What do you think of Collectors Universe in 2025?

At the time of this posting, it's been almost 13 years since @TopcatCoin posted the original thread about Collectors Universe, and it's been 10 years since its last reply.

I know there have been a lot of new posters join this forum since then, many of which are quite well-known on the site.

So, I ask you all: what is your opinion of PCGS Collectors Universe in 2025?

 

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I’ve never used them so I have no opinion.

 

It's a great site but I spend more time here. The search feature on either site can bring up lots of cool information.

 

It's a good site, but you have to pull your punches with respect to PCGS. I spend more time, and do more teaching here.

There are few CAC toadies over there who really got on my nerves. I have ignored most of them, and have been quite happy with the result. If they think that CAC is the greatest grading service in history, they have vastly overrated it.

 

Yeah I've been there a few years ago but it's a good site with many who know a lot about coins and tokens. Different strokes but I had a good time over there and I learned a lot as well!

 

In the past, when purchased properly, they generally provided the best "return on investment"!

Yesterday I received a newly CACed Gold U.S. generic coin, which was purchased at less than other TPG comparable coins!

 

CAC is a company whose grading standards many people praise them for are also the standards everyone else hates about them.

I'm pretty sure the majority of people who can't stand them, though, are the ones who sent coins to them looking for a high grade they should've rightfully gotten but instead witnessed their coin come home in a bodybag Details holder. I've seen some coins slabbed as Details from them, and I sit and wonder "how did that not straight-grade?"

I know grading is subjective, but CAC Grading seems to be as divided of a topic as politics. In a way, CAC-G is the politics of coin grading, even moreso than PCGS. Personally I like ANACS graded coins, ain't seen too many that were graded by a drunk employee.

 

The pros: there appears to be more activity on that forum than most others and you have plenty of knowledge.

The cons: with the knowledge, come the "know-it-alls" (can find them everywhere) and the "Kool-Aid" drinkers (way too PCGS centric-although it makes sense they would be there....another issue is that the moderation is stricter than here; on CoinTalk we can criticize and discuss topics more freely

 

My opinion of them is negative due to their behavior on their forum, specifically deleting threads that reflect badly on their self-promoted image of infallibility. They banned me for asking them about this practice. My avatar coin was originally graded UNC Details (specimen) by them. ANACS conservation removed the lacquer (which was invisible to me) and graded it SP62. PCGS in my opinion is no better or worse than the other three - it's all marketing.

 

I just had an idea, imagine that!
It's like buying something expensive and then the cashier or salesperson asking you to get an additional warranty. I always pass because the experts say to do so. They make more money in warranties than they spend on honoring them. No??
More profit, bottom line. Always...

 

Is that why I can't list NGC items in the classified section
I'm kidding
I like both sites, my problem is I forget which one has stricter rules and sometimes I cross the line.
My Bad.

 

Buy with a credit card that has cash back rewards. Check with the credit card company, some of them double the manufacturer warranty.

 

The wonderful missus and I are getting rid of Credit card paying.

 

Then you're not using them right.
Don't carry a balance at the end of the payment period and collect the rewards cash to buy other things.

 

Dude, 35 years says, "It ain't Happening", LOL. Are you married?

 

I agree. I don't believe in paying interest. If I can't pay the balance every month, I don't charge it. I can see paying interest on a house or a car but that's it. With anything else, I save up the money before buying. It's the same with coins. Save the money you don't need before buying.

 

There's a LOT of truth in all those words
I'll break it down... after my divorce and finally done paying off the debt in the subsequent 13 months WE accumulated. I say WE, not so much what I spent but in that year she had 12 or more jobs.
There was always something OR someone at each job she didn't like or get along with ( what's the common denominator here )

So she would bounce to another job...training period was usually 2 weeks with little to no paycheck. Rinse and Repeat.
I was the guy working 60 hours a week but didn't have the checkbook.
After the Disillusion, it took a year and a half of ME doing nothing but work / paying bills to get out from under the debt.
Changes ones mindset about what you Want VS Need.

 

I hate coming across "Kool-Aid drinkers" on forums since most of them act like they're better than everyone else since they collect a certain type of coin, often PCGS holdered, then pat themselves on the back for having a coin to show off that some dealers could get in a heartbeat.

I read the comments on the CU forum about CT from 13 years ago, and some people were calling us the Kool-Aid drinkers, and saying "when they're ready for the big leagues, send 'em over here". That alone tells you what the mood of the forums are, and I've never even used CU.

I agree - that is one beautiful coin, sounds like PCGS didn't want to fool with grading it but did it for the money. I'm glad you were able to get ANACS to remove the lacquer, since that shows what kind of company they are - an underrated one.

I think the Classifieds are now 10% off for all graded coins..... LOL, only on CT!

But yeah, I've heard that the CU forums are extremely PCGS biased; from my visiting there it seems that there's not much to be learned. On here, different people can teach you all kinds of stuff.

I think they tend to forget their own rules and warranties.... in the sense of Walmart, likely 'yup'.

 

My problem is not with the CAC company but with its extreme advocates. They’ll post stuff like, “CAC has reviewed EVERY worthwhile coin,” “All coins without CAC stickers are second rate,” “All coins with CAC stickers are PQ for the grade.” None of those statements are true, yet I sat in a FUN presentation presented by three leading industry experts who swore that they were true.

One dealer personally attacked me for months on the PCGS site for not giving CAC a full throated endorsement. Saying that CAC was right 95% of the time was not good enough for her. I had to say 100%, and if I didn’t, I was the vilest person on the planet. I never realized that my opinion was so important.