Just where does that agony reside?

When I first started submitting coins several years ago to the service that starts with an A, yes I know I'm speaking heresy, I used to think it was all about picking out some coins and then the agony was waiting the 3-4 weeks. I never did real well, but I was also learning how to grade, and still don't have that one down.

My first submission to NGC was better, but still somewhat lackluster and there was a time I thought that there might be a conspiracy against the collector in favor of the dealer. However, I've since changed that opinion and I'll try to explain why I feel different.

I've front ended the agony and have become ultra picky. I spent 6 months accumulating, reviewing and refining the submission box. I'm a Roosevelt Dime guy, so I buy lots of OBW's, mint sets, singles off Ebay, dealers and other collectors. In the past 6 months I've probably reveiwed 3-4,000 dimes and selected about 100 top quality prospects for the grading box. Then I go back through the box and cull out stuff that I've missed, usually about 20%. Now I'm down to about 80 coins and I go through these looking for the very best and set these aside in a different box - for this last submission I put 15 in that box. Hard to belive but even after all that reviewing noted above I still culled out 2 more coins for scuffs or marks that I didn't see, which I would have sent before and been ultra-disappointed with a 64 or some other unfortunate grade. Then I agonized over the final 13 coins to select the 7 I sent for grading based on the best of the best. I now believe it better to wait and make quality sumbissions from the best of the best - it takes me awhile because I don't have hundreds of thousands of coins from which to choose, which is why I think the playing field is level.

I really don't have any anxiety at all awaiting grades, because I truly believe I sent the best of the best, although I'm sure I'll be knocked down a peg when grades arrive...

Here's the list -

001 1980 D 10C

002 1979 D 10C

003 1994 P 50C

004 1980 D 25C

005 1986 P 10C

006 1988 D 10C

007 1992 P 10C

I believe that each coin in it's own right is a solid high end example for the date and MM. They are scheduled for grading now, so a little time will tell if the "upfront agony" was worth the peace of mind I feel now...

Happy Submitting to all!

I'll let you all know how I fair!

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