I’ve seen advice on this site to value coins submitted to TPGs at their replacement value – which I assume is for the event they are lost and must be reacquired. In this message I’m inquiring about valuing coins for determining the TPG tier. After collecting world coins for decades, I’m trying to downsize. I consider many of these coins will be easier to dispose of with a TPG verification of authenticity and grade. I have, say, a hundred coins to slab for which a majority are near or just above the $300 maximum value divide that NGC and PCGS distinguish between the Economy and Regular/Standard tiers. This is a difference in grading cost of $22 vs. $35 and applied to about a hundred coins, that’s a significant cost differential. I’m selling the coins – and not intending to replace them. Thus, a K&M catalog value of say $400-500 may only be an actual return to me of $300 in a 3rd party auction or direct sale to a dealer. And furthermore, K&M values also have an inherent inaccuracy. (Yes, I could search auction records and eBay for current prices, but I’m doing this to expedite the issue as these are world coins, mostly from Africa, Asia, and Islamic countries and thus they don’t have the sales history of US coins.) So what is a coins “value” for determining the grading tier when submitting it to a TPG? The $400 catalog value is worth only $300 to me if that’s what I’ll receive – or someone else in the same situation. As I pointed out, I have no need for replacement value as I’m disposing of the coins. Value to me is what I will actually receive. I want to be fair in my business dealings with the TPGs but I also don’t want to spend excess money. What is your advice concerning “value” for determining the grading tier?
How much of the cost just relates to the amount of insurance the company will put on your order when they return it? I don't know the answer, but considering that coins sometimes grade higher than expected, there surely is some flexibility there. If you haven't seen it, ICG currently has an offer on this site, they will grade members world coins for $15. Just to mention.
Basically it's whatever you put within reason. You can't try and sneak 4 figure coins into the $300 tier, but if you put a $400 dollar one in they generally won't say anything. The value is the maximum you can get as compensation, it doesn't mean you will get that full value but whatever number you put is the most you can possibly get. If you think that they would likely bring around $300 in the market I would just put them in the lower tier.
Thank you @baseball21. I'll follow your advice. I've seen your comments on many posts whose subjects were the TPGs, thus I consider you have a lot of experience in the area.
That's what I would do given the cost differences and really the uncertainty of what they would sell for, but do whatever you feel comfortable with. Whatever you put as the value will be your shipping insurance as well so just make sure whatever decision you make it's something you're comfortable with
