Early Release posted by MAILMAN

[CSJournals-migration]

For the future of the hobby,

 

PLEASE do away with this "price inflating" label. How can you justify any significance to the collecting hobby with this label? Why are coins that are made for 10 weeks out of the year (ATB quarters) even considered for this? Is it not illegal to deny a coin in a mint sealed shipment with documentation to prove the release date from qualifying? I for 1 am waiting for the day when someone with a little cash files a lawsuit to end this money making practice. You are doing a disservice to the hobby that you want to be the leader of! I understand the fact that it is a "money maker" for you, but in the long run it takes away from the standards you should be setting. Why not just stick to grading the coins for their condition or varieties, not the date the mint shipped them out. I can see in the future a label saying "Released from the MINT 01/01/12". When that happens I'll start collecting cash instead of coins...have a great day, enjoy your coin collecting adventures

 

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[brg5658]

I agree with you completely!!! I have more of these "Early Release" labels than I care to admit, but I will NEVER pay a premium for them. If a listing mentions the label status before the coin status, I tend to avoid it...it's obvious what is more important to that seller. PCGS is just as guilty with their "First Strike" rubbish, and there are also FDI labels, Release Ceremony labels, etc.

 

It's becoming too complicated. Can't we just have a coin, graded for what it IS (description / condition / type) and encased in a slab for protection? I'm also confused by the strange "flag" labels I've been seeing lately. Do these really merit a "premium"?? If given two coins, graded exactly the same, sight unseen, and the only difference is the label, I will ALWAYS choose the standard labeled slab.

 

I fear this "trend" may snowball even beyond the current head-spinning offerings of Early Release, First Day Issue, Release Ceremony, Flag Label, etc...but let's hope not...

 

-Brandon

[moondoggy]

I myself agree and don't agree with the above statement. The "specialized labels" do bring a premium but it is market driven. If the demand wasn't there it would die. Now some IMO are more deserving of a premium. An example would be NAS Fallon Firefighter's recent journal as I too have that particular label. First strikes (Red Labels) tend to carry a premium as well. Again the ol supply and demand principle.

What was that one show, "Field of Dreams" where the line was, "if you build it they will come". Well here it is, "if you print it they will buy it"

I totally understand your thoughts on this but as I stated earlier, I do agree and I don't agree. Now can someone take this fence post out of my arse.

 

moondoggy

[brg5658]

I guess we can be thankful that:

 

1) Point premiums are not given to these coins in the Registry Set (at least I don't think??).

 

2) NGC hasn't gone crazy with things like Position A and Position B differentiation of the Presidential and Native American Dollars like PCGS has. That issue is a huge mess, as the edge stamping orientation is "random", and anytime you want to look up a population count from PCGS (for an NGC registry set), you have to look up the Position A and Position B populations...how annoying.

 

So, in summary, I see where moondoggy is coming from. It's basically a "novelty" to have the different labels from NGC, whereas for PCGS registry sets some of the stuff like position orientation is a *requirement* for a "complete" set. I still love NGC as a grading company, and I can put up with some extra "bling" on my label as long as the COIN in the holder is up to snuff.

 

-Brandon

[Jeffrey Cardona]

I understand your frustration MAILMAN. I am not happy with the prices the labels demand but as MOONDOGGY stated it is market driven and collectors will pay more for labels that really mean nothing. I have bought some just to have samples in my collection but only if they are priced at or near what the brown labels go for. For me that means $10 or less over brown.

 

But I do have serious issues with the EARLY RELEASE label by NGC. That is strictly a marketing gimick!! The US Mint does not release any coins earlier then the official release date. The ER label is all about getting your coin to NGC in their specified time frame for grading.

 

Jeffrey

[Mokiechan]

I stand on the side of those who wish those slabbing gimmicks would go away, although like Brandon, I have a few in my collection, they cost no more than the same coin without the special label. As far as I can tell, there is no point premium.

 

I do support labels that identify a significant hoard/collection like the Binion or Redfield identified Dollars. To me, they have historical value above and beyond their normal date/grade value.