Third Party Graders: Your Opinions Please

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

We are collecting opinions from CPMF members on Professional Graders and the service they provide.

Please complete the following survey (should take no more than 5 minutes).

Take the survey!

Those who complete the survey will be entered in a random draw for one luncheon ticket to the CPMS luncheon in Ottawa on July 18th (conditions apply).

All responses are completely confidential.  The results are being collected by a private polling service, and the raw data will not be provided to me.

We are collecting opinions from CPMF members on Professional Graders and the service they provide.

Excellent idea. I just filled out the survey, but would like to make a suggestion.
I think that there should be a comment section where we could actually specify and describe our good/bad experiences with a particular TPG. I have dealt with 3 of the graders mentioned and have done so numerous times. I think these personal (not second hand or hearsay) comments would be a benefit to your survey.

FRIEDSQUID

There is a comments section on page 4 of the survey where you can add anything you want to add regarding TPGs.

There is a comments section on page 4 of the survey where you can add anything you want to add regarding TPGs.

I took this section as more of a a comment on how third party graders affect the hobby, not as a place to voice an opinion of a specific TPG....guess its to late now.
 

My biggest problem with third-party graded notes is that, unlike with coins, once they've been encapsulated you can't really grade them for yourself. It's customary to grade high-grade notes by holding them up obliquely towards a light source in order to find those little counting creases and other handling marks that aren't always evident when looking in the perpendicular direction. Once a note has been encapsulated you can grade the plastic holder but not the note itself   Also, once it's been encapsulated it's very difficult to tell if it's been pressed (the TPG companies will never tell you this explicitly) and you can't smell the note for chemicals. I don't think it matters too much on a note costing, perhaps, $100 but I would be very very uncomfortable spending $20,000 on a note that I couldn't inspect in the flesh.

Ottawa

I find if you place the TPG note flat on a table and take an LED flashlight, hold it horizontaly to the holder and you can see a lot of the imperfections.

You should not even have to angle your view, simpy look at the note on a birds eye view and move the flashlight side to side.

Jason

.... I find if you place the TPG note flat on a table and take an LED flashlight, hold it horizontally to the holder and you can see a lot of the imperfections.

Many thanks, Jason. That sounds like a great idea. I guess we should all start carrying a LED flashlight when we attend coin shows and auctions!

I guess we should all start carrying a LED flashlight when we attend coin shows and auctions!

I already do - they're great as long as one remembers to keep them stocked with well-charged batteries.

I already do

i'm sooooo upset  ..... Brent's flashlight has more LED's than my flashlight!!!

Rumour   is  he  is  including  them  with this  years  new  charlton  order.  thanks  Brent

Rumour   is  he  is  including  them  with this  years  new  charlton  order.  thanks  Brent

What's that? You're volunteering to pay for them all? How wonderful!

(Speaking of which, I suppose I should get on that whole Charlton order thing sometime soon... Hmm... after I finish the CPMS newsletter perhaps.)

Erm... Maybe we can stay on-topic, yes?

Thanks to everyone who has submitted their opinions! Already it is looking like eyevet will have a lot to mull over when this thing is wrapped up.

If you haven't completed the survey yet, please do! You could win a free CPMS luncheon ticket!

Thanks to all who answered the survey.   There is some interesting material especially in the comments section which has raised some additional questions which I will post in the next message.

The big winner of the draw for a luncheon ticket at the CPMS luncheon in Ottawa is:

Mike Zarytshansky

OK... based upon the comments received... I would like to ask three more questions.


1.  Why would you want to have your banknotes graded by a professional grading service.

2.  What are your expectations from a professional grading service

3.  What factors would you consider in choosing a professional grading service.


You can post your responses here, or e-mail them to michael@zigler.ca
Thanks

Thanks
I just sent you an email
FRIEDSQUID