Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Insider, post: 2497640, member: 24314"]I'll take the heat for this BUT: The majority of VAMS are like sand at the beach. I've been told by two TPGS graders doing dollar attributions that they can take virtually ANY date and (they or anyone else) can find a "new" VAM with no effort at all!  IMO, VAMS are just one nice way to ID dies and die states.  It's too bad the TPGS's don't have the time or a simple way to mail in photos of all the different dies they could add.  One of the graders told me if a customer wants a VAM for a date like 1881-S, he is told to look for 1-2 minutes.  If he cannot find it, issue a refund and move on since many VAMS carry no additional value.  Nevertheless, they can be interesting are collectible. BTW, a month ago, I wrote that several of my Top-100 VAMS graded AU - MS-62 by ANACS sold for $38 or less <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> and one sold for $44. Each of them "booked for over $100 yet they sold for double melt.  Lessons learned:<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> 1. The majority of VAMS are virtually worthless unless they grade MS-63 or higher.2. Me and other collectors would rather "cherrypick" a good one than buy it.3. VAM collecting may have lost much of its luster  - just as DCAM Kennedy halves.[/QUOTE]