What is strange these days is that many will only consider only PCGS. I always thought NGC and PCGS are about the same. I think they pretty much are, but again of course you need to look at what you are trying to buy. then again, with existing Rick Harrison signatures on NGC slabs, who knows...
Oh, no no no. SGS (Star Grading Service) is in a different class entirely. They're quite reliable -- you can count on them to put any piece of dreck into an MS70 holder. One of many threads on SGS: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sgs-star-grading-service-opinions-sought.6952/ If I were SEGS, I'd have long since changed my name just to avoid this kind of confusion. SGS is that toxic, after their once-huge presence on eBay.
Yes. SEGS is now an LLC and not guaranteeing coins slabbed under the prior structure. Same people involved so it left a bad taste.
Old Axe to grind (FdC was just introducing their own short lived slab and is out of the business, back to just a coin store) ANACS, ICG, PCI and SEGS are all under different ownership ACG is out of business for a long while
The original PCI, which put coins in holders with a green tab or red tab (problem coins) graded accurately. I've reported on here a while back that I sent 6 PCI graded coins (with green tabs) to PCGS. Four crossed with the same grades, one went down a notch (from AU58 to AU55), and the sixth one went up from AU58 to MS62. If you ever see a PCI coin with a gold tab, it's almost certainly overgraded.
I don't know from where I acquired these but I have six slabs labeled from SGS and they are very beautiful coins. 2005-P & 2005-D state quarters from CA, 2005-P & 2005-D from VA, all satin....1984-S proof 25C & 1972-S proof 25C...ALL graded 70. I like them but will put them up at local coin club auction @ face value and see what they do. If I get face value for them, then I will be $ 1.50 richer than I went into the club with. Like I said, I don't remember from where I got them a LONG time ago.
Obviously, you're not in a position to lose a bunch of money, then, unlike many others who purchased SGS slabs based on the totally-inaccurate grades posted thereon. So, the only thing you'd have to lose by offering them at a local coin club is possibly your reputation, since any knowledgeable collector realizes what a scam SGS actually was. I say "was," because the owner has since been prosecuted and convicted under RICO statutes, although he took a plea bargain. Represent them as you actually know they are, and you should be OK.
No reputation, just a low person on the totem pole looking to give away something. Do you want them for $1.50? "totally-inaccurate grades", look like they just came off the minting press. Like never been touched. Do you want them? Address?
I remember where I got my SGS Slab. It was on eBay. Paid $54. for it. Listed as 1972 P In Gem MS65. Turns out, it was only a PCGS MS64. However, the SGS Ignorance ran rampant since it was actually a 1972 Type 2. I guess you could say I cherrypicked them but needless to say, in 2007, when this occurred, it turned out to be a $400 coin. Back in the day, I'd ALWAYS check out their listings for just this very thing. I'd also let them know that the photo's they posted were of different coins. Like when they offered a 1971-S 40% Silver IKE Dollar showing the reverse of a 1972-S 40% Silver IKE Dollar. Had it actually been the Reverse of the 71-S, it would have been a 4 figure coin BUT, since none exist, I felt confident that they screwed up. And they did.
And a true rarity it was -- congratulations! I think I can count on one hand the number of SGS slabs I've seen with grades less than 70.
What, they didn't rank the joke of a "grading" company, IGS? AAN-TV uses them whenever they want high grades on their offerings. They regularly offer coins such as a '96 Silver Eagle in a MS 70, and put it up for bid. Much to my amazement, somebody that is either a newbie or elderly, bids it up to $400-$600 + 10% buyer fee. We all know this coin would grade a 68 or 69 at PCGS or NGC, but yet somebody takes the bait and the result is a screwed-over buyer. I went to the IGS web site a while back, and it was if an "Intro to Web Page Design" student in high school did it! Misspellings, confusing rates, and overall feeling of dollar store shopping comes over me after their web site visit. Time for a shower to feel clean again! LOL!
Again, this was a 2002 web page quoting a much older survey. IIRC it was 1988 or so, which is 6 or 7 generations of basement slabbers ago. Like dog years.
It would be interesting to know via survey of coin buyers, collectors, and investors, just which of the "Big 2" grading services are most trusted and preferred. There are die-hard NGC fans, die-hard PCGS fans, and those that really don't care as long as coin is graded by PCGS or NGC. I would predict a nearly 50/50 split with the nod to PCGS.
Well, PCGS guarantee's their grades. With Cash. I suspect that NGC does as well. ANACS? Nope. ICG? Nope. SEGS? Depends upon when it was graded. SGS? No way. CASH, like silver, at least insures "some" value to the junk we collect. Me? I'm a PCGS man until I finally get sick of all the crap they pull. My last order, which was a reconsideration order which basically means, they don't crack the coin out of the slab but reconsider the grade while its in the slab, was held up because.........when they received it, they cracked every last coin out of its slab! And THEN, when I emailed them 4 weeks after the grades SHOULD Have Been posted, they finally got back to me 3 weeks "after that" to tell me about the problem. Evidently, having my tlephone number on the submission sheet AND in their files, meant nothing. I had to initiate the query. For me, that is unacceptable. Over the past 3 years, I have returned darn near every submission order because they either did not attribute the coin (which was blatantly obvious), did not coirrectly label the coin (SAE's labeled as Statue of Liberty?) incorrectly attributed a coin or any number of other reasons. It seems, as if, they've gotten way too big and w-a-a-y to snobbish since you can't really complain without getting a nasty note from the current President. I'm so heavily invested in PCGS that I'd really hate to switch to NGC but any more foopah's on PCGS's part, and I'll do it.
IGS was used all the time by ESN Direct, which recently disappeared from TV. I think you're right--IGS appeared to be "Dial A Grade."
@19Lyds Just wondering what was the final outcome with that order? Did PCGS compensate you fairly for cracking those coins when they weren't supposed to?
I generally try to purchase their coins "sight seen", having removed from slabs, and resubmitted to NGC and PCGS as "raw". Generally, I've found SEGS grading is comparable to the top two TPG services, or within a grade, if properly acquired by a knowledgeable grading buyer. I've also found the top two TPG will vary multiple grades on the same coin submitted several times. I don't believe a hard/fast comparison can be stated for TPG grading, or warranty value. One of the features I've appreciated with SEGS grading is they will place a grade on a coin, but indicate a possible "market exception". An example is: an awesome scarce date Double Eagle that is graded MS64 - scratched reverse, where you generally need to rotate the coin to see the scratch. One of the 1st tier TPG who often grades coins with scratches, would probably return the coin ungraded, with some form of negative connotation. JMHO
ANACS and ICG also back up their guarantees with cash with these exceptions ANACS guarantee only applies to coin slabbed by the current ownership, and only applies to coins of gold, silver, and platinum. ICG guarantee does not apply to copper coins.
