I just purchased a 1937 Roanoke Commemorative in MS-64 in an ICG slab that is all there and is a no question MS-64 that looks like an MS-65 from the scans the seller e-mailed me. We paid about $50.00 under greysheet bid with the PayPal coupon we had and the seller has a 7 day return policy. My question is how much of a risk in reselling is this asuming it is going to be sold at auction 20 years from now? I am sure NGC and PCGS coins with CAC stickers or another certifying trait will be more valuable, but I still like buying the coin not the holder.
A knowledgeable buyer will purchase the coin regardless of what the slab says or who slabbed it. Others may only care about the plastic. So your answer depends on who the buyer is. However, those that only care about plastic will offer a lowball price for coins in an ICG slab.
That's how I looked at it in my decision to buy, the COIN was there and who gives about the holder. I guess I could chance cracking it out in the future prior to selling. What I have not noticed is ICG slabs really being offered at a discount over the NCG and PCGS slabs UNLESS it is an MS70 modern.
The COIN the coin the coin, then there is the coin to consider. After we've seen all that, we must look at the coin. There's plastic around that thing?! Is it blocking my view of the coin? Oh then, nevermind, i really like the coin.
BQ: True, true and even more true, I purchased the coin and not the holder. At the lowest common denominator I purchased an honest MS-64 coin, no matter the slab. If maximum sales price was my goal, I'd crack it out and send it to NGC or PCGS hoping it might slab up.
People who answer questions about 20 years from now are either politicians or idiots if they are not one in the same.
ICG shows better in the CDN rankings than ANACS. But what the others say about the "coin, not the slab" is what you can depend upon.
Not stupid. Stupid is NOT asking and remaining ignorant. The Greysheet (CDN) lists percentages of their Bid level that people are willing to pay for sight unseen coins in various slabs. PCGS ranks #1 with NGC not too far behind. ICG is a reasonably close third.
Buy the coin not the slabb is a great way to think, however currently PCGS coins usually sell at higher prices than other grading services. Ask Arizona Jack, he has experience in selling Slabbed coins. Like it or not, if your ICG coin was in a PCGS holder it would probably sell for more.
Depends on who you ask, Most people rate: 1. PCGS 2. NGC 3. ANACS 4. ICG Most people agree that ANACS is better for variety/error attribution. Notice the use of "Most people" in this post. Do a google search on coin grading services. Usually ANACS is rated in the # 3 spot.
ICG seems to sell at reasonable greysheet levels, but not the inflated premiums that PCGS or NGC coins sometimes do. I think the fact that they graded a lot of modern stuff with MS-70 or PR-70 grades made some in the market wonder if their standards were too loose. For what I have experienced, with regular issue coins, they seem as good as they other services and in some cases, very conservative in their grading standards. They seem very hard on gold and type coins.
Yes, I would say, "Who knows what the TPG scene will look like 20 years from now?" I'd just hang on to it in the ICG holder and then if/when you decide to sell the coin, evaluate the situation at that time.
Tcore: That is what I think I am going to do is hold for a long time and re-evaluate in the late 2020s. Hopefully the coin market and standards will be more consistant by then and a nice example in an ICG holder will stand on its own or need to be cracked out to go into a multi-layered series of slabs by 3rd, 4th and 5th TPG and several 6th and 7th CAC type stickers to authenticate and grade, then I guess they will look at the coin. :')
That list varies from week to week. I've seen all of them in first place at one time or another, and that includes ICG. The list is basically meaningless, you would be wise to ignore it.
20 years from now there may not even be a PCGS, NGC or ICG. At best, they will each most likely be under new management with new business models. Their relative positions in the eyes of the collector community will most likely have changed. So if you are happy with the coin, don't worry about the plastic. Nobody knows how future collectors will view the slab.
Well, that is a pretty bold prediction and what do you base their demise or hostile take over on? PCGS and NGC have been around for over 20 years so far and ICG for about 12. I don't think the TPG services are going away, they will change somewhat-true, but if "market grading" keeps deteriorating because there are more dollars chasing fewer coins then the old stricter grading standards are a safer bet....as we see today. 20 years from now it will be even more pronounced. I am glad that I seem to be in line with what everyone is saying, buy the coin not the holder.
