ICG And HSN'S Mike Mezack Part Ways? "There are 3 Major Grading Services"

Have to agree here. You can talk Top 2, and you can talk Top 4, but if ANYONE tells you there's a scintilla of a difference between 3 and 4, he's lying his backside off. That said, both ICG and ANACS have had their respective reputations move around more over time than the other two have.

Both ICG and ANACS have their strengths and weaknesses, just like Honda/HPD and Chevy/Ilmor Indy Car engines do, but neither is better than the other in all ways.

 

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It's good to see coins that are available and then go to another source to buy for greatly reduced price

 

"Nobody views ICG as a legitimate grading service."

I do.

 

Gosh, I guess it's good that I bought the ANA grading book using a gift card!

 

I've noticed, as I started to look at slabbed coins, that some coins seem to deteriorate in the holder. When the grading services grade and slab a coin, do they use a preservative to prevent oxidation? I've seen many coins that just don't look like the grades they are given (often in older slabs). I'm certainly no expert, though.

 

This is a very good question. Unfortunately (but fortunately), your scenario DOES NOT APPLY TO ME so you should probably ask another professional grader/authenticator for their answer as it will probably apply to the other 99.99% of folks working at a TPGS. This is why.

I take more than the often quoted "six seconds a coin." That's because I can. ICG is not a "sweat mill" where graders are pressured to get the box done.

I've worked at ANACS (in DC), INSAB, PCI (in TN), NGS & NCS (in NJ & FL) and ICG (in FL). At each place I worked (except NGC - they threw all of us out of the building by 7 PM) I have been in complete control of my hours at the company. We had an "inside" joke at all the other services: "I ain't got no life." For example, while at PCI I came to work at 10 PM and left work between 1-2 AM!!
I'm usually working at ICG until 8 PM. Simple reason - we're like AVIS Rent-a-Car and try harder. We provide our customers faster turnaround, cheaper prices, the best customer service, guarantees, and market accurate grading and authentication as good or better than any other TPGS. Nevertheless, we are considered to be inferior to the "top two." There are reasons for this that have been discussed above.

It's your money and preference and no one can argue with your personal choices.
At ICG, your coins get a much closer look, often free conservation, and a nice presentation in our slab because that's the way our owner wants it. Additionally, I prefer to grade, authenticate, and research coins more than watch TV, sleep or eat. I wish I had a bed at work. I often email some of my friends at other TPGS late at night or on National Holidays to let them know I'm working away while they are at play.

 

If you love your job then you never work a day in your life

 

I got you. And if you are looking to change professions, I could use a dedicated fellow like you in my office. Granted construction materials aren't nearly as fun as coins though....

The point I am trying to make in the face of all the "regarded opinions" here is that TPG graders are as human as anyone else. The guy making your lunchtime burger, the guy washing your car, the guy cutting your grass..... Every one of them is not 110% on his "A" game every moment of every working day. And I believe it would do good for some of the perfectionist minded members here to recognize that.

 

Which is why more than one grader has to agree. But you’re absolutely right in the sense that a single “mistake” that someone finds doesn’t invalidate the entire company like some people try to present like it should

 

Sturgil S, posted: "Who exactly considers ICG "better" that PCGS?"

ICG is better than PCGS in many categories. Examples: Cost, turnaround time, and customer service. A coin in a PCGS slab will usually bring more money. That's good as a seller. It is also very good for an "educated" buyer who "Buys the coin not the holder."

La Geezer, posted: "This is sad!"

Not sad, but common knowledge. It is called "business," or "the way things are," a "fact," etc. Nevertheless, when you become a competent grader, you'll see that generally the TPGS's have basically the same standards.

clawofthegriz, posted: "Steve: I agree with you it is a scam. However, most people don't see it that way. Its the big TPG against the smaller TPG. It boils down to who has the most money to promote their company or the most money to grease the squeaking wheel. I know this from experience and have proof. I believe Congress needs to intervene and make the playing field level for all TGP to stop the disparity between them, whereby one can't grade a coin 70 and when you take the coin to another TGP they grade it lower. Something (in my opinion) is not right and I think the TGP know what is going on. Its like squeeze the little guy out mentality that is why we are having this issue. Solution: someone needs to invent a computer option to grading. That is take out all the human judgment calls, money influences and a whole bunch of other related items away from the graders/TGP. But as everyone knows what makes sense and is logical is illogical."

Thanks for posting your opinion; however, this is one of the most Self EDIT I have ever read on a coin forum. The government screws up everything they touch! You better hope this NEVER takes place.

PS All we can ask from someone is: "Whatever you do, do it "right" and to the best of your ability." Folks who own their own business know what has been expressed as I was writing this.

 

And a nice guy.

 

We have the technology to make grading uniform by machine learning, artificial intelligence and neural networks. And no, there is no human "programming" required to accomplish it. Try to keep up with new things. What we do NOT have is the WILL to apply this technology to the coin grading problem.

 

I'll never understand the obsession some have with wanting to turn everything over to computer programs. Should we just build some robots then end the human race to get out of the way of these all mighty computers?

 

That reminds me "Humans" returned to TV for a 3rd season.

 

Not everything. Just things that humans don't want to do, or things that humans are terrible at. Like driving. (No, not you, I know you're an above-average driver. Most people are, apparently.)

Oh, and things where computer can grab money for their owners faster than human employees can grab money for their owners.

 

Like Lake Wobegone where "all the children are above average"

 

Registers are fine, but I want no part of self driving cars.

 

That's okay, great-grandpa didn't want any part of human-driven cars, at least at first, or so I'm told. He had a reputation as a sensible man.

 

Except I’m of the age that is all about the new tech stuff. I don’t trust computers driving a car nor should I since they’ve already killed people now during testing. They’re not as close as people think so thankfully won’t have to worry about it for quite sometime. There’s a place for them in war, not so much busy American cities.

 

So was he, at the time.

My take on it is that of course self-driving cars are somewhat dangerous -- because driving is dangerous.

I agree that self-driving cars aren't ready for widespread deployment. But I do think they're very close, because I think they're very close to being safer than most human drivers. I don't want to wait for them to achieve a zero kill rate; I just want that rate to be lower than human drivers by a wide margin. And like I said, I think we're closer than most people think. (Okay, I take that back; with the hype that's going around today, "most people" are probably verging on irrational exuberance.)

So, is the thread jacked yet?