When to slab ?

I'd been out of being serious about coins for a few decades, and got back into it when I was asked to liquidate an estate for an older gent. As a result, I got into it again, and bought a fairly sizeable part of the collection. Most of the coins were taken from circulation, and are in well circulated condition, but there are several dozen that are in high grades. What determines if a coin is "slab-worthy" ?

 

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In a word, value. One doesn't want to spend slabbing fees + postage + insurance for a coin of little worth.

 

That makes sense, but what dollar amount is a good guideline ?

 

My suggestion is > $300.

 

OK....not sure if any of mine will qualify...but maybe.

 

Catbert , I hate to disagree but I say >$301 , LOL .
rzage:hatch::hammer:

 

Bird dogging me, eh?

 

Who me , never .
rzage:hatch::hammer:

 

On a slightly more serious note, NEVER.
This is rather an slight indication of what I think of slabs.
At coin shows I see so many coins in slabs that I just know the person that did it was what I call SLAB HAPPY. I've seen many, many coins to me were worth $1 to $10 in a slab. That is just NUTS.
I've been collecting for well over 60 years and have no slabs. I have purchased slabbed coins but break them all out.

 

That's an interesting twist. like I said, I've been out of the loop for quite a while, and now it seems that the slabbed coins are everywhere.

My main interest is in the preservation. The Whitman albums my coins are in now seem to collect dust and dirt. They were already in the albums when I got them. Are air-tite containers the way to go ? Leave them in the albums ?

 

Maybe I am slab happy, but if I pay more than $100 for a coin I want to be sure it's genuine and not some *%&$@# Chinese counterfeit.

Again, maybe I am slab happy, but I am happy and sleep well at night.

As for the issue of certified coins, to each his own.

 

I have very little slabbed coins, and the ones I do are higher priced coins I bought that way..and thats only because I saw a last minute 'snipe bidding' opportunity on ebay.
My complete collection are raw, and are in 2 x 2's, stapled on 4 sides.
For my expensive raw coins, that I really need to preserve the colour as best as i can, they are in air-tites. Tho I was just recently educated in here that nothing is 100% air-tite its a heck of alot better than any other means.
Much like anything else I agree that the Whitman folders seem to collect dust over time, so at least in an airtite you got better protection.

 

What He Said!!!

 

To slab or not to slab, that is the question...asked by many coin collectors. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. As noted earlier, value added is a huge consideration. I buy both raw and PCGS/NGC slabbed coins but that decision is based on the coin (type, whether I like the coin or not). I have never sent a coin in for grading and would not send in a coin to its "final resting place" unless there was some financial benefit in doing so. TC

 

As to leaving your coins in a Whitman Album. That is where I have many, many of my coins now. The only thing I do is place all of them in those Zip Lock Plastic bags. The gallon sized ones fit really great. With over 100 of them and mostlly all full, I've got no problems with toning, tarnishing, corroding, staining, etc. And many, many of the coins are well worth a lot.
Just if no air can easily get to a coin, no problems.
As to a slab. The only thing to remember is if your plans are to continue collecting or plan on in the future selling coins. Since so many today are slab happy, a slabbed coins will always sell easier and for more. And too, if in a PCGS slab, even easier to sell.
Of course the exception is those dumb coins worth a few dollars that for some reason people just have to have in a slab.

 

Airtites are a good product , but for my better unslabbed coins , I go with Intercept Shield , they were developed to neutralize the harmful gasses that get in , they cost about the same or a little more than Airtites .
rzage

 

i second that!

 

I'll send stuff in, just for the heck of it. Waste of money I know.
There are coins that are special to me and just want them in a nice holder.
I'll send something in just to test my own grading. A learning tool.

Years back I build a grading set of IKE dollars and sent it in. I learned a lot from that. Yes I know I'm sick.

 

I'm a college student, unemployed and my wife is the main bread maker. When I was about to buy a 12 pack of beer and was about to pay for it, I noticed a dollar bill that I was about to hand over, the bill was a 1953 silver certificate. I googled it, and somehow came across a page for the 1992 close AM. When googling the 1992 close AM, I came across CT, and ever since I've been ADDICTED!

So okay, what does that have to do with slabbed coins you may ask, for me (and everyones opinion are going to be different), I would slab a coin after posting it on CT to find the opinions (emphasis on OPINIONS).

Being on CT though made me appreciate coins, and gave me a new hobby that I soon passed onto my wife. Unlike me, my wife LOVES errors coins now, but purely for profit.

So, whats the point of me posting, well, if you want to sell to make a profit, slab the coin first, after checking with CT to see if its worth it first of course.

In my opinion, if you love the way a coin looks, there's no need to have a coin slabbed. But, if you want to sell that coin, we all know graded (slabbed coins) fetch a premium over raw coins.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Does that mean the coin in your avatar is raw or owned by someone else?