How do you get reasonably accurate market pricing on certified MS Lincoln's? I do not have a lot of expertise and I'm hoping that someone reading this will have mercy on me and at least give me some clue. I assume that I'm simply looking at the wrong price lists. I'm compiling a list of values for MS65 & MS66 Lincoln cents. While I'll eventually get to all the dates, I'm sticking with 1934-1958 for now. I'm listing prices from the greysheet, PCGS and coin values. I tried the Bluesheet (because I want the slabbed prices) but couldn't find anything listed other than 4 or 5 key dates. The issue is that the prices listed vary *wildly* - how the heck can you tell if you're getting a good deal or getting taken? A random example: 1944P MS65 - Greysheet: $1.50, PCGS:$20, CV: $10.5 These differences become far larger at MS66. An Example - 1935S MS66 PCGS says $225, coinvalues says $70! WTF? I was going to bid on a 53 PCGS slabbed MS66 but got scared because I _can't_find_out what it's really worth! Now I realize that a raw coin will usually sell for less than the same coin slabbed (especially if it's PCGS or NGC) but I don't get this. A dealer sheet says less than 2 bucks, coinvalues says it's worth 5 times that and PCGS says it's worth 10 times that! It is this inconsistent for nearly every date! Can anyone please offer some guidance? Thanks, Scott
Price guides are just that guides & IMO most aren't worth much. The PCGS 'guide' is generally thought of as a joke by most people I've talked to. Realized prices from ebay, heritage, teletrade & other autions along with maybe greysheet prices would be most accurate probably.
Thanks but that's not what I meant. Say I go to a dealer and hand over a slabbed coin. Or say he has one for sale and wants to price it at about market rate. What list does he look at to give him an idea of where to set the prices? Thanks, Scott
He probably has the greysheet as well as other sources to decide (realized prices for auctions will tell what people have been willing to pay). He also likely knows his individual market well so through experience knows what something will sell for in said market. The market isn't going to be the same everywhere so there can be no universal list IMO. I've only dealt with coins a short while, but have dealt with other collectibles in the past & with something else, say militaria, you'd just 'know' what something would likely bring in your local market.
Brian is right.....most dealers will use the Gray Sheet...some will use online auctions...and then if they know that it is a hot coin they might up the price some. After being in the market for awhile you can almost price some coins without looking at any guides... Speedy
It also depends a great deal on the individual dealer. In the minds of some dealers certain coins are not worth spit - regardless of what the Grey Sheet or any other price guide says. And in many cases they would refuse to even sell a given coin let alone buy one. You also need to realize that even the Grey Sheet is a list of wholesale prices - not retail. It is a price guide a dealer uses to buy/sell to another dealer - not the general public. If you want to know what a dealer will pay you for a given coin do this. Find the retail value by searching auction results. Once you have an average - subtract 20% - 40% from that number and you will have what a dealer will pay you. And even that will not be carved in stone - but it will be a rough idea. You should also read and become familiar with the information you can find by - Clicking Here
As already noted there is no real, true, for sure price list for coins. All coin price listings are just guides and can vary greatly depending on who made the list, what day it is, the weather, demand for certain coins, popularity of coins, how a dealer feels about you. I go to about 2 to 3 coins shows a month and every dealer I've ever seen checking prices go to the grey sheet. Then they look at you and come up with a price based on if they know you, you look framiliar, the weather, what kind of breakfast they had, arguments at home, car problems, if you look like you have money, if you limp, etc., etc., etc. There is no real, for sure, absolute price on a coin. Sort of like buying a home or car. It's what someone thinks you will pay.
