what do you think of TPG's you have used?

What is your opinion of the TPG services that you have used? By used i am referring to actually sending coins in to them, not just purchasing an already slabbed coin)

I will start:

PCGS
Pros
In auction PCGS slabs tend to bring more
slabs are of a good solid quality, easily stackable.
IMO tends to give a more technical grade

Cons
usually has a very, very slow turnaround
lack of slab options. (ngc multi-coin holder)
can not see edge of coin in slab
Will charge full price for grading even if coin is not slabbed (bodybagged)
Cost of grading (expensive to join the club compared to NGC)

NGC
Pros
Has more slab options (I personally love the multi-coin holder)
"Star" designation can command huge premiums.
IMO toned coins tend to grade higher (this can also be a con)
Toned coins look better in NGC slabs
reasonable grading costs (5 earlybird's when joining club)
Registry
Excellent customer service!

Cons
Turn around time can be long
Tend to bring slightly less at auction then PCGS
Small denomination coins tend to disappear in NGC slabs
Can not see edge of coin in slab.
Will charge full price for grading even if coin is not slabbed (bodybagged)
Imaging service is not worth the $3 per coin, images are lifeless.

I am sure i will think of more. I will be picking up some coins from anacs next week, and will add my opinion of them. I also have some coins out at NCS. I am also considering sending some stuff to SEGS.

Updated NGC 10/27/06

 

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I'm curious as to why you are chosing SEGS over some place like ICG, ANACS, or PCI. Still trying to figure out the grading companies is all.

Nice pros/cons. Gives you something to really consider.

 

I have 5 coins at ANACS right now I will be picking them up on Thursday or Friday next week, when i do i will post my opinion of them.

I like SEGS holder, its really nice actually. They are also the official coin grader for the "full step" nickel club, i was going to send in some full step nickels to them to see what they think.

PCI is on my list to take a look at, I already have some coins in their slabs. I would rather check out ICG first...

My one big beef with the grading companies is the registry issue.. I really like the registry as a medium to track coins, its like a big digital album I also like being able to post images of my coins there, and look at other peoples collections. How often do you get to look at multi-million dollar coin collections? its the next best thing.

PCGS and NGC get along just enough to allow their coins to co-habitate the collectors-society sets, I just wish that others like ANACS and ICG could play along with them. oh well...

One of the reasons i wanted to start this thread was to see if anyone has used SEGS, PCI, ANACS, etc. and would like to share, that way i can be more informed about what grading services to use.

 

I thought NGC recognized PCGS on their's but PCGS did not allow NGC coins on their registry?

 

"Will charge full price for grading even if coin is not slabbed (bodybagged)"

I don't understand why you list this as a con for both services. This is precisely what you are paying for. Why should the grading companies give you a discount if you send poor grade coins in the first place? You are paying for their opinion and sometimes it's not a favorable opinon (in the case of bodybags) but the opinion still costs the same.

 

boddy bags

Their opinion cost the same...but you don't get a slab. I would think the cost of the slab and labor to put them in would be worth something.:whistle:

 

I can only say that NGC is one of the hardest to crack open and PCGS is the easiest.

 

good

Thats nice to know. I have been buying some NGC slabbed morgans and I am always parinoid some one has tampered with the slab and swiched coins. All my coins are ms 64 and I am suprised by the difference, some look 63 and some look 65.

 

I would prefer if they did something like ANACS or PCI, slab the coin but give it a problem label, etc. You CAN get something like this if you go through NCS first, if the coin has a problem they slab it, if its ok they send it on to NGC. This adds a considerable amount of cost.

i wish that their was an option to send problem coins from NGC on to NCS, but currently it is only a one way street (NCS to NGC)

NCS only charges $5.00 (or a percentage of value) to render an opinion on a coin (to conserve or not)

If i pay $30 for a grade, and get it back in a body bag, I paid more for their "opinion" than if they actually graded it???? makes no sense to me.

has any one here submitted to SEGS, PCI, ANACS, etc. that would like to give an opinion? (or PCGS or NGC, etc)

 

The TPGs are being paid to grade and slab the coin. If the grade is VF-Cleaned or XF-Rim Damage, then that should be on the holder so that present and future owners have a professional opinion on the condition. They have the hobby conned into accepting the bodybag practice to increase their profits.

