To slab or not to Slab?

[lara4228]

That is the question?

When does one feel the coin is deemed slabbable?

[hasfam]

I'm probably the opposite of a lot of people on this forum. I've never slabbed anything. I've never owned a slabbed coin. Don't know why either. I guess I never reached that level of the hobby. Maybe its the cost or maybe I just never felt anything I ever had warranted it. There are people (not here) that will slab any and everything. I probably shouldn't even be responding to this question, but did all the same. I do know you will get some good answers here though.

[BadThad]

It depends on your cost. Joining PCGS or NGC seems cheap, but when you start adding everything up it's not so cheap. I can get PCGS or NGC grading through my dealer for $25 flat per coin. It's VERY slow, sometimes taking 5-6 months because I have to wait until he's ready to send in a batch and his bulk service is slow thru either fo the TPG's. However, this is WAY cheaper than joining myself and it gives me a cut-off of around $100-150 coin value. I'd say if you're doing it yourself, 1) you'd better have enough coins for grading to make joining worthwhile 2) each coin should probably be worth about $200 after grading. Anything else is NOT cost effective IMO. However, exceptions can be made for "special" coins, i.e. ones close to your heart that you don't plan on selling ever. I've slabbed a few that I really cared about or were my grandfathers coins, they were technically worth less than my $100 cut-off, but worth it to me for the emotional aspect.

[JeanK]

I agree with Brad on this one. The coin has to be extremely special to be graded and slabbed because it is very costly. The low guy on the totem pole is the one who gets charged the most per coin. Sort of like, 'whoever has the most marbles wins'. So far the only coin I have had slabbed was, through a friend who was a dealer, is my avatar, the 1922 No D, which I found in a big bag of wheats I bought from http://www.hcc-coin.com . Even though he charged me only the actual slabbing fees, plus mailing with insurance both ways (in this case four ways because I sent the coin to him so he could send it in for me through his dealer status), I paid a little over $60.00 for the transaction.

Some time ago I had decided to try to accumulate a collection of wheat cents in the best slabbed grade I can afford, MS66. I have done pretty good so far, but the prices are beginning to rise too quickly and it might be impossible to complete.

It is all a matter of how important the coin is and whether or not you can recoup your costs later if you decide to sell.

Jean

[copperlover]

Low priced coins are valuable to the collector who has sentimental value. Slabbing is for higher priced coins or coins which are more delicate and need protection over time. I have bought slabbed coins such as silver eagles MS70 and Lincoln cent pf 70 otherwise I don't think it is cost effective.Slabbing is for coins that you are sure will get a higher grade if re-holdered to get an MS65/66 instead of MS64. This is my understanding from what I read.

Lucien

[jcuve]

Just wait and ask again in a year or two - it should be clearer at that point...

[liveandievarieties]

Agree with Jcuve- Slabbing is an expensive, and quite risky game for the uninitiated. IMO, TPG's only real purpose is for the marketing of coins. It's far easier to sell a nice coin in a PCGS holder than not- but it takes years to understand what will and won't sell, and why.

On the other hand, if you're putting together a complete Wheat Cent set, I'd only buy slabbed keys, anything costing over $200. Unless you're well versed on the many types of counterfeits out there- You'd be aghast at how plentifully counterfeited some dates are, and they can pop up in any dealer's cases, many bought at an honest price by an unwitting dealer.

[RWBILLER]

I have been on both sides - having in recent times putting together a au+ slabbed set of early lincolns and last year putting together a set of early lincolns not slabbed. Non slabbed coins you must be very careful in grading would be my only advice and sometimes it feels good to have the coin in hand. With both options - I always get keys slabbed - prefer pcgs.
Roger