So, i finally decided to become a member of one of these. I was hoping one of you could answer a few questions for me, as i am very new to the grading scene, and not sure which one i want to go with yet. Firstly, will either of these companies assign grade AND variety to a coin, if the variety is well known or in cherrypickers, without me having to pay variety fees? With my free submissions at either place, does the same thing apply? Can i get a variety assigned to the coin with my free submission? For the registeries, i had heard that PCGS only accepts PCGS graded coins, but that NGC accepts both(NGC and PCGS), is this true? And is NGC harder on cent grading than PCGS? Finally, do PCGS slabbed coins hold a higher market value than NGC slabbed coins? Thanks for all your input. Feels like im taking baby steps, one step at a time lol. Are there any benefits between either of them that i missed?
I can't answer all your questions, but generally, variety attribution is an extra fee. You can reduce this fee by researching the variety yourself and have them confirm it. But it's still extra. It depends on what you pay, either up front in your choice of membership, or at time of grading. But you still pay. Also, NGC and PCGS will attribute major varieties and they list these on their respective websites. If you also want minor varieties and more choices, the you also need to look at ANACS. Right now, there is a PCGS bias in the marketplace for pricing. But YOUR price will ultimately depend on the coin and not the slab. The best way to learn is jump in there and get some lower priced coins graded (around $50 to $300). Nothing like actual experience. And don't be shy about researching each website and calling them with questions.
I can only speak for NGC, for which I am a member. It costs $5 I believe to request VAM attribution, and they will only attribute the top 50 or 100 most significant VAMs. Mint errors and varieties cost $10 to be attributed. As for registries, yes, you can add both NGC and PCGS coins to your NGC registry set. NGC coins are immediately added, whereas you need to wait a few days for PCGS coins to be added to your NGC registry, as there is some manual intervention involved. PCGS's registry only accepts PCGS coins, so obviously NGC has one up here. PCGS, in my opinion, does hold a slight edge in market values. Example: Go here, and look at the price difference between a NGC MS-65 and a PCGS MS-65. As for benefits, they each have online price guides, forums, etc. They now both do + grading for free.
I thought attributing VAM's at NGC falls under the Variety Plus service which is $10. Has the Plus (+) service changed at PCGS? When they first introduced the SecurePlus service, they were charging for it. Chris
In addition to what they've already said, it is much more cost effective to join the ANA ($28 a year), and by doing so you get submission abilities to NGC.
This isn't entirely accurate. If you're only submitting a few coins a year, it's okay, but if you're submitting 60-100 coins per year, it's a different story. I pay for the Elite membership at NGC which is $249 annually ($209 for renewals). I receive a grading certificate for 5 free submissions which is worth $150 and I get a 10% discount on the tier charge on all successive submissions. Let's assume that you submit 100 coins each year under the Modern Tier with your ANA membership, and I submit 100 coins each year under the Modern Tier with my Elite membership: ANA $28 + $1250 = $1278 NGC Elite $249* - $150 = $99 + $1125 = $1224 ($1184 for Renewals) *First year only. For 60 coins, under the ANA it would cost you $778, and it would cost the Elite member $774. Chris
Depends on which tier of service you request. If you same day service at a show, it will cost an arm and a leg.
I would need same day grading, so I guess my best bet would be submitting in the mail? But the coin isn't cheap either so... hum.
I think it would be cheaper, faster and safer having it graded at the show for same day pick-up. Via the mail, you would incur the shipping and insurance costs both ways, and even with same day service you should still expect 4-8 days in transit. Anything could happen while it is in transit. Besides, I don't think that same-day grading at the shows is quite that expensive......just half an arm and half a leg. Chris
ok well since I last posted I joined the ANA. So I have to wait 2 weeks to get my membership card. I am going to the Boston World Fair of Money... will they still let me use the ANA membership?
Maybe. Common varieties are free at both services. Less common ones there is an added fee. NGC is $10 and PCGS is $24. Yes, but you'll pay the added variety fee cost. Yes, but does that really matter to you? The registries affect only an extremely tiny area of coins. Both services grade EXTREMELY close to each other. Marketing hype may say otherwise, but in reality they are very close graders for most coins. Sometimes. With the exceptions of a few type, this shouldn't matter. Yes. NGC has a much faster turnaround time. They do errors for no additional charge. They grade a much wider variety of world coins. They grade tokens and medals. Depending on how many coins you are planning on submitting, consider not joining either and submitting thru a dealer instead.
Why don't you try calling the ANA, explain your situation, and see if they can give you your membership # over the phone. Chris
