http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/hard-to-find-doesnt-always-mean-rare About the “rare” 1981 SBA dollars: just how rare are they? It’s a bit difficult to associate the term “rare” with a coin that had a mintage of more than 3 million at each of three mints. The proof mintage is more than 4 million, so any way you look at it the coin is not rare, even if it may be hard to find. Is it possible to get a listing of the rarity scales used by some of the old-time researchers? I want to use them to determine the value of my coins. ........
When is hot too hot? Too many factors involved honestly. I think 110 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot, others might think 90 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot.
I have reservations about rarity scales, especially in trying to determine the "rarity" of more common coins. http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/Features.aspx?page=7a
NOT RARE = You can buy it 24/7 SEMI-RARE= You can get it within a few weeks. RARE = Several months to a few years.
Rare is a difficlult subject when it comes to collectables and prices. They can be too rare, too old to be rare, Too young to be rare, To rare to be care as someone said.
Add one more: EXTREMELY RARE = You will ever get it because you will never make enough money to ever afford it.
maybe someone failed to mention that the rare is for the type 2 instead of type 1 plus i hate Dansco puts both types in the SBA book which may hype up the rarer type 2 which is an expensive variety....just like Dansco putting in the 1922 plain the Lincoln book
When the listing begins with "WOW!" and goes on to tell how the rareity was "discovered" in the quaint estate of an old country Englishman, it's probably as common as water. I can tell you that a Vietnam Era Black Horse token is probably rare based on my experience of never seeing one, that wasn't salvaged and corroded. If one does turn up I don't think it going to sell for eight million dollars. There has to high demand to go with the low avalibaility. Those demanding it must be willing and *able* to pay high prices. Demand can be distorted by dealer hype and collector delusions. Supply can change from discovery of hoards or sudden dumping of hoards. Supply and demand has a nasty habit of reverting to the mean. Preceded on occasion by attics collasping from the weight of bags or the spectacle of collectors running with their stack of 1950D nickels to keep 'em from tipping over.
Rare is when you do not have the coin you want. After you acquire it, it's not as rare as it was. :hail::devil:
I personally think rare is subjective. It all depends on how many resources/revenue you have available to blow on coins.
That may work for US coins, but a friend waited 15 years once to buy what is described as a "scarce" ancient coin. World of difference between US and ancient coin rarities.
It's same for me with music. I'll listen to the same album over and over for weeks and get tired of it and not listen to it for five years.
.......turn it around and sell it tomorrow and then find out the next day that the value of it increased five fold......