...Nothing fancy, but affordable!

I nabbed this coin when making another purchase. Shipping didn't cost, well, a nickel! The coin itself is lovely at Pf69 Ultra Cameo from NGC, and it included an Early Releases Label -- not a huge deal for this 2011-S Jefferson Nickel with the Monticello Reverse, but would have increased the grading price if I submitted the coin myself.

All told, this slabbed coin cost me a mere $8.99, postage paid. Considering standard NGC grading fees, I swear it's cheaper to buy the 69 graded coins from dealers at bargain prices than it is to buy proof sets from the US Mint and submit them to NGC (hoping for higher grades), especially with the postage involved to and from NGC, as well as the number of sets one might have to submit to obtain a complete set in 69 grade -- never mind proof 70 coins, which are hit or miss at best.

You can see an image of this coin using NGC's coin look-up. I tried scanning the holder, but it came out SO blurry, I deleted the images. The number is 3455393-115

Which brings me to a question for the group: How do you all deal with images for your coins? Do you rely on NGC or PCGS to image your coins, especially if you didn't have them graded yourself? If you scan your coins, do you have a special scanner? If you photograph them, is there a special trick, flash or no flash, ideal backgrounds, etc.?

I am finding this issue most difficult, especially now that NGC has increased its imaging charge to $5 per coin just for the internet imaging, and $10 per coin for the higher resolution images.

Part of my concern, which NGC has yet to address, is whether the new $10 high resolution scans will be in file sizes small enough to include the coin images in the NGC Registry.

Historically, with the old $3 internet images, I've found the photos disappointing at best. In fact, many of those photos which I had hoped to include with my Registry Sets, but was unable to do so because NGC had made the images too large to the limited space available. I found it curious that NGC's very own digital images wouldn't fit in their very own Registry.

Now NGC increased the cost for images, which I hope have improved. Then they added the $10 images, and it begs the question if they are more intensive with DPI, will they fit in the NGC Registry?