Here is a link that I hope will get you to the pics of an auction I was thinking of going to this weekend. I earlier asked about PCI graded coins as there are a lot in this auction but I am getting more suspect that my 2 hour drive might not yield good coins. Now I am concerned that many may be obviously over graded, cleaned or who knows what. So I thought I'd let some of you look at the pics and see what you think. Although they don't list it, there is probably a 10% buyer's premium on top of what your winning bid is. http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopanel.cgi?listingid=1722166&category=0&zip=27617&kwd=
Let me put it to you this way, if you don't know coins well enough to grade them correctly and accurately yourself - stay home.
I'm far from an expert, so taking taking Doug's advice is always a good option. Should you decide to go, the best advice I could give is something I've read many times in different threads here, buy the coin not the holder. If you think the coin is over graded or cleaned don't take a chance on it unless you are getting a great buy on it. Unless of course you are just happy to be able to own a certain coin and price isn't as much of a concern to you. Everybody's collecting style is different. If you decide to go, hope everything turns out okay.
Looking at the photos of this auction, I would stay home just because the bulk looks to be slabbed by basement graders. To what Doug said, +1.
If it weren't a two hour drive I'd say go for the fun of it, but I'd also advise you to keep your hands clamped tightly around you wallet. I've read that auctions such as these tend to end on the high side of things. In other words, you'll see a number of these lots selling for way more than they are worth.
I think green nailed. It only took me sitting in one local auction to know not to go to another, way way over priced for the few coins they had.
Yeah, the slabs looked a little suspicious to me too since I could not find anything like them online. I have decided to not go partly because of a forecast of rain, one of my favorite coin auctions is next week and I trust his coins as well as several big buyers in the area and I'd rather spend my money there. I have also learned that some people at these auctions, especially ones a someone's house out in the sticks, they go crazy because it's a "Morgan" silver dollar and bid up regular dates to $45-50. There have been many auctions that I have left empty-handed because these guys think they are getting such great stuff. But then again, there are a few times I come out real nice when the crazy guys stop bidding and, in one case, got close to 20 Morgan and Peace dollars for $17 each as a lot. They were common used dates but I made money off them on Ebay.
