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 Replies: 13 / Views: 3,283 |
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Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
What is your opinion of ICG as a grading service? I do not own any coins graded by them, but I've seen some with coins that look decent and the price is usually less than PCGS or NGC.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2403 Posts |
I wouldn't take their grading at face value...but buy the coin not the holder in this case.
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CCF Advertiser
United States
1533 Posts |
I've seen some horrible overgrades. I own one of them. The holder adds no value. If you'd be ok cracking it out, then buy the coin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2129 Posts |
I have a couple of coins in ICG slabs. I bought the coin and not the holder. Also, I paid less than I would have if the coin was in a PCGS slab. IMO nothing wrong with them as long as you are careful.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3210 Posts |
They aren't NGC or PCGS but they aren't as bad as segs ncg and other basement graders. I primarily keep a rule to buy only NGC or PCGS slabs for my certified collection. Gonna start a NGC registry set tomorrow after work, especially for my complete set of Franklin halves. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4326 Posts |
ICG has some qualities - they are the only ones who will encapsulate contemporary counterfeit coins (in their 'educational' slab with a bright yellow label).
They are also fairly notorious as standing for "I Can't Grade". I've bought from dealers who cracked out of ICG slabs because it was too embarrassing to try to sell it as is. One in particular came out of ICG AU-55 and into NGC XF-40 (and it's an honest 40).
I believe they will attribute more and minor varieties that PCGS and NGC do not.
-----Burton 50 year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, OnLine Coin Club Owned by four cats and a wife of 40 years (joined 1983) |
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Valued Member
United States
130 Posts |
They generally aren't horrible, but I definitely wouldn't buy them sight unseen (not that I really recommend that period). I'd only recommend it if you're comfortable grading the coin in question.
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
Quote:
I wouldn't take their grading at face value...but buy the coin not the holder in this case. In any case,not just this one. Even the top three TPG's can and have graded wrong. If you learn to grade then a true MS-60 will be a MS-60 in any slab. John1 
( I'm no pro, it's just my humble opinion )
Searched 6.5 +/- Million Cents Since 1971
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Valued Member
United States
238 Posts |
I use ICG to grade many of my coins in the $75-$200 value range since I live near them in Tampa (no shipping expense). Their grades, at least recently with the blue labels, have been relatively accurate in my opinion. For high-end coins and especially Moderns, you are better off with PCGS/NGC but you should consider ICG classic coins if you like the coin and think it is graded correctly.
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Valued Member
United States
115 Posts |
I don't have any problem with ICG. I do like to see the coin in hand before I'm locked into it. I'm the same with the other TPGs.
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Valued Member
 United States
108 Posts |
Appreciate all the comments.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4945 Posts |
Agree with others - they aren't an outright scam like the basement slabbers but you will get much more reliable grading from the new ANACS holders, PCGS, or NGC. Note that PCGS and NGC have suffered quite a bit from "grade inflation" so I dare say the modern ANACS holders are actually more accurately graded. Don't shoot the messenger!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4326 Posts |
Yeah, reading back over my comment I forgot to note that I have several mid-priced ICG slabbed coins that ARE accurately graded, and I'm quite comfortable keeping them as is.
-----Burton 50 year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, OnLine Coin Club Owned by four cats and a wife of 40 years (joined 1983) |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Just remember that as with most products you pay for the name. More so than the product, just the name. Places like PCGS are so famous, you just have to pay for that.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 3,283 |
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Posted 05/16/2016 10:00 pm
