Is having coins graded really worth it?

[eric80-migration]

I know for key dates and rare or high-value coins it can be worth it to get an accurate measure of what your coin is worth, but what about some lower-value or more modern coins? I have some silver Roosevelt dimes that would probably be at least VF, some common wheat pennies possibly EF or higher, a couple rolls of dollars and half dollars straight from the Mint, and I just cracked open and old piggy-bank of mine that contained some very shiny, very detailed coins (dimes and pennies mostly, but some quarters and nickels too) probably AU at worst that are dated from the mid-80's back.

 

With coin grading services costing dollars per coin, plus shipping, it doesn't seem worth it to grade them since, according to the Red Book, the difference between face value and mint is only a couple dollars at most.

[TomB]

Howdy and welcome. None of the coins you listed would be worth having certified and I know of no one who typically certifies that type of coin. I send very few coins in for certification and those that I send in are likely to benefit greatly by having a very high grade listed on the coin and the certification costs will pay for themselves many times over by virtue of the high grade.

[DaveG]

I think a lot of collectors have a minimum value for having a coin slabbed or buying one already slabbed - for me it's usually $300-$500, depending on the coin.

[James_OldeTowne]

Wow, I'm right in line with Dave G. I would never get certified anything under $300, and up to about $600, it's very unlikely that I would. I also avoid buying such coins as much as possible, as I just have no interest in lining the pockets of some third party for a service (grading) that I feel comfortable with up to that level.

 

The exceptions are for gold coins, which is just about the opposite - I almost never buy one uncertified unless we're talking bullion, and certain key dates that I don't feel comfortable authenticating.

 

 

[World Colonial]

Each collector has their own reason for having their coins certified and it is a personal preference. Some collectors do it to participate in Registry Sets. I have or eventually plan to have all of my decent coins graded because it will make it easier to have the recipeint of my coins to sell them should they choose to do so. From an economic standpoint, I only get a coin graded if the likely increase in value due to marketability outweights the slabbing fee. I say likely because you always run the risk of having your coins rejected (aka, bodybagged) and the fees are not cheap, especially on lower end coins. I collect only select world coin series, and for these the price difference between graded and raw is large enough to still make it worthwhile to get many of them graded, even for some coins that sell for under $100 raw.