Why is there a price difference between some NGC and PCGS slabbed coins of the same grade? I was looking at two cent pieces on eBay and there is a sizable difference in price (2x) between a MS-65 graded by PCGS and a MS-65 graded by NGC. I've run this question by shop owners that I trust, and they tell me there is no difference between a MS-65 in one versus the other, except that some buyers how to have the PCGS piece of plastic. Basically, they say buy the coin, not the plastic. However, if their assessment is correct, then why not just buy all the good looking MS-65 NGC graded two cent pieces on eBay, pay the crossover fee to PCGS and sell them for a $400 profit per coin? What am I missing?
Naturally, the folks at PCGS would like EVERYONE to think that their service is superior to all others. Maybe they put some sort of mind-control drug in their Kool-Aid. Chris
I don't care much for slabs, but to me their grading is similar. PCGS is perhaps better ion some areas and NGC in others, but thats debatable. As far as looks go, I can't stand PCGS slabs. They look...well, just plain horrible, tacky, cheesy beyond further description. NGC has a much nicer looking slab. If I collected plastic, I guess I know who's stuff I'd buy. Guy
Here are some reasons- 1) Market liquidity. 2) Market demand. 3) Different proprietary grading standards. 4) Marketing.
It's all in the PERCEPTION that most buyers "trust" PCGS's opinion over NGC's opinion. In some cases, I'm inclined to agree, in other cases, not so much.
Gee it reminds me of an old saying "but the coin not the slab....unless the slab is more collectable than the coin"Well the last part I just made up
NGC grades nickels to a higher standard than PCGS for sure....but again I like to echo anothers statement I hate the look and feel of a PCGS slab I hate plastic end of story....the NGC slabs are nicer looking if you are going that route to slab a coin. But I will add this the 2008 ASE Mule 2008 rev of 07 in PCGS slab sold higher than the same coin in a NGC slab both coins 70's grades. So I sold the ulgy slabs and made a nice profit and kept the better looking ones and I am still all the way to the bank!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't NGC grade Franklins - as far as bell lines - harder than PCGS? Aren't only the top two lines considered for FBL by PCGS and all lines by NGC?
usc - You ask, what am I missing ? I would answer that what you are missing is the obvious. Did you ever stop to consider that perhaps the coin is the reason for the price difference, and not the plastic ? Consider this - here are two 1865 2 cent pieces, both graded MS65 RB by PCGS, and both with the CAC sticker. http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1174&lotNo=7464 http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1183&lotNo=7225 And yet coin #1 sold for $499 and coin $2 sold for $822 - that's over 60% more for coin #2. And yet both are graded by PCGS and both have the CAC sticker. So why the huge difference in price ? Here are 2 more examples of the same coin, both graded MS65 Red by PCGS. http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1166&lotNo=4442 http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1181&lotNo=3246 Coin #1 sold for $1380 and coin #2 sold for $2115. Again, coin #2 sold for 60% more than coin #1. But both are graded the same by the same TPG. So why the difference ? This is an extremely common occurrence. You can find countless examples of the very same coin graded the same grade by the same TPG, and yet one will sell for much more than the other, sometimes more than double what the other sells for. So if you cannot expect coins graded the same by the same TPG to sell for the same, or at least similar amounts, then how can you possibly expect coins graded by a different TPG to sell for the same or similar amounts ? The answer is easy, you can't. Sure, as others have said in this thread the reason is because of perception, marketing, registry differences, blah blah blah. But the reason is also often because of the coins themselves, because educated buyers see one coin as being nicer than the other coin, even though they are graded the same and by the same TPG. In other words, they ignore the plastic and buy the coin.
