I've purchased a few graded coins (70) on ebay and noticed most have arrived in a slab with one or more scratches. Is this how they sometimes arrive from the grading companies, or were my coins just not well kept by the previous owner? I realize it's just the slab, but it does ruin the experience.
It was probably the fault of the previous owner. I realize that it can happen every once in a while, but I've had many, many coins graded, and I've never gotten one back from the TPG with scratches on the slab. FWIW, if you want to really see some "slab abuse" go to a major show like the FUN Show and watch how some dealers throw them around on the Early Bird day. Chris
I believe that any grading company will send slabs that are undamaged as it's to their credit to do so. Sending damaged slabs would only destroy their business, not build it up. If you received it in the mail with no damage to the packaging, then it can only be damaged or scratched by the previous owner/s.
I've gotten slabs back fresh from NGC with scratches on them. Not a lot, but a couple in bad locations.
I have even seen slabs that were badly cracked. One ANACS slab with a MS63 20 Saint in it was so badly cracked, the entire front side surface obscured the coin. I asked the dealer what caused it, he said "I don't know, it must have been the previous owner I bought it from". By the way, 70 slabbed coins sounds like quite a lot more than just a few. Ha, ha!
I have found that model polish works well to cover up some of the lighter scratches. That's the paste that people who build plastic models use for the final finish on their models cars, planes , boats etc.
If I were subjected to an inconsiderate dealer like that, I'd tell him to leave my table and don't come back until he (I've never seen a woman do it.) learned some manners. Chris
McGuire's ScratchX is a quick remedy with a buff from a terry cloth, others have various methods to get them out. And the NGC non scratch resistant holders are not good for handling.
