How many slabs have you cracked open in your life? (poll)

[e1cnr]

What is your estimate for the number of slabs you have cracked open in your life?

 

Any brand of slab cracked open for any reason to take coin and do something else with (album, resubmit, sell, ....)

[okbustchaser]

I voted 100--1000, but I may be underestimating the total.

[johnny9434]

none.

[cpm9ball]

I've only cracked 3.....my tweezers broke.

 

Chris

[Walkerfan]

Less than I should have.

[FishyOne]

8 or 9 I'd guess.

[Conder101]

Zero, I don't buy slabbed coins.

[Nutmeg Coin]

Only when necessary; and I have had problem holder coins later grade fine and CAC sticker. Q. David Bowers has pointed out how the grading services are sometimes ridiculous in details grading coins with toning they deem suspicious. Those who keep sending in coins hoping for better grades are playing a fool's game.

[physics-fan3.14]

Zero, I don't buy slabbed coins.

 

You've mentioned that before, and I always found that slightly ironic, since you are the slab expert and wrote the book on slabs.

[jpcienkus]

 

+1

 

Can't wait to hear the answer.

[James_OldeTowne]

I conservatively guessed 1001 to 10,000, but it could be well over 10,000. For instance, I cracked out approximately 600 coins over the course of just two days a couple of months ago. In total, both personally and professionally, I might well be around 10,000.

 

For my personal collection, probably only around 500 or so.

[supertooth]

Hello Folks

 

When you start cracking out coins, you enter what I have for years called "THE GIANT GAME"

 

But, every coin starts out RAW at some point in the game. So, if it is then graded, some PERSON has to pay someone to do it.

 

Then, when you buy said coin, the NEW OWNER has to once again decide how he wants the coin to be. Does he keep it raw again----leave it in it's existing holder if it has one---or try to cross it over to another grading service's slab. This may depend on whether one has a Registry set or not.

 

So, after years of buying and selling, does the collector buy coins that he likes? Or does he buy one kind of slab exclusively over ALL others? Will he buy RAW and then try to have the coins graded himself? Will he try to crossover coins?

 

For me, I answered that I have tinkered a little. I've bought what I think are coins that I like. I've bought them mostly RAW and then had them slabbed myself at either NGC or PCGS. But, I have also bought ALL KINDS of slabbed coins. Some even in third world holders. If you do this and if you have Registry sets, then likely you will DABBLE at some point in cracking out coins. Then, you will find out how really good that you are at buying coins? Some folks with GREAT grading skills will mostly do very well at WHATEVER they want to do. Other folks with poorer skills soon find out that they ought to buy ONLY what others grade for them.

 

I try to LIMIT my risk taking. But, if I like a coin, I'll buy it no matter what and then try to put it where I want it to end up. Over these MANY years, I have done remarkably well because I know my series very well. One MUST ALLOW time and PATIENCE before doing a lot of cracking out on your own. Until you get---WITHIN YOUR SERIES----as good as those graders who put the coins into the slabs----you had better gain MORE KNOWLEDGE before playing "THE GIANT GAME". Especially that crackout game. My best to all of you in your collecting efforts. Bob [supertooth]

[Nutmeg Coin]

It would be possible to deter potential crack-outs; a grading service could do as banks do with robbers; insert a die pack. If the coin were going to cross to another service, then the pros at the other service would have the proprietary technology to remove the coin and transfer it to their holder.

 

At the least I would hope that grading services would at some point start using encodable microdots on graded coins for security purposes.

[okbustchaser]

It would be possible to deter potential crack-outs; a grading service could do as banks do with robbers; insert a die pack. If the coin were going to cross to another service, then the pros at the other service would have the proprietary technology to remove the coin and transfer it to their holder.

 

At the least I would hope that grading services would at some point start using encodable microdots on graded coins for security purposes.

 

Why would TGPs ever want to deter crackouts? It's more money for them.

[Nutmeg Coin]

"Why would TGPs ever want to deter crackouts? It's more money for them."

 

Have you spoken with grading services about previous grades a coin was assigned?

