Grading Service BS

[Scottishmoney]

That is a significant problem, not only to the bottom feeders and scam artists but also new collectors. Consider a new collector entering the market and they see prices differeing by, say, $50 on an XF. The immediate temptation is to buy the lower price not realizing that the grading isn't up to the already inflated standards. Now that's really sad. Geez, it's gotten to the point where at least US coins are worse than trading penny stocks on the Toronto exchange!

 

The HSNs are simply disgusting. It's predation pure and simple. If this was securities they'd all be in the slam and have Bubba the proctologist as their new boyfriend.

 

This is an area where I really believe if the American Numismatic Association would pull out of their posteriors and take the lead in educating new and newer collectors that these problems could be avoided. But fuggitaboutit, they are busier suing each other and forgetting why they only have 30K members in a country of 300 million people. When I was a YN the ANA was nothing but a turnoff, it seems to be an elitist organisation that is out of touch with the majority of collectors.

[jlueke]

This is an area where I really believe if the American Numismatic Association would pull out of their posteriors and take the lead in educating new and newer collectors that these problems could be avoided. But fuggitaboutit, they are busier suing each other and forgetting why they only have 30K members in a country of 300 million people. When I was a YN the ANA was nothing but a turnoff, it seems to be an elitist organisation that is out of touch with the majority of collectors.

I think the ANA tends to serve the interests of the more involved collectors. If you are active you can get a lot out of the ANA. Their shows, exhibits, library, and educational courses are designed for the intermediate collector. They do pull stunts for the novice or general public but that's not often effective. Even so they've managed to get sued by ACG so getting overly involved in the marketplace could have a further detrimental effect on time and money.

[thedeadpoint]

That'd be a cool exhibit - posting identical coins of identical slab grades from each TPG next to each other. You may notice overgrading, inconsistencies in grades and designations, etc. Maybe these problems occur in different series like Morgans more than other series like SBAs, etc.

[starnickel]

One could compare grading services with baseball in calling strikes and balls! Each grader has a different strike zone. Generally, two or three graders review each coin and they are within one or two grades of each other - I said generally of course there are differences. The services who employ noted or published graders probably are more consistent with their competitive services.

[thedeadpoint]

One could compare grading services with baseball in calling strikes and balls! Each grader has a different strike zone. Generally, two or three graders review each coin and they are within one or two grades of each other - I said generally of course there are differences. The services who employ noted or published graders probably are more consistent with their competitive services.

 

Interesting. So we should be like a catcher - know the umps well enough to know their tendencies then know the pitchers and batters well enough to know theirs. THen use all of that knowledge to get the game played your way? Nice

[jlueke]

That'd be a cool exhibit - posting identical coins of identical slab grades from each TPG next to each other. You may notice overgrading, inconsistencies in grades and designations, etc. Maybe these problems occur in different series like Morgans more than other series like SBAs, etc.

That would be cool. The title could be: The Same Coin?!?

Then, if you go with the same date/mintmark combo line up specimens.

It could show luster on better TPGs versus wasched out dipped surfaces.

Differences in eye appeal, and so on.

 

Definitely topical in this day and age.

 

Let me know if I can steal this idea

[thedeadpoint]

That would be cool. The title could be: The Same Coin?!?

Then, if you go with the same date/mintmark combo line up specimens.

It could show luster on better TPGs versus wasched out dipped surfaces.

Differences in eye appeal, and so on.

 

Definitely topical in this day and age.

 

Let me know if I can steal this idea

 

Go for it, as long as you share the results with us. I don't have the budget as I'm sure you do to complete this project.

[Vfox]

It would be interesting to compare old and new slabs of the same coin in the same grade from the same company...not just other companies. It will somewhat prove everyones point that 20 years ago, whenever the OGH's existed, the grades were much tighter and much more accurate compared to todays willy-nilly grading style. I think making a study on the changes of a TPG over the years instead of comparing it with other TPG's would hit home a little better. The argument of "well they don't grade as well as them" should be less prevalent because you are talking about the same people...

 

 

At anyrate, tombs are as worthless as the plastic they are made of, it's the buyers opinion of a coin that really matters.

[thedeadpoint]

At anyrate, tombs are as worthless as the plastic they are made of, it's the buyers opinion of a coin that really matters.

 

As I found with the recent ANA show, a slab gets a collector like me a whole lot farther when trying to SELL. I found that the only notes many of the dealers I talked to would buy would only be slabbed. That's probably because they dont know me. If I had been dealing with them for years, they'd probably consider an unslabbed note from me, but alas, I haven't dealt with them for years.

 

Thus, since my note wasn't slabbed, some dealers wouldn't even think about it. This wasn't just a common note, this was a very tough find for even the best dealers.

[bobh]

This wasn't just a common note, this was a very tough find for even the best dealers.

If it's a note that is commonly faked, then that's a good reason to stick with slabs if you are in a hurry and not in a position to refer to books, etc. (such as at coin shows).

[jlueke]

As I found with the recent ANA show, a slab gets a collector like me a whole lot farther when trying to SELL. I found that the only notes many of the dealers I talked to would buy would only be slabbed. That's probably because they dont know me.

 

No, it's because they are lazy and don't want to learn enough to be true professionals. All the best dealers buy raw coins, even US coins.

[jlueke]

It would be interesting to compare old and new slabs of the same coin in the same grade from the same company...not just other companies. It will somewhat prove everyones point that 20 years ago, whenever the OGH's existed, the grades were much tighter and much more accurate compared to todays willy-nilly grading style. I think making a study on the changes of a TPG over the years instead of comparing it with other TPG's would hit home a little better. The argument of "well they don't grade as well as them" should be less prevalent because you are talking about the same people...

At anyrate, tombs are as worthless as the plastic they are made of, it's the buyers opinion of a coin that really matters.

 

I'm sure all the old slabs have been recycled by now.

[SMS]

It would be interesting to compare old and new slabs of the same coin in the same grade from the same company...

 

What would be even more interesting is to correlate the slab changes in relation to changes within the companies themselves, such as new or "retired" graders, changes in the Board, market changes, both true and propagated, etc. I am sure that for each change in the slab for each company, a major change will be correlated within the company itself.

 

I have a personal belief that the only real reason we see new slab types being introduced by the TPGs is to cover changes in the way they are doing business, ie. the grading changes. So, if they can get coins out of the old slabs and into the new, after so much time, new collectors will have no idea how the grades have changed throughout the decades and will buy into the TPG delusion.

[just carl]

Keep in mind that anything of value will sooner or later be copied by someone. Lately I've seen counterfeit coins in counterfeit slabs. As this trend continues, the market for a slabbed coin will also fade. Then of course there are those that know how to open a slab and replace the coin.

[Mark Stilson]

Just the grading for standards for the same tpg can be pretty extreme. Check the grading challenge and consider those are all the same slab types.

[Ætheling]

Slabs have their uses (someone better check my pulse, maybe i'm not feeling too well), but in my honest opinion, knowledge beats any amount of plastic.

 

I can understand the issue of 'security' and 'safety' in buying slabbed coins over the internet. Generally because it stops sellers ripping you off (or at least reduces the ripoff margin), by claiming an awful image of a whatever coin it is, is an EF when in reality it's VF.

 

But the only way to truly avoid being duped is to know the series you're collecting like the back of your hand.