How is gradeflation going to affect the hobby longterm?

I remember when those coins were found. They were getting the mint (O) ready as a tour site. They thought the vaults long empty, but when they opened them for show and tell.....the 03's and 04's fell from $3500 and $4500 to $35 and $45. You could get them at our Post Office. What a giggle that was for those of us who did not already have them. I was working as a plow jockey for $1 an hour, 50 hour week, at that time so only got the $35 coin. You could buy a real nice house here for $3500 back then. I'm so old I can remember when.........

 

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One series I've always wanted to build is the 3 cent nickel. I want to build a set of proofs so I will definitely look at slabbed coins for this set. So, I am not going to totally shy away from slabs but still want to fill albums as well (AU - MS). If I see nice "details" coins then I'll break them out of the slabs and put them into the albums. A number of years back I purchased a very nice raw 1916-D walking liberty half which I submitted for grading. It came back AU details but it's eye appeal is excellent. It didn't break the bank and I'm happy with it so it's a win-win for me.

 

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I heard someone flew to London and sold two 1903-O to a dealer before the news got there. Talk about having a bad day.

 

One of the ways I do well as a dealer is at shows buying raw coins that will grade and are worth slabbing. It's all a game with the grading companies tho. They'll detail coins for no reason or deliberately undergrade stuff to ensure future submissions. Think about it as the amount of worthy raw coins dries up the less and less business they have. So they change their standards so the market adjusts and they keep raking in the dollars. While I do send a lot of coins in for grading as its a way to make money the bs the tpgs play I'm not a fan of. Especially pcgs. But people like their slabs and I'm in the business to make a profit so I deal with it