I just got back some coins from NGC and for the first time used their imaging service. I was expecting to get good quality closeups of the coins. This is what I got instead. This particular cent has some beautiful toning that doesn't even show up in the photo. Not worth the $3 fee, I could have done better with my camera. What do you folks think?
I have a feeling that NGC is doing this for the people who sell on eBay. Many people who send coins in to be graded are looking for a quick turnaround on eBay. This will save them the time and effort of scanning a lot of coins. Besides, many people who buy on eBay aren't necessarily looking at the coins themselves; they're simply looking at the grade. A seller of slabbed coins doesn't necessarily need a lot of fancy pics as long as he has a good pic showing the grade of the coin... That's my opinion, for what it's worth
Both NGC and PCGS have been offering this for some time. And yes I have no doubt it is a means of increasing revenue. I see nothing wrong with that. But it also serves a purpose and fills a need. Not everyone knows how to take coin pics nor do they have the equipment to do so. And having a pic like this, provided by the grading company when they slab the coin, serves as an excellent method of proving ownership for insurance purposes or if the coins are ever stolen. It also allows those who can't or don't know how to take pics of their coins to share them with others if they desire. But the purpose of this is not to provide the owner with high quality, close up pics that they can use to brag on their coins. So if you wish to use this service for that purpose - you will be disappointed.
