Lately, I have heard of Set Registry and Set Registry people, and I have no clue what they are. So, I am going to ask after negative researh. What is a Set Registry, and Who are Set Registry People?
Both NGC and PCGS provide for Registry Sets, and there are far too many different classifications to mention them here. For example, you could have a Type Set, Morgan Set or Sacagawea Set just to name a few, and there can also be subsets like CC Morgans or Dahlonega Gold. There are even categories for World Coins. PCGS requires that all coins in a set be slabbed by PCGS, whereas, NGC allows both NGC and PCGS slabs in their Registry Sets. Some of the participants put together "competitive sets" earning points for grades & attributes, and awards are given each year for the top set in each category. This is just a very brief explanation of the Registry Sets, so if someone else would like to go into further detail, have at it! Chris
PS. I forgot to add that the SSDC has recently created a Registry for VAM's, and like NGC & PCGS, you have to be a member to participate. Chris
It's a contest to see who can afford the nicest coins in a certain category slabbed by NGC or PCGS. :devil:
There are a lot of participants who really don't care about the competitive aspects of the Registries. Many of them don't have deep pockets, but they are proud of the sets they have just the same. Chris
Don't yell at me Chris. And actually, isn't there registry sets for the lowest graded coins in a category?
Same thing I was thinking. They're ranked so that means people going for bragging rights at one level or another. Not saying its good or bad. Its just what it is. People want the prestige. I think they're cool. I wouldn't mind doing one but my collection is so spread out over so many series, I wouldn't know which category to go with. I could probably do a commemorative registry set. But then again, a lot of them I have aren't graded. Yeah, talking it out here, I realize why I haven't done one. Anyway, they have some sort of points system. So a MS-66 Morgan would have more points than a 65. Then they give bonus points for a star designation on an NGC graded coin. Rankings based on points.
Vess , time to get that checkbook out , and make a large contribution to PCGS or NGC , I'd love to see some of your commems .
To register and participate in either of the registries (NGC or PCGS) is FREE, and you don't have to be a "member" with submission rights. The cataloging software that NGC has (The Collection Manager) is a great tool for keeping track of your collection regardless of if you participate in the competitive sets or not. It doesn't require that the coins you add be certified either, but it does give you a wealth of automatically linked information like the full Krause catalog (for world coins) and the full catalog of US coins from which to choose when you add a coin. Several of the sets on the NGC and on the PCGS registries are "bought" as people have suggested. That is, they are big money buying the holder not the coin, and then having bragging rights for having the "top set". But, I have found the registries to be a good place to organize my coins, and to look at other people's sets.
PCGS has something called "low ball" sets, where the set goal is to acquire the lowest numerically graded example of each coin in the set. NGC has no such sets. The funny thing about these "worst" sets is that sometimes you will see PCGS graded AG or P01 coins selling on eBay for monster money because some "yahoo" is trying to be the best of the worst!
After reading brg's comment, I needed to clarify my comment about membership. Yes, it is free at NGC & PCGS, but you do have to register with their forums to participate. The SSDC (Society of Silver Dollar Collectors) requires a paid membership to participate in their VAM Registries. Chris