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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 18557, member: 57463&quot;]You got a lot of replies, most of them negative.&nbsp; That tells you more about the dangers of asking for opinions than it does about Littleton.&nbsp; Allow me to speak on behalf of Littleton.&nbsp; Then I will cover the same question from a different angle.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Costs are always passed on to the ultimate consumer.&nbsp; We all know this; we just forget what it means.&nbsp; Littleton&#039;s prices are &quot;higher&quot; than collectors expect and one reason why is the free approvals.&nbsp; Littleton&#039;s pays the postage both ways.&nbsp; That is just one factor.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Grading is subjective.&nbsp; People complain that Littleton &quot;overgrades&quot; but no one establishes a standard.&nbsp; What company grades so correctly that no one complains?&nbsp; Everyone wants to buy UNDERGRADED coins, of course.&nbsp; In truth, Littleton grades correctly.&nbsp; They are as reliable, accurate, precise and honest as any other top-notch firm in our hobby.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Problems lower grades.&nbsp; Littleton does not sell problem coins.&nbsp; (Your Sackie is a different situation entirely.)&nbsp; When Littleton grades a coin Very Fine, that is what it is, without rimnicks, scratches, overcleaning and other problems.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>4. Littleton buys quality coins.&nbsp; I have talked to dealers who sell to Littleton.&nbsp; They pay above wholesale for coins without problems.&nbsp; They needs a lot of inventory for their many, many customers and they pay for it in order to get it.&nbsp; Dealers are very happy to see Littleton come in because they pay well.&nbsp; However, they do not buy junk.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Longevity counts.&nbsp; Littleton is in their second generation.&nbsp; They are in a small town in New England.&nbsp; If these people were half as unreliable or as undeserving as some people here have let on, they would have been run out of town on a rail 40 years ago.&nbsp; I have met David Sundman at meetings of the ANS where he was attending as a member.&nbsp; (He is also an ANA member, of course, but that&#039;s business.&nbsp; If you know anything about collecting in America, you appreciate what it means to find a dealer as a member of the ANS, participating as an individual.)</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Can you get a better &quot;deal&quot;?&nbsp; Well, yes, considering that there is no such thing as a free lunch: all costs must be accounted for.&nbsp; Myself, I save my money, go to an ANA or regional convention like MSNS or Blue Ridge, stay in a motel for a couple of days, and so on.&nbsp; Most collectors say they cannot &quot;afford&quot; to do that, but end up spending as much on extras that they do not tally: (again) time in travel, time in the store, impulse purchases, shipping and handling, getting ripped off...&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>7. For many collectors, going ANYWHERE is not an option.&nbsp; Littleton is very popular with people who do not or cannot travel to coin stores and coin shows.&nbsp; For them, the extra cost of a coin represents an extra value in service.</p><p><br /></p><p>Am I a Littleon customer?&nbsp; No, I am not.&nbsp; I do not collect much and my interests are more in research and writing.&nbsp; I have investigated the company. I know them from the hobby.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Michael</p><p>ANA R-162953[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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