A good friend of mine submitted some coins to PCGS. I piggybacked 2 coins on the submission. Now we're talking at least 3 months and we're still waiting. WAY too much time. I now have 2 coins that I won in the recent EAC Convention in St. Louis. I'm probably going to send them in to NGC. What's up with PCGS?
It's been way too long for them to not have recovered from the workforce issues associated with COVID. Something else must be playing into the delays. Gone seem to be the days when a banner paraded PCGS' All-Star grading staff across the screen for all to see. If I had to come up with a plausible hypothesis, it would be that disagreements between inconsistent (less experienced?) graders has formed a bottleneck where more coins must now pass through the hands of finalizers than ever before.
They are a very popular TPGS. There is a very high demand for their product. You are suffering due to their successes. They should raise their rates and make more money! They could even fire more of their "brain trust." It does not appear to have decreased their business.
NGC used to be my "go to" TPG. But dealers I respect seemed to prefer PCGS. So I switched. But now it seems that if you are trying to "flip" an item just purchased, PCGS is NOT the way to go. If you are just trying to add a coin to your collection, then you can afford to wait.
They're in California which is one of the strictest states and keeps doing intermittent limitations especially around the LA area which they're in. That wasnt their grading staff if you're referring to that board of experts thing. The finalizers see the coin regardless. If anything they're just having supply chain issues like everyone else. They're also getting record number of submissions
Thats why us little people turn around times are so long. The major auction houses have front of the line privileges.
I decided to sign up for more frustration and agony and mailed a 1 coin world submission just this week to use my last voucher. Can't wait to get it back at Christmas...
To be specific, Newport Beach, in "the O.C." (Orange County)...about an hour south of LA proper...maybe 20-30 mins from the LA county line. It's all one giant sheet of concrete and asphalt with little distinction. Used to live there many years back and reason I relocated "back home again in Indiana."
I used to live in SoCal too. Huntington Beach is pretty nice, but yea Newport is a pretty boring place
I wonder where and how they store the "backlog." That would have me more concerned than the time element. I've seen a few discussions on submittals coming back in different conditions than when sent, or even completely different coins. Inquiring minds . . . . Z
If it goes past what the turnaround time states call pcgs and they'll get it moving pretty quick in my experience. I just had one 7 days over. Called them and had it in a week. It is what it is.
You have to be careful to understand what PCGS means by turnaround time. If they state 60 days that is 60 working days plus days missed for coin show attendance. Each month has approximately 22 working days not including holidays plus the show dates to which you have to add travel days. 60 days can approach 4 months.
NGC does the same. They're business days only that count towards the time. Holidays and show days they have grading at dont count. The bigger thing that needs to be remembered is that turnaround times for all of them of estimated averages not guarantees. Some will finish faster and some will take longer
That's why I now use the RBGS. Not only fast turn around time, but if they don't have the correct insert for your coin they'll make one fit. Gee I though it would get a *