Does anybody have any savvy on seasonal influences on coin prices / availability / sales volume ? Are there certain periods of the year which are better for buying or selling ?
It used to be, but anymore it's not so much. Summer used to be the absolute pitts for sellers - good for buyers though because nobody was buying anything. For the past couple of years though, it's hardly slowed down during the summer.
Maybe coins may not of slowed down much, but people buying coin supplies, like boxes, 2x2s, air-tites, etc. slows down during the summer. It's not drastic or anything, but you do notice it.
Here in Western New York, coin clubs and shows seem to go on hiatus for the summer, but the coin stores seem to have the same level of activity.
Every dealer I've talked to always says that Winter in general, and the Christmas season in specific, sees a big boost in coin sales. Actually, the rare coin market isn't affected so much during this time as the bullion market. A lot of people will invest in silver rounds, ASE's, or gold bullion pieces as Christmas gifts. Not a bad idea, either. Even most non-coin collectors wouldn't be disappointed to recieve gifts of silver and gold.
