NGC vs PCGS

[RoelSports]

Which service commands the higher sales prices realized, and by what percentage?scr

[okbustchaser]

Depends on the coin, but in general, PCGS. Personally, it makes no difference to me what flavor of plastic it is in, or if it is in any at all. Just as soon as I get it home it will be raw, anyway.

[gmarguli]

You also need to take into account grading standards. PCGS limits grades where NGC uses a broader grade range. This affects selling price in a way most people overlook.

[Coppernicus]

An example from my specialty - Lincoln wheats:

 

A 1955-D in a PCGS 67RD holder goes for about $4,300.

The same coin in an NGC 67RD holder gets about $300.

 

Personally, I think that's ridiculous. But I'm not complaining because I have bought Lincolns in NGC holders and "cracked and crossed" into PCGS holders at the same grade for some good dollar profits.

 

I don't think that PCGS standards are that much stricter than NGC, but the market seems to think so! For me, I'm always surveying Lincoln wheats in NGC holders for a possible cross into the same grade PCGS holder. Many don't qualify so I pass, but many do!

 

My 1949-P PCGS 66RD in my PCGS Registry Set was cracked from an NGC 66RD holder that I got for $55. With the $30 PCGS grading fee plus P/H/I, I have a roughly $270 coin for about $90.

 

It's a strong, PQ coin and NGC was "right on" with the grade. So why could I get it so cheap? Market (mis)perception. No complaints here, and I'll keep looking!!

 

Mike

[mhnies-migration]

Agreed with what has already been said.

 

PCGS has done a much better marketing job on the public. And their kool-aid flows like water.

 

I honestly believe if NGC ever changes to a more attractive holder their submissions will increase and NGC holdered coins will increaase in value.

[James_OldeTowne]

((( Which service commands the higher sales prices realized, and by what percentage? )))

 

A better question might be: "which service can you make more money on", and I would say NGC. If you believe PCGS coins realize higher sales prices, then you need to realize that also means they costp more than NGC coins.

 

This is why the vast majority of the certified coins I buy are in NGC holders.

[coinman1794]

You brought up a good point about some NGC pieces not qualifying for the crossover. The thing that one must remember, though, in comparing the services in this way is that there are just as many coins that shouldn't qualify that PCGS has already graded! That is, there are just as many low-end coins in both holders! It's easy to forget, when everyone tries to get high-end stuff into PCGS, that they grade mid-level and low-end stuff as well. The scary thing is that low-end and mid-level coins will still bring the plastic premium, and that's how you know its all non-sense.

[MikeKing]

I have an observation. Maybe I'm just imagining it, and I'd like other people's opinions. I think the plastic that PCGS uses is of better optical quality than NGC plastic. I'm serious. And I think that I might cross coins over if just for that reason.

(Now you have to understand this could be an eye thing and may not apply to anyone under 40!!! )

[WinstonWare]

I would just add that these are generalizations and we usually buy coins on an individual basis. So any one slabbed coin may not fall into these generalizations.

 

That said, it would be nice if NGC could get some nicer holders – Jeesh.

[James_OldeTowne]

I must agree with the last two comments. The optical quality of the plastic makes it easier to image coins in PCGS holders than in NGC's, and quite frankly, I think the same coin optically appears to be nicer in a PCGS holder than an NGC. NGC has improved this problem in the past year.

[chinook]

NGC copper in most instances trades at a substantial discount to PCGS. The gap has widened appreciably in recent months as the altered color IHC's have come to light.

[Wihlborg]

I don’t get it. Am I really the only one who likes the NGC holders better then PCGS’s? In my opinion the PCGS holders look cheap and cheesy, while the NGC holders look elegant and classy.

 

As for the optical quality of the plastic, maybe the PCGS plastic is a little clearer, but let’s face it no matter which holder a coin is in it is tough to photograph a coin through plastic.

 

John

[DC Dawg]

If you want to get into the look of holders, I like NGC over PCGS's holders. I have seen the new NGC holder insert that allows the viewer to see the edge of a coin for those coins with edge details. It is a cool idea, but not perfect.

 

HOWEVER, the new ANACS holder is the best. It is not only asthetically pleasing, but the changes are very functional. For example, the new clear casing allows the collector to see the edge of the coin. Unlike the NGC holder that uses "prongs" to hold the coin in place, the ANACS holder does not have prongs, but is clear so the edge can be seen.

 

Another great feature of the ANACS holder is the label that can be seen from the top as a holder sits in a box. You know those boxes... they hold 20 slabs standing up. When the box holds NGC or PCGS slabs, the only way to figure out what coin is in the slab is to lift the slab out of its spot. With the ANACS slab, you can see a portion of the label from the top without lifting the slab out of the box. So when you are looking for that wonderful 3-legged Buffalo, you can just glance at the top label!

 

That's my opinion, but I could be wrong!!

 

Scott

[gmarguli]

NGC copper in most instances trades at a substantial discount to PCGS. The gap has widened appreciably in recent months as the altered color IHC's have come to light.

 

Are you sure this isn't just wishful thinking on your part. The last few toned Indians I saw sell did very strong money - higher prices than 6 months ago. Not as strong as selling them to the Santa Monica buyer, but still very strong.

 

The reach of both message boards is probably less than 1/10 of 1% of the collectors out there. If they made a difference, the scammers on eBay would dry up and the TV coin shows would go off the air. They don't. NGC copper has and will always lag PCGS copper since the PCGS copper guarantee is vastly better.

[MikeInFL]

NGC copper in most instances trades at a substantial discount to PCGS. The gap has widened appreciably in recent months as the altered color IHC's have come to light.

 

Are you sure this isn't just wishful thinking on your part. The last few toned Indians I saw sell did very strong money - higher prices than 6 months ago. Not as strong as selling them to the Santa Monica buyer, but still very strong.

 

The reach of both message boards is probably less than 1/10 of 1% of the collectors out there. If they made a difference, the scammers on eBay would dry up and the TV coin shows would go off the air. They don't. NGC copper has and will always lag PCGS copper since the PCGS copper guarantee is vastly better.

 

In addition to PCGS's superior guarantee, there are other reasons for the spread including:

 

a) NGC is much more lenient in what they will slab (i.e. deem MA), particularly for recolored copper, and

b) NGC grades most (old copper) coins higher than PCGS would,

 

with the net result being NGC copper is less valuable, in general, than PCGS copper graded similarly.

 

In the end, the answer to the OP's question is very much dependent on the precise coin in question (series and grade being the primary factors) -- there is no simple rule that would cover the price spread between NGC and PCGS in all cases...Mike