Which coin grading service?

I only mentined ANACS because the coin show rep ships your coins for free.
He also will tell you when he thinks a coin is not worth sending. Yes the specials are for US coins only. I once got a price of $19 each for foreign from ANACS. That I would not
suggest.

 

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What I see happening with the show I attend is this:
Since ANACS sets up there, more dealers are submitting to him. Consequently more ANACS slabs are in dealer's cases. The yellow slabs seem to be more easily accepted than they would be at other venues. This fact prods other dealers [and the public] to submit and accept ANACS.

 

ahh... thanks!

 

Auburn, MA second Sunday and
Westfield, MA fourth Sunday.
That's where to find Paul Joseph the ANACS rep.

 

NNC is not a real grading service. Someone called their slabs plastic clown suits once and I tend to agree.

 

ICG= I can't grade.

 

ANACS has a summer special for foreign coins that is 10 coins for $119. This special ends on Aug. 31.

 

This is in direct conflict with what Drew told me. He stated that ANACS never has and never will have a foreign coin special, as it costs them too much to do the research for foreign pieces.

Where did you see the 10 for $119 offer?

 

On their website. Unfortunately, it's the Fall Special and specifically names US coins only.

 

Good for you that they can ;-)

 

The tier system you seem to be mentioning (based on a dealer survey I think) did not place ANACS above ICG - it was in the same 2nd tier. SEGS and PCI were not in the 2nd tier. These two companies were with the rest of the less preferred graders aka tier 3. Perhaps you're stating your opinion but maybe a little clarity on that is due, which is why I'm commenting. I actually think ANACs is slightly above ICG but I could be wrong. Maybe this perceived opinion about ANACS vs ICG has more to do with advertising. I don't know

 

Sale prices for their slabs would agree with this. They generally won't get PCGS or NGC money but they generally do better than ICG coins do which seem to often require a pretty decent discount to actually sell on places like ebay

 

As another member mentioned, with ANACS having a more persistent presence at regional shows, the demand for their services is increasing. As more dealers use ANACS, we'll see the gap between ANACS and ICG widen. My personal view (implied by "personally") was encompassing the fact that prior to my mention of ICG/PCI/SEGS, all three companies were being grouped in with the self-graders.

 

I see. I think your assessment about ANACS and ICG is interesting, and it seems accurate. I can't recall the last time I've seen ICG at a show, and I'm seeing more ANACS slabs for sure.

 

and if you want you can always buy a slab to put your coins in. I do it sometimes

 

Only thing wrong with the simple old ANACS slab is the sucker won't fit in either an NGC or PCGS slab box.

 

Nobody knows who PCI is anymore. Again a case where the very oldest slabs (green border, 3 codes on the back) were more strictly graded. Then there were several changes, ending with the gold border, which are horrible.

However, around 2010, they were bought for the 3rd, 4th, 5th? time and reused the green border. The owners were convicted of fraud because they were also selling the coins (overgraded). The takeaway is the wrong font and the thin green line is blobby blur (use your loupe) instead of microprinted PCI.

Since then, there have been at least 2 more versions of PCI, using the label that looks like a bullet train on tracks.

 

You're right, good point! And I have quite a few of those little suckers! Makes me start thinking now how we can get a box that those things will fit into. I wonder if ANACS has them from years past? Maybe I'll shoot then an e-mail and ask. I haven't done any research on-line yet. Maybe there's something out there.

Anyone know??

 

Okay, I am an unofficial "company man" attitudinally for the ANA. Therefore, I am now exclusively an NGC man, also. I still have paleo-accounts at ANACS and ICG, but I have only rarely used them since I opened an NGC account. Both ANACS and ICG have their specialties - VAM attribution for ANACS, but I'm not a Morgan guy, much less a VAMmer. ICG does really nice quality work for more types of exonumia than NGC does, although the gap is closing.

I was VERY active with ANACS in the "small slab" era and I "cut my eye teeth" learning about grading based on what I sent them in the 1990's. The problem occurs when firms change ownership hands. In some cases, their positive reputations were earned by the standards of a previous owner, and when they change hands, what then? In ICG's case, their reputation suffered. Ditto with ANACS before ICG. I own some PCGS coins, but I've never submitted any. I don't care for the company's attitude one tiny bit. They slobber all over their big dealer accounts and largely treat collectors like dirt. Again, just my observation. I also dislike PCGS' physical slab itself, and MUCH prefer the NGC slab's look and feel. Perhaps the best reason to choose PCGS, if you can become a "PCGS favored person" is the PCGS blue boxes are more ubiquitous and cheaper than the NGC silver boxes.

I have also never submitted a coin to CAC and right now, I own only one such piece. I'm still perplexed by the value proposition of CAC beaning. Anything other than PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG might as well NOT BE SLABBED AT ALL. The coin will bring more raw than being "imprisoned" in a PCI, NTC, SEGS, ACCGS, or NNC slab. Sorry, that's just the truth. I do keep one NNC slab with what I believe is an UNDERgraded (!!!) Franklin half in it, just to remind myself that all rules have exceptions. I have shown it to numerous experts (grade hidden) who ALL agree it is at least two points undergraded by NNC (MS range).

I am in the slow but steady process of having all my coins "crossed over" to NGC holders, even the PCGS ones, because I like the combination of product and customer service that much.

 

Eagle Coin Holders used to make a box specifically for ANACS small holders and last I heard, they still had some available cheap, cheap.

Edit: I just checked their website, and they are no longer listed, but if I were in the market for them, I'd try a phone call. They had a HUGE inventory not all that long ago.