CV of Australian Pre Decimal coins - Going down ?

[oh my florin]

This is all very interesting and timely given my transition into higher grade predecimals.

Due to limited resources, I'm still looking to follow the primary principal of buying the best coin you can afford.

Due to my new mantra, I am now looking to purchase & collect with one eye on the investment, whether it be short or long term.

Am I right to assume that the raw coins are not slabbed coins? I have not yet aligned with slabbing or the MS grading process, however I feel that by delaying getting on board, I'm being left behind.

Are unslabbed, un-MS graded coins at a disadvantage in terms of investment or collectability?

You are right on the raw v slabbed definition. Raw is defined as any coin not currently in a TPG holder (PCGS/NGC/ICG/ANACS.)

In terms of slabbing/MS grading process the best places to learn about these are either through Drake Sterling, Numis Bid or YouTube videos. The videos from YouTube have been compiled already at http://www.royalnumismatics.com/guide-to-third-party-grading.html

Unslabbed coins aren't at a big disadvantage at the moment as we have not yet attained the Status Quo that the US Numismatic Market has. However there are disadvantages in terms of investment as slabbed coins will always sell for more than if it was raw (In terms of a Slabbed MS62 compared to a Raw MS62.) In terms of collectability there are still a good deal of amazing coins which have not yet been graded which when picked up at the right price and graded can sell for a premium (I am looking at you stevo )

[nealeffendi]

Over half the fleabay coins I buy that are out of focus/tiny image/one side only shown etc end up being losers. But it only takes some of them to be decent coins and financially you end up in front.
Doing your homework also helps. When I see a fuzzy image of a shiny coin with the blurb saying "GEM" then I go and look at the sellers other coins (including looking at the images of coins in the sellers feedback). If I find that the decent image coins show signs of polishing and are labelled with blurbs like "ChUnc" then I know the fuzzy image coin is probably a bad bet.
Only buy this way if your blood pressure can stand getting ripped off half the time (or the ecstatic feeling of getting a coin worth 10X what you paid for it).

[serial]

See the problem is storage and handling of raw coins that makes it hard to get gradable coins. I suspect with the likes of Stevo out there eventually all raw coins will be ungradable problem coins. So now is the golden years of slabbing in Australia with old school collectors selling of their raw stock that has not yet been looked at by a grading professional such as Stevo.
I personally buy entire collections at auctions etc and find more whizzed, PVC affected, verdigris covered or cleaned coins than gradable coins and this is because most old school collectors had no idea how to handle or store coins and they have degraded ad a result. The best collection I have ever found was sitting in a box in envelopes untouched for 60+ years without being sorted by a coin collector in the last 40 years when PVC sleeves, shiny coins and velvet display cases were the rage
Then you have the inherited collections that have been poured out onto a table and slid around getting banged/scratched up all the way only to be touched all over then dumped in zip lock bags and put in moist conditions to rot for awhile because " I can't sell grandads coins, the are family heirlooms"
I have seen it all and the look of denial on peoples faces as I tell them that their collection is worthless because of how it was looked after and I am not interested in making an offer hurts.
However that is why I see slabbed coins as increasing in value as their is a finite supply that is getting smaller every year

[Basil]

Over half the fleabay coins I buy that are out of focus/tiny image/one side only shown etc end up being losers. But it only takes some of them to be decent coins and financially you end up in front.
Doing your homework also helps. When I see a fuzzy image of a shiny coin with the blurb saying "GEM" then I go and look at the sellers other coins (including looking at the images of coins in the sellers feedback). If I find that the decent image coins show signs of polishing and are labelled with blurbs like "ChUnc" then I know the fuzzy image coin is probably a bad bet.
Only buy this way if your blood pressure can stand getting ripped off half the time (or the ecstatic feeling of getting a coin worth 10X what you paid for it).

I'm in the same boat,enjoy the chase for the sake of a few $ and every so often you jag a special coin.A lot of the blurry(etc) images are deliberately(stating the obvious!) designed to confuse and mask the coin but there are the genuine ones also in the mix,i find most mobile phone images are genuine listings from time challenged youths/teenagers.
There is one seller on Ebay that takes nice clear photos but somehow gets a shadow  around the date area of Pennies & Halves that makes the date appear "doubled",he got me again over Xmas with a 33 penny,it is the coin in the listing but with normal date then when challenged with side by side photos(his Ebay &                                                                  mine)  pleads ignorance.There is another seller that sneaks an Indian Obverse 27 or 31 into a bulk buy of 4 or more coins but it never turns up with the other coins and whilst he accepts returns pretends he doesn't know what all the fuss is about.
Ebay is certainly a jungle,extreme buyer beware even for the experienced collector.

As far as the OP goes it always quiet at this time of the year,Xmas to Easter with February often the worst/quietest Month of the year,great time to buy,poor time to be selling IMPO.

[autocoupler]

Due to limited resources, I'm still looking to follow the primary principal of buying the best coin you can afford.

Yes this is a commonly refered to tactic, and one I agree with to a point but have some reservations. If a person had x amount of dollars to spend and was looking at a coin on their wish list priced at that amount, are they really best to spend all their cash on one item, or should they consider spending less on a coin of slightly lower grade?

Any funds left over may allow the purchase of other coins on their wish list, and at the same time it would probably be appropriate to weigh up any projected gains in value of the group purchase compared to purchasing a single item of higher value.

Is the final outcome soley to do with investment or enjoyment? Sometimes it may be possible to have two bob each way.

[stevo1962]

Due to limited resources, I'm still looking to follow the primary principal of buying the best coin you can afford.

Yes this is a commonly refered to tactic, and one I agree with to a point but have some reservations. If a person had x amount of dollars to spend and was looking at a coin on their wish list priced at that amount, are they really best to spend all their cash on one item, or should they consider spending less on a coin of slightly lower grade?

Any funds left over may allow the purchase of other coins on their wish list, and at the same time it would probably be appropriate to weigh up any projected gains in value of the group purchase compared to purchasing a single item of higher value.

Is the final outcome soley to do with investment or enjoyment? Sometimes it may be possible to have two bob each way.

As it happens I dont have a wishlist as such but rely more on opportunistic purchases where the price is a good deal below the actual value but the key to this tactic is grading skill.If you get it wrong it might cost you.It also helps if you know where to look and 90% of my best coins come from ebay USA or ebay UK.It takes a bit of time and effort but it's worth it in the end and there aren't enough of you out there looking because I'm still able to buy unc George V coins dirt cheap

[oh my florin]

Due to limited resources, I'm still looking to follow the primary principal of buying the best coin you can afford.

Yes this is a commonly refered to tactic, and one I agree with to a point but have some reservations. If a person had x amount of dollars to spend and was looking at a coin on their wish list priced at that amount, are they really best to spend all their cash on one item, or should they consider spending less on a coin of slightly lower grade?

Any funds left over may allow the purchase of other coins on their wish list, and at the same time it would probably be appropriate to weigh up any projected gains in value of the group purchase compared to purchasing a single item of higher value.

Is the final outcome soley to do with investment or enjoyment? Sometimes it may be possible to have two bob each way.

Is it just me or is the original quote coming up as mine instead of coxspau?

[coxspau]

I think you have appropriated the quote OMF.

[autocoupler]

Is it just me or is the original quote coming up as mine instead of coxspau?

My fault, I originally pasted your quote of the post from coxspau:dodgy: