Sorry NGC, but you're better than this :(

[EXOJUNKIE]

It cheapens the company's brand.  Way too gimmicky.  Come on guys, you don't have to go to this level.

Rick Harrison-signed labels

[MarkFeld]

What types of label signatures do you feel aren't "too gimmicky" and don't "cheapen the company's brand"?

[EXOJUNKIE]

I don't personally care for signatures of any kind on slab labels.  Just keep it professional and skip the cheap, commercial marketing gimmicks.  I can see some allure to directly-coin-related signatures like Moy, Goodacre, etc., but partnering with Hollywood personalities crosses a line and IMO it adversely affects the credibility of NGC's status as a "Top 2 TPG."  There is a high road and a low road ... if I'm the average collector thinking about where to certify my collection or how to buy my slabbed coins, and I want it done professionally and objectively, I will choose the company on the high road, not the one willing to debase myself to make a buck. 

Who is next to sign?  Dr. Phil?  Oprah?  The "Yup" guy from Storage Wars"?  How low is a TPG willing to go to sell a few slabs?  And do they even care about the credibility of the 30+ million coins already slabbed?

I don't write about much on the boards, but this really gets under my skin.  I have sent a LOT of coins to NGC over the years, which are still in my collection, and I see gimmicks like this hurting their resale value. 

[MarkFeld]

Thank you.

I'm curious as to how you feel about (baseball) athlete's autographs? Grading company personnel's autographs?

[Neko]

Well said exojunkie. I agree 100%. I have cracked many a slab to get rid of this type labeling on coins in my collection.

 

[physics-fan3.14]

2 hours ago, MarkFeld said:

What types of label signatures do you feel aren't "too gimmicky" and don't "cheapen the company's brand"?

2 hours ago, EXOJUNKIE said:

I don't personally care for signatures of any kind on slab labels.  Just keep it professional and skip the cheap, commercial marketing gimmicks.  I can see some allure to directly-coin-related signatures like Moy, Goodacre, etc.

I agree. I think the signed labels are silly - but if you must have a signature, it should be someone involved in actually producing that coin (designer, engraver, head of the mint at the time, etc). 

This cheap marketing ploy is ridiculous - but I've been saying the wide range of gimmicks are ridiculous for years (remember a couple of years ago when they had the pawn stars "hoard" label?)

[physics-fan3.14]

1 hour ago, MarkFeld said:

Thank you.

I'm curious as to how you feel about (baseball) athlete's autographs? Grading company personnel's autographs?

Are we collecting autographs, or coins? 

I suppose if this is some crossover with philography, hoping to lure them to numismatics, it makes some sense.... but I seriously doubt this is the play. 

[MarkFeld]

1 hour ago, physics-fan3.14 said:

Are we collecting autographs, or coins? 

I suppose if this is some crossover with philography, hoping to lure them to numismatics, it makes some sense.... but I seriously doubt this is the play. 

I was wondering, for example, what EXOJUNKIE thinks of David Hall signatures on labels.

[A.Phillips]

5 hours ago, EXOJUNKIE said:

I don't personally care for signatures of any kind on slab labels.  Just keep it professional and skip the cheap, commercial marketing gimmicks.  I can see some allure to directly-coin-related signatures like Moy, Goodacre, etc., but partnering with Hollywood personalities crosses a line and IMO it adversely affects the credibility of NGC's status as a "Top 2 TPG."  There is a high road and a low road ... if I'm the average collector thinking about where to certify my collection or how to buy my slabbed coins, and I want it done professionally and objectively, I will choose the company on the high road, not the one willing to debase myself to make a buck. 

Who is next to sign?  Dr. Phil?  Oprah?  The "Yup" guy from Storage Wars"?  How low is a TPG willing to go to sell a few slabs?  And do they even care about the credibility of the 30+ million coins already slabbed?

I don't write about much on the boards, but this really gets under my skin.  I have sent a LOT of coins to NGC over the years, which are still in my collection, and I see gimmicks like this hurting their resale value. 

[Tyrock]

Mark has a point, but when I signed on just now and saw the "Rick Harrison" label, I wasn't too enthusiastic with the idea.

[WoodenJefferson]

The chicken scratch signature is just fine, it's Rick standing there with his arms folded in that icon black shirt that puts it in the 'way too far' category.

[Joydeep]

6 hours ago, EXOJUNKIE said:

........ this really gets under my skin........ gimmicks like this hurting their resale value. 

 

4 hours ago, physics-fan3.14 said:

........ but I've been saying the wide range of gimmicks are ridiculous...

 

Um...Guys.....the President of this Nation is a Hollywood/TV Personality as well. Seeing Rick or his signature on the NGC Labels shouldn't tick anyone off. The parallels are kind of symbolic, just admire the coin (Nation), see the NGC holder as a guarantee of quality (i.e. faith in democracy) and the NGC Label as an added bonus (a new experience). If it still bothers you, just get the coin re-holdered (next election after a few years).

[nk1nk]

Exojunkie, do these signatures cheapen pcgs brand? Why just the NGC rant, seems both TPG's are guilty to me.

