Has ICG's reputation improved ??

At one time Independent Coin Graders (ICG) were ranked significantly below ANACS . I see coins in their slabs popping up on EBAY.

 

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IDK if their reputation has improved, but as a buyer, i feel pretty confident that if a coin is in an icg slab as MS something it'll be mint state, that is, it'll fit in my MS dansco set, i don't really count on any number grade, though.

 

Unfortunately these aren't available in those other slabs

 

I bet ANACS would grade them.

 

I did look
What does ANACS NOT grade?
Currently, ANACS Does not grade & encapsulate the following:

• Coins larger than 41mm (diameter) or thicker than 4.0mm.
  (Such as Panama-Pacific $50 commemoratives.)
• Hobo Nickels (Altered buffalos – Great Depression Era).
• Love Tokens.
• Restrike coins (Call for more information).
• Non-genuine coins.
• Paper money.

 

I'm not sure about their reputation with collectors but I have found some really nice coins in their holders. I love what they do at major shows for the hobby. Nice folks.

 

Exactamundo Larry. And like always dear fellows........buy the coin, not the holder. If you see something that speaks to you in an (so called) lesser slab, snag it.

 

I don't think they are considered very reputable. I generally avoid them, but if I really like the coin, I might just buy it. Here's one I bought that I just loved, even though I don't believe it should've graded problem free (it's ICGS F12), but I just had to have it for under $50.

 

Best reason to look at ICG slabs is you can get some nice coins cheap sometimes. I also do not think their reputation has changed over the years - or at least my opinion of them hasn't changed.

 

Bingo! There's nothing wrong with using the fact they're generally viewed as being "lesser" to your benefit, and the same can be said even for basement slabs too.

I wouldn't put much weight in ICG graded moderns, but for some classic issues they're generally not that bad, especially when considering the often discount and when compared to some of the garbage the top two have been holdering. JMHO.

 

This makes me think of the early days of slabs. Folks did the same thing. Many just passed on the brand without looking at the coin.

 

I would not just ignore ICG. There are some nice coins in their holders and I've seen posts where people have crossed ICG at grade to PCGS or NGC.

In terms of reputation, they have been at #4 for a while now. I would say that the gap between ANACS (new yellow holders) at #3 and ICG at #4 is fairly slim (although ANACS is quite ahead in terms of VAMS).

Also, ANACS and ICG have been accepted on ebay for a while. Both were temporarily locked out, but were allowed back in when each company added a certification verification tool.

 

Here is a nice ICG graded Morgan that I used to own:

 

You know what I find interesting, ICG is considered the bottom of the barrel, yet Numismatic News' own F. Michael Fizarra is thought of so highly, yet he works at ICG. Why work for them then?

 

Good paying job? Think basketball/baseball/football/hockey star playing on the worst team but receiving a large contract. Also, jobs in numismatics might not be easy to find, so one takes the opportunity when it is there.

 

All good possibilities

 

That's a nice looking one. It's also in an older ICG slab.

 

I would say their reputation hasn't improved, but I would say it hasn't deteriorated further.

 

Buy the coin not the plastic