Grade Wars- Attack of the Slabs

I went to a coin show yesterday. First one since I was probably 10 years old. I met collect89 and ancientnoob there (nice guys) It was pretty much US and World coins throughout with one person carrying ancients.

Two general observations.

Modern collectors love those slabs. I got the impression their furniture at home is covered in plastic also. Maybe the wife/husband and kids too. I was surprised to see that a large portion of the ancients were also encased in that prophylactic coffin made of acrylic. The only thing those clear carbonite condoms were going to prevent, was somebody's enjoyment of their hobby. I had a real urge to start cracking open all those slabs. Like a PETA radical setting loose a bunch of rabbits in a Maybeline lab. No joke, it was annoying to see.

Grades................modern collectors love their grades. As I looked upon tables covered in moderns, encased in their hardened straight jackets, I heard more talk about how my ms69 is certainly a 70 and that 70 you have can't be more than a 69.........etc.....or is that a cleaned coin? Forget a grade on that.......... Do you have a blah, blah, blah obv understrike date with a slight die shift on the reverse motto with a twist of lemon and splash of vermouth.....

Anyway, it was fun, but I had to vent.

God knows those coins can't vent........in those air proof sandwich slabs..............because it they did, they might lose a grade.

I'm done now.

 

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For me it's not so much the slabs as the collecting aesthetic that accompanies them. It's all about grades and values, as you've said. I'm as bored with that as a fat kid with a bowl of vegetables.

 

What NGC did is a crime, they slab ancients at $50 a pop, which means a common ancient coin that was worth $50 is now being sold for $105 by the dealer to cover slabbing and shipping to NGC, and its also true that NGC over grades Ancients, which means that VG common ancient will get an XF from them....did I say $105 earlier? Better make that $50 coin a $150 coin thanks to NGC. And maybe they'll start doing special limited edition collectors labels, like they do for US coins, so that common ancient from my example will have a Wyatt Earp special label. What does Whyatt Earp have to do with it? Absolutely nothing, but you'll now have to pay $170 for the coin because of it...so there, a $50 coin became a $179 coin with the addition of some plastic.

Oh, and now that it is slabbed in the special Whyatt Earp label, your common $50 ancient can be sold on the home shopping network to someone whom those coin sharks just sold a $15 Bullion coin for $50. Which means your $50 ancient coin really went for $225 to some gullible guy watching TV, and all thanks to NGC magic plastic with pixie dust.

And oh yeah, they do not guarantee that the coin is authentic either... so what on earth are you paying for other than a piece of plastic to hold it in?

From now on any ancient I can snag for the right price, that so happens to be in a slab, will get busted out. This is war! Death to slabs!

 

Well, hopefully your love ones know what they are and if not, you better slab them . otherwise they will sell them for what they think their worth and you could lose lots of money on the sales ...

 

Once I'm dead if my relatives want to ignore the catalogue that's included with the coins explaining not only what they are but what I paid for them, that's their problem. All I can hope for is.once I am no longer around these coins will go to another person that will care for them, and so on. After all, they are our coins for only a brief amount of time.

 

You don't need slabs for that. Although I am sure PCGS will gladly encourage that fear. My family (heirs) have it all laid out for them. Including how and whom to sell through. You will notice I have estimates for them included. Updating those is an easy task. I know what happens to collections and I have planned for that.

 

The only time that I think grading can help is when your questioning the athentisity of a coin and its to borderline to really tell.

 

Except that if you read the terms of service for NGC they do not guarantee the authenticity of any ancient coin they slab. So all you're paying is for an over graded plastic slab with an opinion as to whether it is authentic, with no guarantees on that opinion whatsoever.

 

I say to each his own.

When I collected early 20th century gold, I only collected PCGS graded coins. You need something to protect big gold coins from damage, when buying them on eBay it does add protection vs raw, and I was playing the upgrade game before it was mainstream- like 15+ years ago. People are too focused on their grades and you used to be able to easily arbitrage grades and upgrade coins to make decent money off of those who bought the slab vs the coin. Now it's big business and the opportunities for individuals is reduced. Back then it was easy if you knew your coins.

Slabs are a hindrance with collecting ancients and NGC is very uneven in their grading IMO. Not a fan.

 

I collect coins, not slabs. Although in selling them, the slab offers comfort in knowing the actual grade.

 

I don't know why anyone would want to collect coins that were hammered into shape, eventually buried in the ground for thousands of years and then scrubbed clean.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion!

Chris

 

'Cause it's awesome bro.

 

True words!

 

It was a pleasure to meet you @4to2centBC . We have to do it again!

 

I figured I would raise the ire of the darkside........

 

Me 2 Merrill but I just got my UNC 1878CC Unc Morgan back from PCGS slabbed and marked UNC cleaned? What are the chances of an increased value when I self graded it as a MS65 and bought it at a MS60 price.

 

Do what someone else I know did...let it sit out for 2 years until it gets a little hint of toning, then resubmit it and presto...it probably will get graded (as long as the cleaning was not done inappropriately and caused no damage).

PCGS is just upset they didn't get to clean your coin for $10 plus 4% of the coin's market value, which is how much they charge to clean your coins. Give it time sitting out and resend it.

 

I felt much better after cracking out my Claudius denarius from the slab. It was as if I were freeing the coin from a prison.

I was at a show on the weekend and was laughing to myself as many people were obsessing as to whether or not their slabbed coin really should have been an ms 63 and not a 62 as graded. To me, most decimal coinage is boring. I do not understand how one can get so excited over coins that basically look the same. I really do not care if a coin has a small "S" or a large "S". Now, show me a coin of Sulla, Scipio Africanus, or Marc Antony and you will have my undivided attention.

I collect ancients because I enjoy the many opportunities for learning they present. It is really cool to hold a 2000 year old coin in one's hand. Holding a piece of plastic just is not

 

Lol nice try at trolling the ancients collectors

 

slabs are good for authenticating a rare coin. I understand why the ancient coins should not be slabbed. to each their own way. I am wondering if PCGS and NGC will grade ancients and modern coins for you but not slab them ??? my question is... and this should be obvious to me but..... do coin dealers include the slabbing fees of TPG companies slabs when they sell their coins ??? I am inclined to say yes. ??? say to add on $40-50 bucks to the price of the coins grade raw ?