I have the Numismatist magazine from ANA (March 2010)and I am wondering why their membership application form contains a direct connection to NGC? It says that "upon receipt, NGC will send a submission kit and membership number to you". I understood that ANACS is the oldest grading company in the US and I thought it was started by the ANA so it just seems a little strange that they stand by someone other than the company they were originally connected to in the first place. Does anyone know who started ANACS? Or why the ANA refers to NGC as opposed to ANACS? Last question is, did you join using the form or did you just give them a call?
NGC is the "Official Grading Service of the ANA" because they were the highest bidder. Though ANACS was originally founded by the ANA, it was spun off as an independent company many, many moons ago. If you Google "ANACS", you can find the complete history. Chris
What cpm9ball said. In addition, ANACS quality has gone way down hill. They are considered by most collectors to be a "second tier" grading service. PCGS and NGC are the top tier, so if you join ANA you get to submit coins to NGC.
RLM, How does that work? I haven't seen it published anywhere on the NGC site or in any of their member packets. Chris
I am sorry, but I do not remember the specific links. As best I can remember, there is a page on eBay that links to a NGC's submission form, but that might be bass ackwards. The only time I used it, NGC walked me through it. My guess is they would do the same for anyone else that interested.
The ANA started ANACS in 1970 and it began operations in 1972. ANACS was sold by the ANA to Amos Press in 1990. At some point afterwards, sorry I can't recall the year, PCGS became the "Official Grading Service of the ANA" and they remained so until Feb 2004 when NGC out bid them to become the "Official" service. The "Official" service is not chosen by merit, it is open to any grading service and will be awarded to whichever one gives the ANA the most money. NGC and PCGS being the big boys though have much deeper pockets so no other service really has a chance to take the honor.
Conder, wasn't ANACS originally based in Washington, D.C. before making the move to Colorado Springs? Chris
Yes that is correct, of course the ANA was also located in Washington DC at the time as well. The ANA headquarters moved out to Colorado and ANACS moved shortly afterwards.
There are those who would ask what is meant by "Quality". I have heard or read it mentioned many times that if you want to SELL a coin, grade it with PCGS, but if you BUY, get ANACS. Evidently, PCGS has made a marketing push by offering good deals to dealers and perhaps a bit of grade inflation to better customers ? Pure speculation, but one does wonder why, so many swear by PCGS ? Especially when some independent studies have shown that cross over's don't change. Of course, ANACS does attribute a whole lot more varieties than PCGS or NGC do. But everyone here tells us to buy the COIN, not the slab. I see some outfit on eBay that seems to grade everything a perfect 70 ! I wil say that when dealing with ANACS over the phone, I have had very good professional communications. When someone treats me well, I like to give them my business. Just sayin'
Kinda put the terms "official this" and "official that" into perspective! Or, grading and grading standards have little to do with it! Thank Goodness SGS is dirt poor!
It's the same with every other "official" product. "Official" anything is an advertising gimmick. Bud is the "official" beer of the NFL, not because Bud is a good beer, or the best beer, but because Bud pays the $$$ to the NFL for the mention during broadcasts of the games. Please don't let this thread turn into an argument over what beer is best, what I wrote was JUST an example.
It was generally acknowledged that the "old" ANACS had been fairly conservative in their grading, and so, even after the move from Colorado to Ohio, ANACS was able to maintain a pretty strong 3rd place behind PCGS & NGC. After the company was sold and moved to Texas, it seems that they lost some of that standing, but it became worse when a former ICG officer bought the company after losing in an attempt to buy ICG. He then moved the company to Colorado, and having lost some of his grading staff who didn't want to make the move, he then lured some of the grading staff away from his former employer, ICG. These "shenanigans" only made it harder for them to maintain any level of respect. It's common knowledge that ANACS will attribute all Morgan & Peace dollar VAM's, and I would guess that the VAMpires keep them very busy with submissions in that regard. The problem remains that their grading standards which used to conservative are now more optimistic than ever before. Chris
cpmball Great stuff, I remember reading all or most of that in coin world. I just didn't know that a ex-ICG officer started it all. Thanks, Bob
The problem is Gary the people that say that are talking about an ANACS that no longer exists. There has never been an independent study that showed any such thing. There have been two "studies" done, such as they were. The PNG did one in 2002, and Coin World did one in 2004. Both "studies" were done with 20 coins or less. In neither of them was there any level of consistency, the grades were all over the map, and neither "study" proved anything, except that each of the grading companies graded the same coins very differently. I can understand that, most folks would feel that way. But when you get down to the coins and when ANACS says the coin is a 65, but NGC and PCGS both say it is a 63 - what do you do then ? And if you like good customer service, try NGC. They have without a doubt the best reputation there is for providing the very best customer service of any TPG in the industry.
The old smaller white ANACS slabs house coins that I feel are accurately graded, the blue slabs and the yellow ones seem in some instances to be inaccurately graded, generally optimistically. As mentioned here, ANACS is great for varieties and I have several Roosevelt dime varieties on ANACS slabs. I'm a NGC fan. The customer service is excellent and the grading every bit as good, if not better, than at PCGS. As an ANA member, I have free submission privileges at NGC but would use them anyway, since I loathe Don WIllis and refuse to put so much as a cent in his pocket.
