Taxable vs Roth - stock "shuffle?"

[CritMass]

My recent dilemma is whether or not to try converting funds in my traditional IRA to my Roth. I'm 62 and so have approx 8 years before I have to take RMDs from the traditional IRA. I've read where many say convert a percentage each year for 8 years and pay the tax each time, whether or not you move all or just some. My funds in Trad IRA are mostly individual, dividend paying stocks. So it seems I would have to liquidate several holdings yearly from the Trad IRA and then re- purchase the same favored companies that I would still want to own a second time within my Roth. Somehow I'm not sure if that is the prudent thing as I may be giving up a current increased "yield of cost". The other option is to just leave well enough alone, and pay the tax on the RMD.
Does anyone care to offer thoughts? Has anyone here done that yet? Thanks for reading.