Do you go in big on GreatCollections? I know it's a weird question, but I was wondering if you ever go in there looking for Greysheet steals. Sometimes I can get lucky and get a Greysheet steal, especially when I can find something like a Classic Head large cent, with a $77 AG3 bid, and graded FR-2 details; I see that as something I can sell for half bid. I've dealt with them several times, but probably nowhere near what some people have done. What are your thoughts?
I can't say I "go big" on GC, but I do check their offerings frequently on-line, and probably bid in a couple of auctions per month, on average. Because I can't examine the coin in-hand, I tend to not stretch as much on their offerings. However, if I've previewed one of their coins at a show and really like it, I tend to push my sensibilities harder.
I bid weekly on GC, and my max bids tend to be close to high retail prices. I still get blown out on most coins.
What shows do you see them at? I wonder that they do at those shows. Getting blown out on bids is really the part I hate the most. Like, why would somebody bid $30 on a common coin, in a holder, with a value of maybe $10-15? With buyer's fees and shipping, that's about $40. I do love to get a steal of a price, sometimes they're good enough that I can make a decent bit on them. That ain't stopping me from buying weird coins in slabs for $6-7, though.
I've examined GC offered coins at FUN and Baltimore. They display at some other shows as well. If there's a show they attend near you, and they have a coin in particular that you want to see, it would be smart to try and make arrangements with them to bring it for you to see.