 

They are already getting tons of submissions, I doubt they need more.

[James_OldeTowne]

"Why would TGPs ever want to deter crackouts? It's more money for them."

 

Have you spoken with grading services about previous grades a coin was assigned?

 

They are already getting tons of submissions, I doubt they need more.

Without question, the grading services DO want more submissions. But I can't fathom why anyone would want to try to prevent someone else from removing a coin from a slab at his whim. I want my coins in albums, and have never been able to squeeze a slabbed coin into a tiny hole.

 

I will note that if I have cracked out 10,000 coins as is possible, maybe 100, or about 1%, were cracked out with intent to re-certify. My reason for removing coins from slabs is almost always going to be that I think the coin SHOULD be raw. For example, I just cannot fathom why anyone would certify a common dated Seated quarter in VG worth eight bucks. That kind of coin should be RAW, and I am more than happy to make it that way.

[Nutmeg Coin]

If one of the grading services were to initiate a crack-out discouragement technology, there would be a hue and cry about impeding free trade and commercial activity; and a flight to those that have more liberal policies. I am just saying when I have spoken with customer service about how a coin was previously certified, the attitude is like "uh oh, please say no more". Do they know if there have been multiple submissions? They are getting probably way too many coins to keep count, but let's say they have high tech scanners that are following all coins over a certain dollar figure and if a coin gets submitted 6X, then upgrade happens; I am just repeating a theory of one long term dealer.

 

You can't put the genie back in the bottle in most cases. A coin gets taken out of the holder and all types of handling can happen, plus it may have been low end to begin with so it can be very difficult to get the previous grade again.

[Houston Investor]

Probably about 200-250. Coins that were undergraded, needed a dip, ANACS, and ICG coins. I simply crack them and submit. I once bought a collection at a show of almost entirely SEGS and ANACS coins and snap, crackle, pop they all went to either PCGS or NGC.

 

I am not much of a crackout addict as the fees can ad up. It can be a hobby within the hobby to crackout coins very high end where there is a big bumpup in value to the next level and try this several times before giving up.

 

While I am not into problem coins, I do know one collector in particular who cracks out problem coins for his albums in the enjoyment of his hobby.

[okbustchaser]

"Why would TGPs ever want to deter crackouts? It's more money for them."

 

Have you spoken with grading services about previous grades a coin was assigned?

 

They are already getting tons of submissions, I doubt they need more.

 

 

No, I haven't. I couldn't care less what a particular coin might have graded previously since that information would have no bearing on what I would have to pay in order to buy it in its current slab. However, as long as the market seems to think that a coin has to be entombed in a hunk of plastic bearing a label with the highest possible number many sellers will continue to crack them out and resubmit. Why would a TPG possibly want to curtail this practice?

 

 

Note: My conclusion may seem totally wrong to someone who actually submits coins. I've never done so--although as stated above I've UN-submitted a bunch over the years.

[bsshog40]

I cracked open a year set of the infamous PF70 sgs slabs for my album. I also cracked a couple NGC PF 69 slabs for my jefferson dansco.

[123cents]

Probably 10 to 12 coins because of NGC's new policy.

[coinman1794]

It would be possible to deter potential crack-outs; a grading service could do as banks do with robbers; insert a die pack. If the coin were going to cross to another service, then the pros at the other service would have the proprietary technology to remove the coin and transfer it to their holder.

 

At the least I would hope that grading services would at some point start using encodable microdots on graded coins for security purposes.

 

The coins are not owned by the grading services.

[Coindude]

Probably in the order of 200, but most of those were PCI so does it really count?

[RWB]

Why bother with coins?

 

Just insert a color hologram in each slab.

[Coindude]

If you did that... would it get a hologram on the outside? That's the real question.

[Nutmeg Coin]

I haven't read the legalese in the certification contracts, lawyers have them insert weasel words you can be sure so they could insert stuff in there so they could imprint an otherwise invisible dot on the edge, etc.. They said they don't use scanners for grading, but they could be using them for tracking or just follow resubmissions in a given account.