ANA Grading Seminar and dealer night at the N.H. Coin Expo...

[bigd5]

'll try to make an update of the show each night as they roll along.

 

We finished up the grading seminar at the N.H. Coin Expo today and I have to say it was quite interesting. It was refreshing to get different perspectives on grading "techniques" or "methods" that different individuals use.

 

We squeezed plenty of information into 2 days, so it was fairly fast paced but it did the trick.

 

Overall, the most important factor stressed was looking at a coins' luster and strike characteristics as heavily as one would factor in marks, or hits. If you grade coins focusing too much or heavily on strictly marks, you most likely will not be a completely successful grader of coins in today's market.

 

Met Cohodk and fountainheadgold at the seminar. Good people. Funny how fountainheadgold and I were sitting next to one another for the seminar and didn't realize who we were until the end of the first day! That was amusing.

 

Hit the bourse floor after the seminar, and man was it busy. Last year was the first year for this show, and it was rather uneventful. Ok busy, but nothing exciting. Tonight was much more brisk, which should keep everyone optimistic for the weekend.

 

I sold a bunch of material, which is never a bad thing , and finally got a chance to walk around with only 30 minutes left. Spotted one decent commem. with some color, and scooped that one up.

 

Also saw a really nicely toned Barber half dollar. I'm at a disagreement with the grade of the coin in comparison to what the selling dealer has the coin graded at, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to snag this one. It's pretty though.

 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and am anticipating a busy day.

 

I'll let the others chime in with their experiences on their own, although I did see a couple nice coins later on.

[Hoot]

Overall, the most important factor stressed was looking at a coins' luster and strike characteristics as heavily as one would factor in marks, or hits. If you grade coins focusing too much or heavily on strictly marks, you most likely will not be a completely successful grader of coins in today's market.

 

Fascinating. I'd say that the tolerance for marks/tics on coins differs dramatically from grader to grader. Thus the wild differences that a person receives in grades on the same coins submitted more than once.

 

I have a running experiment with a couple of nickels that I send in repeatedly to PCGS and NGC. So far, a 1948-S Jefferson with marks and a great strike/luster has graded MS65-66 (graded 5 times); this is true too for a 1968-S (graded 4 times). On the other hand, a 1937 buff (graded 3 times) has virtually no marks, a slightly weak strike and average luster, and has graded MS66-67. These coins, to me, are "fence riders" and each have merits to place them in grade ranges of 65-67. So, is it better for them to be in the "more conservative" grade?

 

Hoot

[bigd5]

Hoot,

 

I probably should have added that on coins that always come lustrous and well struck (38-d buffalo nickel?) marks come into play as a much higher priority.

 

I would assume the same goes for modern type issues.

 

I was talking more about classic issues.

 

On the official first day of the show, it was EXTREMELY busy in my neck of the bourse. I didn't eat my lunch until 5:00pm, and just couldn't leave my table for a moment. I finally asked a board member to sit at my table for a minute while I ran around dropping off a few checks from purchases on Thursday evening/Fri. a.m, that I never had a chance to get back to.

 

A great show so far!

[bigd5]

Saturday was another busy day. Brisk would be the best description that comes to mind. Not as crazy as Friday.

 

When all was said and done, I actually did a bit more business on Saturday then Friday.

 

I was able to purchase plenty of decent material, and also sold quite a bit of material.

 

I sold that ms/62 bust half mentioned above, and again, knew I wasn't going to leave with this coin in my box. Too nice a coin for someone else not to purchase it.

 

Plenty of "action" on the bourse, with many dealers actively buying material. Really any problem free coin that was decent, and properly graded can be sold right now. It's the overgraded, problem material that will sit.

 

I'll post a wrap up on Sunday evening, or Monday.

[Hoot]

Thanks Darin! Great to hear about your experience and I can't wait to see the coins you've picked up!

 

Hoot

[bigd5]

Oh, brace yourself Hoot!

 

Actually, I picked up at least a dozen wonderful looking IHC's from a collector. All either brown coins on the threshold of red/brown, or red/brown coins on the threshold of red. ALL spot and haze free. A great lot of coins (I believe Toneddollars saw these as and after I was purchasing them) that I was esctatic to have been offered.

 

None are coming home though, unfortunately. All sold already. Actually, I may have one coin left.

 

Some nicely toned Morgans too. A couple of on the edge screamers, but mostly just nice colorful Morgans.

 

I let those big boy toned Morgan dealers handle those A color coins, but it seems a couple of them ran into a little "glitch" according to the boards across the street. I haven't read all the threads on that situation over there, but it looks "interesting" to say the least.

 

A couple of nice bust halves.

 

OH! Did I mention the Buffalo Nickels? I saw 2 (yes 2) 1920-d pcgs ms/64 examples. Talk about extremes in pricing, compared to sheet numbers. I could, and maybe should, start a whole thread on these two coins. One coin went for $2kish, while the second coin went for $3kish. Both wholesale numbers. The $3k coin was as close to ms/65 as could be imagined and had fantastic eye appeal. The $2kish coin was actually a bit sharper (maybe?) but maybe dipped or lightened at one time (my opinion). Still very, very nice. I find the contrast in pricing interesting considering the strikes were similar and neither coin was "toned" per say.

[chinook]

I was also at the grading class with Darin. While I believe it is very difficult to cram 5 days worth of material into 2 days, the instructors did a great job. With a relatively small class they were available for questions all the time.

 

On the first day we graded copper and silver. Like Darin I got 16 out of 29. The 1/2 dime in a PCI holder as a 65 really shouldn't count. My grade on it was a 63. Anyway, of the remaining coins I undergraded on 11 of them and overgraded 3. I think I was looking more at the marks and not enough at the luster.

 

The second day was gold. WOW What a learning experience. I only GUESSED 6 of the 29 correctly. Overgraded 11 and undergraded 12. Some by more than 2 points. This was a brutal experience. Of the 11 coins I undergraded 9 were NGC and 2 PCGS. Of the 12 I overgraded 8 were PCGS and 4 NGC. I dont know if this means anything other than my gold grading stinks

 

Overall my experience was fantastic. We got to look at many different coins in different series and met some very nice people. BTW- I would recommend Darin(BIGD5) as a great dealer. He has a strong passion for the industry and is very generous and honest.

[Hoot]

Great to hear yet another good experience with the grading class. It's next summer at the ANA for me that I'll get to take the advanced class. It'll be brutal. I also want to take the counterfeit detection class. That should mek me feel pretty small!

 

"I would recommend Darin(BIGD5) as a great dealer. He has a strong passion for the industry and is very generous and honest."

 

No truer words ever spoken. Darin's the best!

 

Hoot