Hello all...just purchased a 1972 copy of Photograde at the flea market for $1...figured it would be, at the least, very useful and very cost-effective. I was wondering if it had any collector value? The book has blue and light blue square checkerboard as the cover design, and is titled "New Photograde A Photographic Grading Guide for United States Coins" and has a bubble announcing its designation in 1972 as an official grading guide by the ANA. I'm sure someone here has some info on this... (BTW - my coin purchases at the flea market include a *1919D Buffalo in VG for $1 *1921 Merc (checked by 4 other independent dealers as authentic) in G for $27 *A bag of Jefferson Nickels for $15 that included: 28 1938 P (vg-xf) 7 1938 D (vf-xf) 4 1939 D (vf-xf) 9 1942 D (f-xf) 20 1950 P (vg-au) Thanks! ~benjamin
That appears to be the same cover as my old edition. It can make you a lot of money. Not by selling it but by using it. I cant think of any other single publication that has been more useful to me. Others books have been far more interesting but non more helpful. A more sophisticated collector may not agree with my respect for the Photograde book but since Ive been a novice for nearly 10 years I still need the basic references. After saying all that I admit there have been too many times I should have had it in hand and didnt. Pride bites!
I've got a 1974 printing (eighth). I suspect they are rather common. But I would never use it for grading coins. I'll stick to the ANA Grading Standards.
Proud owner of the 5th edition of Brown and Dunn. For those of us who started collecting prior to 1970, this was the only grading guide available and I still find it useful, nearly 40 years later.
According to the Copyright page the First Printing was August 1970. It was close to two years later that I got back into collecting (military and college interruption). And then it was about two years after that when I decided I needed grading help. That's why I have the Eighth Printing (October 1974). My Brown & Dunn is a 1975 Edition so I got it about the same time. I always found the images in my Photograde too fuzzy to help much.
That's why I said the first edition hardbound was better. Pictures were better than in the later softbound editions. They were also on a black background which seemed to help.
You really did OK with the coin purchases also. Nothing like a flea market for coins compared to on line paying for postage, handling, insurances and then worring about what you will really get. Sounds like your flea markets are as good as ours.