But this is only my opinion, a distinctly minority one. It would be like paying for a real estate appraisal and getting back a letter saying that "An appraisal won't be provided due to the condition of the property, but we are keeping your fee."

 

I agree completely cloudsweeper.
Sometimes a coin that is cleaned may not be readily apparent andrew289, if a coin was obviously polished or whizzed it would probably not end up being sent in anyway. But a morgan that has been thumbed, or a coin that has been wiped/cleaned a long time ago can fool even more astute collectors. that is one of the reasons for slabbing these coins with the problem listed on the label: It serves as an educational tool as well as protects future owners (if it is not cracked out)

so... anyone used segs?

 

Not as small of a minority as you may think... No slabs here

Ben

 

This is correct

 

I wonder...
If the ANA is approving slabbrs now, couldn't ANA approved TPG's play nice and allow eachothers registries to co-mingle.
And cave trol is correct, that is also one of the reasons i did not join the PCGS club and joined the collectors society instead. I beleive that NGC/Collectors society gives m more for my money.

Right now NGC/NCS is my favorite TPG. That does not mean that i snub all others, or that i think NGC/NCS is the best, I just prefer them.
I just really wish i could add my ANACS coins to my collectors society registry...

 

Did you ever see the way they grade those coins? I saw a video clip one time from either NGC or PCGS (I forget which one now). The grader was flying through the coins at lightning speed. I know that each grader goes through several hundred coins per day. That is why I have far more faith in myself or a reputable dealer when it comes to grading. I know that lots of you folks think that because they are practiced, they are accurate. Well, Vipergts2's comments somewhat supports my opinion. Furthermore, with one point sometimes meaning a very considerable price difference, somone's feet should be held to the fire for accuracy. I think most everyone on this board agrees with the old, constantly quoted addage, "Buy the coin; not the slab." So, if that's the case, why bother to pay for TPG grading and slabbing?
Enough from me. (I never should have gotten started on this topic)

Steve

 

In my case, I have a lot of trouble grading mint state coins and distinguishing between the small differences that account for a lot of the price, so the opinion of the TPG, while not perfect, is probably better than mine in a large number of cases. I also think that even if I get it right, whoever in my family resells the coin after I'm gone will have a little easier time receiving close to full value for the coin if it has been slabbed by a reputable company.

 

your speaking my language cloudsweeper

I would like to point out an interesting thing that happened to me:
When i purchased my saint i asked the dealer what he thought it would grade at, he picked the coin up, looked at it for a split second, said "MS-64" and handed it to me. he had many of them at the time, and it was not labeled as MS-64, just as BU.

I purchased the coin (for ms-60 prices i might add) and sent it to PCGS. it came back MS-64.
The dealer was right on the nose...

Even though the graders move at speed I believe that when you have reached that level of grading you CAN grade that fast, think about it, these people grade ALL DAY! Every day!
I have also seen my dealer look at a coin and nail the grade almost instantly. If the coin is above MS-66 they tend to give it a harder look...

so... any one ever send coins to SEGS or PCI or ICG???

 

This is a quote from a thread in the US Coins forum on this board.

Here is a prime example of why I have little confidece in TPGs.

Steve

 

yes, and the ebyer makes sure to mention the error and that it is being sent back to PCGS for fixing. people can and do make mistakes. I would say that this is a very benign mistake.

has anyone on these boards sent anything in to SEGS or PCI?

 

My dealer sends coins to PCI all the time---he just loves them because of the fast turn around time.
Also they are cheap---their grading isn't all that good---I find that I agree with them more than some other grading companies----I count them on my list of grading companys and have gotten some good coins in their slabs cheaper just becasuse of that.
They are fine with detecting fake coins----my 1909-S VDB is in a PCI slab.
If you are looking at PCI slabs I would suggest that you not go by the grade on the holder---sometimes they are right on but not always.

Speedy