Grading Services

OK, so I'm new to coin collecting. I see so many different Grading Services, how do I know which ones to trust???

 

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Welcome to the forum for starters.

PCGS, NGC and ANACS are the most trusted at this point.

Others will add more detail I'm sure but that's a start.

clembo

 

Ever heard of NPG??

 

Welcome to the Forum. Hope you enjoy yourself here. The top four grading services to stick with when buying rare or slabbed coins are:

NGC
PCGS
ANACS
ICG

Those are considered the top four, the best in the league. Not saying that they don't make mistakes, but if you are buying slabbed coins and are a beginner, stick with those four. Here is a suggestion though: Buy a book on grading coins, or borrow one from your local Library. Also learn the different grades on the Sheldon coin grading scale. Learning to grade will probably be one of the most benefical things you will learn in this hobby. Learning to grade can be a lot of fun, and can also save you a lot of money. NPG I would stay away from, there are on my self slabber list. I personally though haven't seen or bought any coins in a NPG slab though. What coin are you looking at that is slabbed by them? Could you post a pic or auction to the coin? We might be able to help you better off that way. Best of luck, and I look forward to seeing you around. I hope my advice has helped you in some way, and I'm sure others will come and offer more to you. Take care.

Phoenix

 

Good post, pheonix. :thumb: Welcome to the forum southgal!

 

welcome to the forum. learn and study before you buy. gather info from experienced collectors, there are many on this forum willing to help you. go to heritage coins and watch thier aucttions. especially check out the archive. a coin can be ms 63 yet be more or less attractive than another coin of the same grade. grading is very subjective so never hesitate to ask questions of forum members. it will help you enjoy this hobby more as well as save you money in the long run. once again welcome.....steve

 

pcgs is the best TPG in the market and their coins are usually more sought after as shown by the higher prices. welcome to the forum

 

No grading company is a panacea when it comes to grading coins.
While PCGS, NGC, and ANACS are all respected -- trust none of them. There are good coins and not so good coins in every holder.
Learn to grade by looking at as many coins as you possibly can before buying the first one.
Good luck in your numismatic travels.

Have fun...Mike

 

p.s. a piece of unsolicited advice: Find an experienced collector and have them mentor you through your first year, at least. Alternatively, post the coin(s) you are considering to this forum and solicit a lot of opinions.

 

If you plan to buy a coin in a slab make sure the grading service guarantees 1) the coin's authenticity and 2) the coin's grade. The major grading services stand behind their work. Most of the others do not.

 

I agree with pheonix----buy the book before you buy the coin.
Alittle reading on grading, and such will help you alot. No you won't become an expert by reading about grading, but you will have an idea on how the system works.
Check out this part of CT as well---tons of info packed into those links!
http://www.cointalk.org/forumdisplay.php?f=33

I don't agree with spock:

That is a common misunderstanding in the coin market---if you want more insight on the debate about PCGS and NGC do a search here on CT. Both companies mess up....and both companies have their problems, but it is true that NGC is much more consistent! Also---the price gap has been closing for sometime now and it isn't like it use to be.

Speedy

 

Speedy you are free to disagree based on your definition of best. All grading companies mess up but generlaly coin for coin PCGS slabebd coins command more of a premium. Even if the price gap is closing PCGS si still ahead also if you look at the surveys that appear annually from respected publications you will see that PCGS is right on top. I would like to clarify that I have no personal interest in any TPG but if i were to buy a coin slabbed it would be PCGS as the chance of overgrading is least likey that its not to say it has never happened thats where knowledge of the coin comes in.

 

welcome to the forum southgal! :thumb:

 

I'm not sure if I have seen an NPG slab or not. Do you have a picture? With over 150 companies so far it is hard for me to keep all of their initials straight, especially when they try to make them similar to each other or when multiple companies use the same initals.

I will say this, it is probably a fly-by-night company using generic shells. Most of the new companies are now a days.

 

No, never heard of them.
Another of the alphabet soup of new graders, perhaps.
Where did you see them?

 

NPG sounds a lot like NGC to the uninitiated.

 

I have to agree with Speedy on this. I've read a few things recently that make me think PCGS has some systemic business problems that put them in danger of harming their franchise in the name of short term profitability. If that happens, the value of the coins in their slabs could quickly move from a premium to a discount compared to NGC and possibly others. Since I'm not qualified to say whether or not what I've heard is true, that's about all I can say on the matter. But to be safe, I'd go with NGC for now.

 

On average, Spock, you are correct relative to PCGS coins. Averages, however, tell you little or nothing about a specific coin. So don't let the law of averages lull you into a false sense of security.

Remember there are bad coins in PCGS holders just like there are in every other type of slab, and buying PCGS slabs is no substitute for experience and grading ability.

Respectfully submitted...Mike

 

Hmmm, all of them for authenticating your coin and none of them when grading your coin IMHO that is...

Take Care
Ben

 

PCGS is one of the most respected and generally considered the tightest grading standards, but


PCGS is not at all one bit interested in the small or new collector. I just received my 08 pricelist and they have made it perfectly clear that they are about as interested in the small time folks as Ebay is interested in eliminating fraud.

Small time? Stay away, you'll just bother PCGS, they don't want or need your money. Unless your bigtime, PCGS thinks your #$*#&#($()#&*