ANACS slabs... Thoughts?

Some people are smitten with holders. ANACS would probably increase their business if they used an attractive holder. Buy the coin, not the holder some say.

 

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I'm not a big fan of ANACS but I do care about the slabs, all slabs. All I want is a slab that seeks the coin to protect it, is labeled properly, given a fair grade and shows off the coin. I dislike slabs that hide even a small piece of the coin.

 

You pretty much nailed it.
The shape is odd. I understand the reason for the curve at the top. But they need to find another way to get the coin info on the top edge, if that’s what they want, because that curve is just plain ugly.
The yellow color is also hideous. Their logo is corny looking. A large, oddly shaped A.
They need to move on to something that resembles their original white holders.

 

I don't like ANY ANACS holder, and I own quite a few. The old small slab is chemically active and ruins proof coins, period. The newer bigger ones are ugly on stilts. You can only GIVE me an ANACS slab. I'd rather BUY a coin raw than in one. And yes, I am a member of ANACS.

I really do think the true reason no two slabs have the same shape is "intellectual property". You have to make your slab different.

 

I think you are right about the plastic sticking and that it is not moisture

 

Agree...the soap bars have or will give a not so attractive toning to silver coins. As for the newer slabs, the grading is no better than a crap shoot...I'm thru with ANACS until they strengthen their product to compete with the top 2 TPGs.

 

There's probably some truth to this. SEGS has a design patent on their slabs, but it has expired. I think that this is more a case of VHS vs. Beta, where both survived. When each grading service started, neither knew what would be the optimal size for a slab. PCGS got it wrong at first, then corrected themselves. Currently, there are makers of self slabs of both PCGS and NGC formats, and I'm referring to Amos and Leuchtturm, respectively, not the counterfeit stuff. SEGS slabs actually fit the PCGS boxes better than most generations of PCGS slabs. Current ANACS slabs are probably the size they are so that they'd fit in PCGS boxes with the lid closed. Had NGC been freely giving out their boxes like PCGS does, and had PCGS been stingy with theirs, that might not have been a consideration. Most of the reason for different shapes today is market differentiation.

 

Not particularly a fan of the new yellow ANACS slabs. I think the old soap bar design is better and more sturdy.

IMO the ICG slabs are better than ANACS yellow slabs.

 

The only ANACS slab I have is the National 911 silver Medal. It has a nice presentation case and monografted wood storages case. Looks good to me!

 

About 10% of any slabs I receive back from ANACS are cracked - terrible crazing like cracked porcelain - so they go back for a free re-holder in the next lot. I like them for doing my Dan Carr stuff, so I just throw in coins that can be graded by anyone, or I just want to have them protected. They also recognize all VAM varieties as found at www.vamworld.com. If they would get better slabs, and be more consistent with their grading, they could move up in the world. At least they call out AT ASEs.

 

A member of ANACS? Please explain, what do you do for them?

 

The worst ANACS slabs by far are the ones that were advertised with the "A New Day at ANACS" ads. This was when James Taylor took over and the slabs were rounded on top and bottom. People at ANACS refer to these as the "quick release" slab, since a gentle twist in your hands would pop one open.

 

That sounds atrocious.

But I still can open a lot of the yellow ones by hand. PCGS, NGC, ICG can't, but with theirs I can

 

I have an account with them that I opened in the mid-1990's. They called it a membership, just like in NGC.

 

I don't mind them. I mainly use them for VAM's and other varieties the other guys don't do.

 

I like them better than the old ones, I also like the fact that they don't seem to be popular, which means lower prices than if they were in a NGC or PCGS slab.

 

ANACS is fine for what it is, a decent grading service to submit lower value coins. The slabs are not the prettiest, but whatever, no slab really is when you get right down to it.

The moisture you mentioned is not moisture, but rather the soft plastic ring pressing against the acrylic holder. Yeah, a little annoying maybe, but won't hurt the coin.

 

Just got to differ from that statement. I have many modern coins that I have paid a premium for in an Anacs slab, modern sabs, these are in hand purchases though. The only way they should be bought in my opinion.