Hi everybody Please read this article about third party graders: The History of the First Third-Party Coin Grading Service - ANACS (coinweek.com) How did coin collectors decide whether or not they would buy a coin, "raw" by today's euphemism, without the coins being "graded" and sealed in a plastic container? I've been collecting since I was a little tyke and the only grading that I knew of at the time had to do with my school grades.
It depends on the condition and the rarity of the coin like for example would you buy a 1916 D mercury dime raw for $200 or a certified example for $400-$500?Note I don't always buy slabbed coins but sometimes its better to buy the certified one.
I agree, actually I seldom buy slabbed coins but if I see something online that's slabbed and it's a fair price, I'll gladly snap it up. In my case, slabbing is mostly to sell coins as opposed to buying coins.
I only buy slabbed coins now, unless it is a very inexpensive coin. Given the amount of worldwide counterfeiting, it is not only important to have coins graded, but the authenticity guaranteed. I am certain that I have collected for many more years than the OP, but I want the guarantee that certification brings. How did people buy, before the days of certification? The old joke was that when they bought coins, they were all MS, and when they went to sell, all coins suddenly were AU. Certification makes sight unseen buying and selling a reality, as long as it is from reputable dealers.
Yes but I highly doubt the counterfeited slabs are NGC or A PCGS the only people who fall for fakes are people that buy the slab not the coin.
Actually most of the counterfeit slabs that I have seen purported to be either NGC or PCGS. Some of them are quite real looking. More than just slab rather than coin buyers can be fooled. Botttom line? Know your dealer.
I don't really consider counterfeit slabs to be much of a problem, since they are much easier to detect. Consider the very limited number of types of reputable slabs that might be counterfeited. One need only gain expertise at identifying a genuine version of each slab type, as opposed to a genuine version of tens of thousands of different coins that might be copied.
We looked at the coins, applied what we knew of grading, determined whether it had been cleaned or not from our experience, and judged it's value from experience, price guides, and real world comparison to other similar coins we have seen. From this we decided whether or not we were willing to pay the price asked. If you were worried about fakes the answer was to study and know as much about the coins as you could. It is called personal knowledge. If you didn't trust your knowledge, you didn't buy it. Now when you buy they tell you the TPG undergraded it or it has superior eye appeal, then when you go to sell it's "I don't know what the TPG was thinking, they definitely have it overgraded." Some result, but possibly at a greater price discrepancy than what the difference between the grades were when they were raw.
While many do try, the difference is you can just cut them out entirely. It is very easy to sell graded coins through a variety of avenues online and the snake oil salesmen can scrounge for inventory elsewhere
Another big reason for the 3rd party grading system was not just to set grading standards. It as also for the authenticity aspect. Shows and even brick and mortar dealers had fake coins. The ANA started to give the public a guarantee that the coins were in fact authentic examples.
...so...who’s been collecting longer? You or Charles? Both responses were ambiguous, but I really want to know! I started in 1962 getting mercs, buffalos and IHC from circ. The IHCs were worth 2 cents back then, all are no better than vg8, but all were collected in 1962, going door-to-door selling TV Guide magazine, the small pocket size thing with all the channel listings in it that practically everyone had on their living room coffee table...it was my first job...I was 11 years old...could not afford to save more than pennies and nickels...Spark
I used to park cars on public streets for $2.00 per car. Then when I was 12 we moved from the city to the country. I picked wild blackberries and sold them. When I was 14 my mom had to drive me but I picked apples. Sure made a lot of money doing that. On a Saturday I could pull in over $15.00 easily. That was a lot of money in 1968. I saved up and bought my first car on 1972. A Plymouth Duster, only $65.00 a month for 3 years and it was mine. Paid in full.