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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Vess1, post: 8077599, member: 13650&quot;]Good choice but don&#039;t assume &quot;expensive coin&quot; means acceptable grade &quot;free pass.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;Some will argue this but in my own experiences collecting as an adult over the past 14 years, trying to save $$ by buying a coin ungraded and getting it graded yourself is a losing game.&nbsp;&nbsp; Too many raw problem coins. </p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; As I said, most things that were truly worth getting graded have been graded out there and a very large portion of what is not in a TPG slab are problem coins.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have not kept track but I have submitted more than average for my type set and played this game.&nbsp; &nbsp; You rarely win.&nbsp;&nbsp; In addition to being costly at times its a little nerve racking just hoping a coin you really like will simply straight grade.&nbsp; Never mind be the higher grade you want.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#039;ve paid $225 for a nice &quot;mint state&quot; blast white 1917 standing liberty quarter with perfect details that looked like full luster to me.&nbsp;&nbsp; Submitted, paid the grading fees and shipping and got it back in an AU details slab.&nbsp; Then sold it for $125 to a dealer who planned to crack it and sell it as a raw coin again, probably for what I originally paid.&nbsp;&nbsp; The difference between that likely dipped quarter and a MS64 FH is very minimal. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; This scenario can play out over and over.&nbsp; &nbsp; Some stuff will trick you.&nbsp; I wouldn&#039;t have sent that quarter in if I thought it was cleaned.&nbsp; &nbsp; The smaller the coin is the tougher it is to tell for me.&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#039;ve had a few winners over the years.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; If you need to do it, be prepared for a decent amount of failures.&nbsp; It&#039;s disappointing because usually a details grade actually cuts the value of the coin down more than if it were raw.&nbsp; You paid to devalue your coin essentially.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; Edited to add:&nbsp;&nbsp; The failures can be a valuable learning tool for yourself.&nbsp; Even though it can be disappointing I&#039;ve&nbsp; found some of my cleaned ones that came back to be interesting to study and try to pick up on what I missed.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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