On Jan 17, 7:54*pm, "Mr. Jaggers" lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com wrote:
Realitywrote:
What is the deal with this nonsense?

When I submit a coin to PCGS, I want to know if it is genuine, the
grade, and if it is original.

IMO if you are paying the supposed leading expert graders in the
industry a $30 grading fee plus shipping both ways, then their
"Genuine - Questionable Color" B.S is not an option. *I'm paying them
to tell me one way or the other.

The color/toning is either ORIGINAL or NOT.

If they can't tell the difference, then what is their opinion worth?
IMO the grading fee should be refunded if their "experts" can't
discern the difference. *It's a total ripoff otherwise.

PCGS assesses coins in terms of how they think the market will view them.
If they feel the market will be accepting, they will grade the coin. *If
they feel the market will be hesitant or unaccepting, they will slab the
coin as genuine and then tell you why they made the judgment call (IMHO a
much more humane and instructive policy than their previous bodybag event).
In all cases they prejudge the anticipated reaction to your coin of a market
that is partially known and partially unknown, based upon their past
experience, which is definitely broader than mine and, I would guess,
broader than yours. *It is scientific only to a point, then the real
emotions, fears, and fickle, undefinable "feelings" that lurk in the market
take over, whence the "questionable" designator. *My conclusion and advice,
after sending several coins to PCGS and seeing countless others in bodybags,
graded slabs, and "genuine" slabs: *"It's a crapshoot. *Don't gamble any
more money than you can afford to lose." *From what I have seen, PCGS
arrives at that conclusion and follows that advice to the letter.

PCGS had a display at their table at CICF 2009 which featured two cases full
of coins they had to buy back for one reason or another after they had put
them in graded slabs. *I am certain that some of those buybacks cost them a
bundle. *Perhaps not a significant fraction of their bottom line,
nevertheless they represented a lesson in caution in putting their trademark
on their product.

Your screen name isReality, and that's thereality,Reality. *8)

James the Ombudsman

Ya, well the "reality" is that I did't get to give them the history of
the coin which would totally disprove their incompetence in this
particular case. So I got screwed by some clueless so-called "grader"
this time around (which will probably be my last with those nitwits
unless the dealer pays for it).