Infancy slab coins was selling for crazy premiums. Can not believe its been 31 yrs since PCGS was born. I still remember the first coin I send in was a 1917-D Type I quarter and it came back MS65.
PCGS came out in 1986 (29 years); NGC in 1987. ANACS may have been out sooner but they didn't get the ball rolling. It wasn't the slab coins, it was the increased liquidity, electronic pricing, and the promise of tens of millions flowing into coins from Wall Street that moved the MS-65 Saint premium to 600-700%. Gold was under $500/oz. but the coins were $2,500 - $3,000 for months !!