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Message:: [QUOTE="900fine, post: 223439, member: 6036"]The devious mind has been involved in numismatics from the beginning. One of the favorite topics in this forum is "E-Bay scams". Scams in numismatics are nothing new. Forgeries and scams have been an issue forever, and always will be. If anything, it is more prevalent due to the Internet. For many, coin collecting has a pretty shady reputation due to the history of hustlers and scam artists. One of the great values of top TPGs is that they dramatically lower the chance of buying an outright counterfeit or forgery. They also improve the image of the hobby - and rightfully so. I strongly agree that one should become as educated and skilled as possible, and "buy the coin, not the slab". But, at any point in time, it is not possible for the full body of all collectors to be sophisticated, because beginners cannot possibly be at an educated, skilled, experienced level of play. Please consider them when forming an opinion; not everyone has been at this for decades. For those who are collecting coins at face value (roll searchers), or those whose purchases are inexpensive, forget TPGs. But anyone new to the hobby who prefers pricier pieces should stick to top TPGs while they advance their skill set, knowledge, and experience. It's just not safe to buy expensive raw coins until one has accumulated a great deal of exoerience. Top TPGs, while imperfect, are much, much safer... for collectors like us.[/QUOTE]