Hi, New visitor here but old collector. I am having trouble understanding the wild price variations between PCGS/NGC vs IGC/ANACS. For example: A particular coin's Grey sheet price is $7000. At auction this coin in PCGS/NGC goes for $9000 to $25,000 and between $3000 and $5000 in IGC/ANACS. The coins all have the same date and mint mark and MS grade. I have looked at the IGC/ANACS coins via computer image and they look pretty much the same as the PCGS/NGC coins. This paticular coin sells for $500 one grade lower in PCGS/NGC so I don't understand the $3000 to $5000 range of IGC/ANACS. It seems to me that a person who holds this coin would grade it by PCGS/NGC for the most money but if IGC/ANACS are grading high then the price should be $500 if they are off one grade and not the $3000 to $5000 range. Things aren't adding up and I was hoping someone would enlighten me. I don't care to reveal the date/mint mark because what I am interested in is the broader explaination of these prices. Thank You
Most online images aren't detailed enough to grade from. Don't let pictures fool you. The difference in price in sight unseen sales is directly related to the confidence that the grading company's opinion is accurate. Obviously PCGS, NGC, ANACS, and ICG are respected in that order. That being said, I have gotten better deals, in general, with ANACS holders -- the market often discounts them too much. Here are two of my favorite coins, in ANACS plastic: Sight seen is a different story -- buy the coin not the holder. I shy away from most sight unseen transactions unless a good return privilege is given...Mike
Another reason PCGS and NGC coins sell for more than ICG and ANACS coins, is because PCGS and NGC have set registries. Some people make a lot of money crossing ANACS and ICG coins over to PCGS and NGC. Charlie
It is all in people minds.....if they hear PCGS is good then they will buy PCGS and not the others. I have found that NGC is better and more consistent with grading than PCGS.... I have found ANACS to be better than ICG in grading coins after 1964. My pick is ANACS---as you said you can get them cheaper and they do grade the same way....all 4 Co. use Market grading. Speedy
Howdy haybailer - Welcome to the Forum !! The simple explanation to your question is that it is a matter of perception of quality. It's like brand name recognition - you might be in a store to purchase a certain item, say a TV, and the store has the same item manufactured by 2 different companies. Item A is priced at $300 while item B is priced at $600. Both TVs are 27" color models - but you will choose which to purchase based on your own beliefs as to which is the better buy. To a large degree it is the same with slabbed coins. Basically there are 4 grading companies largely trusted by most of the numismatic community - NGC, PCGS, ANACS & ICG. That's it - just those 4. All other grading companies are not considered to be worthy of trust or recognition. But even within those 4 companies some are perceived to be more trustworthy than the others. But when I say trustworthy what I mean is this - some people think PCGS grades more accurately and conservatively than the other three. Some think the same thing is true of NGC or ANACS. And some even say it of ICG. So depending on who the buyer is a given coin of a given grade will sell for different prices depending on who slabbed the coin. As I said - it's all a matter of perception. Now here's where it gets tricky. What causes people to believe what they do - or have a certain perception ? Generally people will believe what their trusted friends tell them, or what they read from a trusted source. Some few will even do the necessary research and examine the facts before making a decision or forming an opinion. But regardless of how one forms their own opinion - usually once formed that opinion is unshakable. And then they tell their friends who form their own opinions and so forth. So there you have it - coins in various slabs sell for various prices because people perceive the coins in one slab might worth more or less than the same coins in another slab. If you wish a more detailed explanation please do a search on this forum for posts on the subject of grading. But allow yourself some time - there's a lot to read
I completely agree with this assessment. I like ANACS and I don't think I've ever gotten an overgraded coin by them [maybe just luck]. There is also the possibility that if you hold the coins long enough, someday ANACS and ICG might sell at a premium to NGC and PCGS. There is no written rule that a company on top will stay on top.