Jessica lynch

lance Armstrong 

Gen. Tommy franks

kathryn Sullivan 

[Amazon]

I don't care. I wouldn't buy it, but NGC isn't putting a gun to our heads and forcing us to buy it. If someone likes it, they will buy it.

[kidrootbeer]

OF COURSE it's a Gimmick. NGC and PCGS have had gimmicked labels for years now; so what? You don't collect them? So what. I don't collect them, but it's not my place to call them out on it. They will sell, and pretty well at that (subculture).

[numisport]

The only thing Rick Harrison is good at is running a pawn shop. Anytime he's offered something valuable including coins he calls in so called experts. As always these coins are just a sales gimmick and it doesn't bother me as long as my coins are graded and handled properly

[kidrootbeer]

1 hour ago, numisport said:

The only thing Rick Harrison is good at is running a pawn shop. Anytime he's offered something valuable including coins he calls in so called experts. As always these coins are just a sales gimmick and it doesn't bother me as long as my coins are graded and handled properly

You have no idea how that show is filmed...

[numisport]

7 minutes ago, allmine said:

You have no idea how that show is filmed...

Exactly what that is..... a show

[kidrootbeer]

2 minutes ago, numisport said:

Exactly what that is..... a show

OK, now you're "getting it"; it has a HUGE following, a subculture so to speak

If Marketing isn't 'your bag', that's OK. But, It Works

[kidrootbeer]

I don't know if anyone remembers, but SilverTowne struck a bunch of .999 oz rounds with The Pawn Stars characters on them, for the shop to sell privately at their store and on their site, at 5x spot I think it was. They sold out

[TomFace]

I just saw the Harrison slabs. I would not buy them.

But it's my choice. Fortunately we all have the ability to make a choice.

[kidrootbeer]

and rest assured that they are not being marketed to you, but to the Collectibles landscape

 

[Insider]

"I don't personally care for signatures of any kind on slab labels."

So far, this is the prevailing sentiment.  

Short and sweet answer:  No one at NGC asked your opinion!

Furthermore, I bet NGC feels the same as I do about your opinion.  I don't care what you like or think about the labels.  It is called "marketing."  if it was not helping the bottom line, they would not do it.   BTW, unusual labels on slabs is not going to affect how NGC is seen in the market.  The people who like these slabs are not on the level of posters here.   

[kidrootbeer]

^ Exactly!

I remember in Baltimore a couple of years ago, when the Baseball commemorative coins were being released by The Mint. The people in line for them were, roughly: half collectors, and half there at the behest of a dealer, or two, who offered immediate profits for any of the coins...

[EXOJUNKIE]

On 6/27/2017 at 11:22 AM, Insider said:

"...unusual labels on slabs is not going to affect how NGC is seen in the market.   

I respectfully disagree.  A consistent, predictable, mature market makes all NGC coin owners more successful.  Or, in other words, a rising tide lifts all ships.  This type of garbage disrespects the brand and brings all our NGC-holdered coins down.   Period.

[EXOJUNKIE]

On 6/23/2017 at 6:10 PM, MarkFeld said:

I was wondering, for example, what EXOJUNKIE thinks of David Hall signatures on labels.

I already said that I don't care for it at all -- no matter who signs.  I don't drink any TPG's Kool-Aid.    

[kidrootbeer]

58 minutes ago, EXOJUNKIE said:

I respectfully disagree.  A consistent, predictable, mature market makes all NGC coin owners more successful.  Or, in other words, a rising tide lifts all ships.  This type of garbage disrespects the brand and brings all our NGC-holdered coins down.   Period.

Kid, you're missing The Big Picture, here

[Insider]

1 hour ago, EXOJUNKIE said:

I respectfully disagree.  A consistent, predictable, mature market makes all NGC coin owners more successful.  Or, in other words, a rising tide lifts all ships.  This type of garbage disrespects the brand and brings all our NGC-holdered coins down.   Period.

Ditto previous post. 

Take a look at this big picture.  Joe Blow sees a signed slab of Snoopy the dog on Ebay.  Joe is a not  a collector but likes dogs.

Joe buys NGC "Snoopy" slab with genuine dog hair embedded in 2017 Proof Dollar from Niue.  Joe is introduced to both coins and NGC.  That's the Big Picture as I see it.   

 

[EXOJUNKIE]

1 hour ago, allmine said:

Kid, you're missing The Big Picture, here

 

1 hour ago, Insider said:

Ditto previous post. 

Take a look at this big picture.  Joe Blow sees a signed slab of Snoopy the dog on Ebay.  Joe is a not  a collector but likes dogs.

Joe buys NGC "Snoopy" slab with genuine dog hair embedded in 2017 Proof Dollar from Niue.  Joe is introduced to both coins and NGC.  That's the Big Picture as I see it.   

 

You're both wrong -- and naive.  The "big picture" is the greater good of the hobby, which is the integrity of grading and authentication -- not creating a handful of noob collectors who get suckered into buying a few slabs with gimmicks.  You guys need to stick to buying coins on cable TV and leave serious collecting to others.  

Mic drop ... moving on.

[physics-fan3.14]

Baseball cards. 

Stamps. 

Not all marketing is good. Look where those hobbies are now. 

Mic picked up from Exo, and then dropped again.