Is there a "premium" for complete sets over and above the sum of the individual values, and, if so, is there a "rule of thumb" for determining that?
Actually it is just the opposite. People expect to pay less for a full set than they would pay for individual coins. To maximize profits you must sell the key and semi-key dates individually, then you can sell the rest of the set.
Generally not - for most people part of the fun is the thrill of the hunt. Though in a few circumstances where the individual coins are not worth much (say, a circulated set of silver Roosies) a complete set can be worth a small premium over what would otherwise likely sell for bullion value.
Eddie: I agree with Becky, and toddestan. It is the hunt, not the package. But, some people just want to say that they have a complete set. However, I have seen silly prices for complete sets on eBay, for Barber half dollars (for example). The real fun to the hobby is working on a set.
Hello all! I have complete sets of Barber Halfs and Liberty Walking Halfs and its a pure delight to open the catalog and to see all the coins from each year and each mint mark. I keep an inventory of all my coins as to place and date of purchase/ grade and price paid/ address of seller or dealers business. If/when I may remove one coin and replace it with another of better grade I up-date my records to record this move. It may be more profitable to sell each coin separately .....but it could be like the grading scale....everyone has a different opinion and as mine goes...I think a complete set of coins collected over time to ensure the collection is of the same grade of coins thru out the set (example a complete set of Barber Halves from VF20 thru AU50) would be worth a premium at resale because of the grade of the collection and the consistency of the grade thru-out. But , thats just my opinion....and as my wife tells me on a regular basis, my opinion doesn't amount to a good size hill of beans. HA HA HA. I wouldn't sale one of my complete collections at a lower price under any circumstance. Thanks Michael
All said is true. I go to about 3 coin shows a month around here. If a dealer buys a set from someone, the first thing they do is take it apart and put each coin in a 2x2 or lately 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 size flips. They make many times the money that way. A good example of this is if you take your car to a junk jard they'll give you $50 or so fo a complete car. They take it apart and sell each item on the car and end up with thousands of dollars and still whatever is left can still be sold to the steel mills. Another way of looking at it is if you went to auto part stores, auto dealers and purchased each item to make a car it would cost you a fortune compared to buying the assembled car.
Carl, That is a very good example and one of the best to compare a set to I have heard so far. Bruce.
I buy morgans. I prefer slabbed morgans. A complete set is impossible, but Im trying to do "sets" of the semi-key dates that I collect. Meaning, for a specific date, I would try to get a specimen of each certified grade for that date. ...makes sense that a complete set would get less money. you figure the buyer has a semi completed set, so why should he pay full price for coins that will be duplicates. ...in baseball-card sets, the most value is always on a few key players. nobody wants boxes and boxes of one-cent commons.
