First Years experience

Well, the keyword for this year was education. Although I have been collecting for about 30 years, it was just last year I "made the jump" and started slabbing some coins, and have to admit took a while to get a focus area (now Nickels 38-64)--thats still a work in progress...which was the first lesson, You can't get it all ! The next and probably most important lesson was the difference between "Market" grading, and what I had been doing for years, or "Technical" grading. Every coin you look at is a new learning experience!

About the submissions...I was very nervous at first too, anxiously awaiting my first order (did it get AU ??) etc.

I soon realized NGC was just getting to swamped with coins, obviously needing more graders, if the "expected turnaround" is so far off from actual turnaround times. I have also found that they have ALWAYS come through by the "Actual" turnaround time shown on NGC site. The coins may sit in "received" for most of that time, and then in just a day or 2, go from "scheduled" to "Finalized/shipped".

The lesson learned here was you get what you pay for,

if your coin is more valuable, or you need it quicker, you need to select a faster service.

basically, I just think we should be aware of the "Mega-bucks" submitters fees, and what thier grading times are.

ON to the BEST AND WORST FOR 2006 !

WORST : my .08 cent 1946 D F12 Jefferson (was supposed to be D/D, however NGC doesn't recognize that anymore)

and my best for the year is sort of a tie between the MS 68 PL Louisianna Quarter, and this...My MS 66 DPL Tennessee Quarter.

As for me, the best lesson learned has been PATIENCE !!! :-)

bestworst.