Mixing PCGS, NGC, & ANACS for personal sets

What do my experienced friends here at Coin Talk think about this:

When trying to compile a set (say, full step nickels), what do you say about mixing these grading companies? Personally, I do not care about "registering" sets as I don't see collecting as a "competition".

I try to get only PCGS, but I am considering getting a couple in NGC and a couple errors in ANACS. Is this a no-no? (I dont plan on selling until well after I retire in about 18 years if that helps).

 

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+1

 

Being new here for about a month, I dont know what that means

 

+1 means "I agree" or "I second that".

Some see matching holders as important, some are just interested in the coin inside.

I have slabbed coins from several companies in my collections.

 

Bravo!

My opinion probably doesn't count for much on this issue, because I'm proud and happy to collect even problem coins if they appeal to me, and I have very few slabbed coins. I do value the authentication aspect of slabbing, and I have some stuff I might one day slab to improve its resale prospects. But I can't imagine paying a lot more for Slab X instead of Slab Y, or passing up a better coin in Slab Y, just to maintain consistency in my collection.

One more edit: you mention selling in the far future, so I assume you are thinking about eventual resale value. People here periodically ask about selling a set vs. selling off individual coins. I think most of us agree that you'll get more by selling off the best coins individually, in which case slab consistency probably doesn't matter. Sometimes, though, you don't have the luxury of time to do that...

 

I just completed a set of Jefferson war nickels. I went with NGC only because I intend to put them in as a registry set.

Otherwise, for my purposes, I don’t much care if the coin is PCGS or NGC. It’s the coin and not the slab for me.

 

Slab matters less for errors and frankly most errors just aren’t worth enough for the PCGS fee.

As far as mixing companies it’s fine, just don’t pay PCGS prices for ANACS or NGC slabs. If you’re getting any big ticket ones I’d strongly look at PCGS ones, but for common date common grade it doesn’t matter that much

 

Here is my toned Indian set. It has a mix of both NGC and PCGS. I think I would eventually like to try to cross them all to PCGS for matching holders with TrueViews, but not anytime soon. I would like to "finish" it first, and there are still several coins I would like to find better toners of. Once I am satisfied with the final 15 coins, I will start crossing.

 

I have all three and don't worry about matching anything.

 

If you don't care about registry then you absolutely should be shopping every slab. I've found a few beauties in even newer ANACS holders and lots more in older ones. I've bought dozens of 66 or higher common date Morgans and one of the nicest ones I found was hiding in a new ANACS 65 holder. I think the person submitted it to ANACS thinking it was a problem coin because the reverse appears to be struck through a piece of thread which embedded in the coin. So not only is it a gorgeous coin to begin with but it's potentially a cool strike through as well and I got it for like $80 because of the ANACS slab (now in it for a little more after sending to NGC and getting it stickered). Should have it Monday and will start a thread about what I think is a strike through.

 

I'd go for how the coin looks and the price you paid for them over getting matching slabs. You could always cross them over to PCGS, but that would be more costly and you risk getting downgraded.

The one argument that I might be for, of course depending on the set, is to get a multi-coin slab from NGC where all the coins are put into a single large slab; but NGC no longer offers that service. Something like that would look beautiful with a high-MS and full steps war nickel collection (mostly because I'm a WWII buff and I place more value in that type of thing); or if you're a type collector, then a single proof set in one slab.

 

I prefer NGC to PCGS; however, my collection has both, plus some old ANACS white slabs as well.

 

I’m guessing we’re about the same age but I don’t know about this “retire” thing you speak of.

 

Haha. I will be 45 then end of February. I can retire at 62. Might work a couple more years to save up for a steel 1944 cent!

 

I personally do mix different slabs. It limits your possibilities when you focus on only one company. As long as the coin looks nice and the price is right for you, then go for it!

 

I have slabs from all three. Buy what you like. ANACS sometimes will slab those VAM's that the others will not.

 

Thank you for the responses. They have been hugely insightful and give me all the more to consider.

Here’s something else I have, a bit off topic but I figure I’ll ask here rather than create a new thread:

When I’m on eBay cruising wheat pennies, these people are selling their semi key wheats for 99 cents. Sure their condition isn’t great but what do these people doing 99 cent transactions stand to gain? Is it really only 99 cents? I consider there are individuals with thousands of that same penny and the same amount of suckers out there to buy em, but I just don’t understand how selling your little penny for 99 cent or less is worth it unless you’re making sales MULTIPLE times a day. I’m confused.

Someone bless (or nuke) me with your coin trading economic insight.

 

I have the same thoughts and questions about selling any thing for .99 or $2-$3 for that matter.
Please start a new thread. More people will see the topic and you will get much better responses. I look forward to getting some answers from our experienced sellers. Thanks for bringing this up!

 

The 99 cent sales are either people trying to make a small amount who will mail it in a normal letter, auctions gone wrong, or people doing it basically to pad their feedback. A lot of cheap sales to get their feedback numbers up

 

"Buy the coin, not the slab."