I am not sure if anyone has said this out loud yet or not, but I sure cannot shake the idea that CAC may eventually genericize itself into just another grading company. In my mind when I look at a coin in a PCGS or NGC holder with a shiny Green Bean on it, it makes me happy. That bean, almost every time, tells me I am about to see some eye candy so I need to pay attention. Those are the coins that I have learned to purposefully allow my eye a lazy linger to take it all in. This is in comparison to non-CAC coins, which all I am scanning for is if they are not ugly. That seems to go faster. I mean it, I really do, when I say take the time "to learn from CAC" this is exactly what I am referring to. Never be in a rush when looking at PCGS or NGC CAC Certified Coins. You will always learn something.
Ok, so here comes the but. I think CAC grading is now broadcasting a new message. A change from "we think these coins are a premium for the plastic they are in" to "We grade this coin a XXXX on our plastic." While there is no doubt that CAC-graded coins will be directly competing with PCGS and NGC for all new grading, and will be able to skip the adoption ladder that ANACS would love to have, I think in the end all we are winding up with the Big 3 instead of the Big 2. This means more competition in the grading space. While I have not yet sent anything to CAC for grading, I am sure it all runs like the well-oiled machine that is CAC that I have spent years sending material to. There is nothing but cudos to all the people who came together to make CAC grading a thing. That had to take a lot of late nights and catered food to accomplish creating a big number 3 from scratch, but it is not like I had any doubt it would be what it is today. It is very evident that CAC grading is having an effect of tightening the grading standards of all three companies. The grades I have been getting back from NGC and PCGS since the introduction of CAC grading have been very, let's say, "conservative." This is good for the end collector, but can rake up grading fees as dealers try and try again to get the same coins in higher-graded holders. It is the old adage that they are erroring on the side of caution. No-one wants to put out an over graded coin no matter what so in the end that is very good.
Although the difference from being an "acceptance" to a "direct grading" company may seem slight, I am getting a very different vib. Remember earlier when I talked about taking a moment to really look at a coin with a Bean on it? That does not seem to be true for CAC-graded coins. Not that that is bad, but when you American Silver Eagles in a CAC MS70 Holders, there is no distinguishing it from any other MS70. Is a CAC MS70 ASE better than a PCGS MS70? I am not sure outside of the folks at CAC, if anyone is acute enough to know the difference, certainly I do not. So what happens to the mentality that CAC stickered coins are better? It just kind of gets diluted when you see all of the stuff, that ironically in the past they would not be looked at by CAC, now living happy and rent free in CAC plastic. I get that you have to grade ASEs if you are a grading company. I really do, that's how you pay your bills and salaries.
In the end, it is this humble son of immigrants' opinion that even if you put aside the registry set wars, that the "specialness" of that Green Bean emblazoned holder does not have the same oomph for me as that "little sticker" on an NGC or PCGS Holder. Maybe it will take some getting used to, but I hope the Real Green Beans never go away. The only thing better than one grading company's opinion is another grading company in agreement! So which is it for you? Is two better than one, or is getting all your opinions from one place somehow better now because the one company is CAC? It just sits funny.