, that doesn't mean you only need to buy PCGS coins. You could use this just for the "list" aspect. Personally, I prefer the NGC collection manager, but the PCGS want list is super slick. For collectors who already spend most of their time inside the PCGS ecosystem, it makes a ton of sense. Also, have you ever noticed many coin sites use the PCGS number as a means to search and sort for coins, regardless of who graded the coin ? DLRC and HA come to mind. Having a handy means to lookup these values would seem like a good tool to add to a collectors toolbox.
I believe this tool had been around for a long time, I just wanted to point out a fast way to add bulk entities. I see alot of people doing things the hard way, like hand typing out coins one at a time. Certainly having useful products and features keep the PCGS brand near and dear, but my post was simply about how collectors can maximize their use of free online tools.
Yes, it has been available, but the expanding tool is first and foremost effectively developed for marketing and I was just pointing out how this is also a side of it. I think many collectors too, dislike companies from knowing too much what they own and don't necessarily need their collections being (potentially) tracked by these companies. The trade off of using their services and providing feedback gives the user some simple collection management and effective shopping tools, but a little personal effort to manage your own offline provides tremendous privacy, as well as a depth of experience and enjoyment from seeking the coins yourself.
I actually do both, use NGC and my own fancy Excel version. The privacy factor is less a concern for me, else I would do as you suggest and only maintain a single database offline. I also would not limit myself to NGC or PCGS automated "coin finders", but it is certainly a nice option, especially for less tech savy people. I check my top 10 coin dealer sites daily plus eBay and 3 auction companies, and I still probably miss coins and it takes a bit of effort. (My bigger problem is that I cant only afford 1 nice coin per month). I do like the hunting and gathering aspect of it, to a point. If PCGS new "store" coin finder or the NGC / PCGS registry eBay and Collectors Corner integration can help expose the occasional coin to me I would have otherwise missed, I say its a great addition my tool belt, even if it makes it almost too "easy". I mean, PCGS can't evaluate the quality of the coin for me (yet ), so these matches still need to be looked at one by one, so that hunt aspect is still in there.
I have an extensive WantList at HA. When you look up prices on the NGC site, they have links to NGC coins on eBay. There was a thread about it on NGC. Many did not like it. I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I understand you were just trying to be helpful. I know there are members on the PCGS website that won't even look at a non PCGS coin and others who believe adding the CAC to their slab is the holy grail. This kind of thinking just rubs me the wrong way. Anyway, my sincerest apologies if I upset you. That was not my intention. My intention was to take a snarky shot at the "it must be PCGS" crowd.
No apology necessary, I didn't take you post negatively or personally. Just wanted to followup, as some people reading this thread may not realize these tools can be used to great benefit, even if the sponsors are shamelessly promoting their own slabs over others. I like snarky. :wink:
On a related topic. Does anyone offer a master list of PCGS numbers for import into a database (csv format). I realize there are several coin collection programs out there and have used quite a few, but want to create my own. It would be really nice if I didn't have to create records for each individual coin from the PCGS number lookup page. Thanks
You should be able to pretty easily write a perl script that would systematically chug through the PCGS cert look up page and record all of the data. If you're worried about them "shutting off your IP" because of too much bandwidth use, then you could do it slowly over a couple months or so.
