Another post got me thinking about this tonight. Hopefully this is thought provoking... Wondering if there is a sweet spot or "ideal value range" for selling coins that dealers prefer to have? I'm sure everyone wants to sell as high value coins as possible to make the most off the top but of course the higher you go I'd think the more difficult it becomes to sell unless its something extremely popular at the time. As in it may sit in inventory for a long time. You may also have the same problem with low value coins. Is a middle ground more preferred to have for inventory? If so what level is that middle ground that the most people can afford in 2026? Say you bring a $4k coin to a small town show. Many gold coins are here and above now. At this level you're a good portion of, to maybe more than, a month's pay (clear) for the majority of people. What are the odds of selling it? What if someone wanted to trade five coins plus cash on it to move it? Is it worth dealing with five lower value coins (that may be easier to sell) plus cash to move it or would you prefer to sit on the $4k coin until it sells for cash at a larger show or online? And why? If you do the trade are you happy or just neutral? Is it worth it to not have to deal with shipping risks? I've sold a few coins in my life off and on but I don't know the daily trials or what the pressures are to move inventory. Would be interested to know what dealers experience. I know I have seen coins much lower than $4k for sale online for years. As a collector I personally like doing trades plus cash to acquire tougher issues. Do dealers like it too or just begrudgingly participate? I'm talking about at shows, in person where there's no auction fees or shipping to deal with.
What if the "value range" changes with the confidence a prospect has about the future? IMO a lot of economics is nothing but confidence in the daisy chain. Same with confidence in the grading daisy. "Strength becomes weakness. Weakness becomes Strength." Sun Tzu
Try OBO - Or Best Offer I sell items on eBay. Coins, toys and various nick knacks. Before deciding on the price I want to sell them for I take a few things into consideration. How much did I pay for it. How long have I owned the item and what is the current going value for any of the items. For example, back in the early 1990's I collected a small toy called Bearbrick made by Medicom Toy. They were affordable back then. $9.00 - $20.00 according to the style and rarity. Years later they became a craze, and new collectors had to have them. Here are examples of the hundreds of different designs made.. How do I set up and price my listings? One example is a Bearbrick that came in a blister pack. I paid $20.00 for it. Before I list it, I check to see what the current value is. I see the same item going for $60.00 - $75.00 So, I list my item for $75.00 with a Or Best Offer option. On the same day I have several offers from $55.00 to $65.00 I review and take the highest best offer. I make a profit and the buyer feels good in getting the item for a lower price. We all win
If I like a coin under $100 an awful lot, I'll buy it for stock in hopes that it gets me another new customer. Obviously not a rarity . . . just a high quality example of an uncommon date . . . Likewise, If I like a $5,000+ rarity an awful lot, and know it could be a couple of years before it sells, I still might buy it as a long term hold, both for satisfaction and because its scarcity leaves me with a level of pricing power that other issues don't. I try not to let price point drive what coins I buy for inventory, as that would reduce the opportunities I have to stock coins in my chosen market. Thus, my "power band" for sales is not very consistent because I don't buy inventory targeting a specific price point, but I sense that it circles around $500.
Well.... This isn't a problem specific to coin dealers. Every business struggles with the question of "what inventory do I want to tie up my available capital with?"... There is no easy answer to that question. And fact is, a dealer is far more likely to turn four $1000.00 coins than one $4000.00 coin thus freeing his available capital back up. My dealer buddy will pay top dollar for quality coins. He won't pay top dollar for bullion (ASE, AGE) and if you walk in with foreign or ancient coins, he won't even entertain buying them.
I’ll second that, Randy, but put it into different words. Items with short lead times can easily be acquired by competitors who would undersell you. I’ll much sooner tie my money up in easily salable goods having a long lead time. For coin dealers, that’s pretty much synonymous with quality examples of scarce coinage.
That same idea should be applied by collector/investors as well. IE how can anything be "rare" when a wholesaler can backup a truck load of the stuff for the TV "show." Or as John Kamin once put it: "Rare coins are not cheap. And cheap coins are not rare."
