Oops, should I regrade or just leave as a good holder?

[Haydhan-migration]

So about a year ago I became very interested in collecting paper money. I had 25 notes grade by CGA through ebay auctions. Cost about $11 per note when all costs finished. I have read alot and practiced and feel that most of the notes, valued between $50 and $200 raw were infact fairly graded. I have since stopped using CGA and now use PMG to grade any notes I want graded. I did this because of the negative stigma that seems to be attached to CGA. Ive read the history and understand why it is there so have decided that my notes would be better off with PMG. My question is, should I have my CGA notes regreaded? As I said, the grades seem fair and look nice in a solid holder but as I have discovered in certain instances the CGA holder actually seems to have degraded the value compared to a raw note. I say this after watching ebay auctions of raw, CGA, and PMG notes and observing sold listings. For example, I have a 1914 Bank of Communications 5 yuan Tientsin (red) graded AU 58. I have seen examples of this note in VF sell for more than CGA AU notes. Eventually I would like to either leave this collection to my children or sell some of it to maintain my hobby. Is it worth having notes of this value graded in the first place? I love my collection and seeing them in PMG holders makes me happy. Especially my favorite notes. . Sounds kind of silly but its true. I submit at bulk rate for the additional discount but feel like cutting out my CGA notes is just a waste of the $275 I spent to put them in. As of now I am leaning towards just leaving everything as is and moving forward. I have too many new notes I want graded. Any thought?

[yonico]

if most of the notes are worth between $50 and $200 as you said, i would not spend more money on re-certifying them.

i would rather sell the CGA notes as is or take them out of their holders and sell them raw, and start over - now buying only PCGS and PMG notes and only sending notes in to these TPG's.

 

on a note that's worth $100, sending it to be graded AGAIN would probably cost you at the very least $16.. with the $11 you already paid, that's adding $27 (or 27%) to your cost on this $100 note - which in my opinion is way too much..

 

although if you wanted to certify your favorite notes with PMG, and as you said, that would make you happy, why not? send in the selection of your best ones and do it.

[Haydhan-migration]

Thanks for the advice. I like the idea of selling them and then sticking with PMG. Buying more notes is always fun. What do you think about selling all 25 and then taking that and buying one or two expensive notes? Im so new to the hobby spending that kind of money,$1000+, is pretty terrifying for me. On the other hand it would be pretty cool to have a note of that kind of value. Also, I think if I did go with the one or two note thing I would definitely buy a PMG note as opposed to raw. Until now I have purchased 99.9% raw notes and feel like ive done pretty well, but, with that type of investment id really like to know what I'm buying. Does all this sound like im going in the right direction? Im sure whatever I do it will be fun and ill learn a thing or two.

[yonico]

well are you buying to collect as a hobby or as an investment? they're 2 different things and should affect the way you buy and the stuff you buy greatly..

 

[Haydhan-migration]

I think of it as a hobby that is an investment. As I learn more about it I am buying notes of higher value. I enjoy the history side of it and love the hunt but also want to purchase notes that have some $ value to them that I also find interesting or intriguing. It started with just interest in foreign notes but the hobby has definitely progressed to where id like some notes that are an investment.

 

You mentioned major differences in how one would buy. Since I do want this to be an investment what are some buying practices to follow?