Here is a problem I need advise on. I started a few years ago using Excel to log in all my coins. I expanded this continuously to include a separate page for each Whitman Album, uncirc rolls, loose proof coins, coin in 2x2's, foreign coins and on and on and on. When I started this I was using the 2005 Red Book for an approximate evaluation of prices and grades. by the time I had set up everything I changed to the 2006 Edition. I print out each page, save to 2 separate disc. Now up to about 100 pages of info whcih now includes a listing of all Albums, all rolls, all etc, etc. and then grand total of averything. Now here is the question. Since everything is based on the 2006 Red Book should I go back and redo all the prices when the 2008 Edition comes out in a few days? Leave all prices as is? Switch to some other price guide Such as Numismatic News Coin Market or some other? Just add about 2, 4, etc % to all prices? Eliminate prices altogether from these listings? Since this is a monumental project I got myself into any suggestions?????????
If I were you I'd add an '08 column next to the '06 prices. That you you can see what has gone up or down. It might be interesting to do this every couple years to see market trends. Just remember that the Red Book prices are not always accurate in relation to real market values.
What I have found is that the prices in my 3 year old red book are pretty accurate for most common date coins. There are some exeptions of course, but they are usually in the ball park for a quick reference.
Not sure how familiar you are with Excel. I use a much smaller but similar spread sheet with PCGS (high grade) and Numismedia (lower grades) as my price guides. I merely copy the pages from the net and then use HLOOKUP function (or VLOOKUP) to get the right price for the coin. That way when I upgrade a coin, it automatically updates the price. Whenever I desire, I just copy the appropriate price guide into the spread sheet and it updates all the coins to the current prices. I do not believe that the Red Book prices are on line so this will not work for that price guide unless you want to type all of the prices in. However, you can use any online price guide you desire. If you are careful enough on the setup, you can even change between price guides either permanently or just to see the differences are. FYI: The HLOOKUP function can get very convoluted, but are extremely powerful once you figure out how to use them.
Hi Carl, I suppose it depends on why you keep the list to beging with. For me I'm not worried about how much a certain coin is worth at any particular time. I keep a list with photos as an easier way to keep track of exactly what I have. If I'm going to sell a coin then I need to know what it's worth & can research current prices. But that's just me, I'm a collector not much of a seller. Dave
You know something, that is a pretty good idea. I had thought of completely redoing all the sheets with the new prices and keeping the old ones also. However, massive amount of paper would then accumulate. One more column for the new prices sounds like the best way to go. I'm sure many people use the PCGS price guides as noted since they can be run into Excel but I started with the Red Book and for comparison purposes, probably should keep with that. I actually made hand made sheets way, way back prior to these things called computers and always based on the Red Book. Got all of them from 8th edition to present and some hand made tabulations from way, way back. To young to know I should be putting dates on them back then.
I do something similar with Sports Cards. I use Excel too and add columns for new years. I'm an IT guy, so I really should be using a database program since you can do a LOT of neat stuff once you've got the data in there. Plus it's easier to update. But..... I really hate doing "computer" things on my own time even though it would be for my own good Seriously, if you are thinking of starting such a thing as Carl is doing, databases will give you more bang for your buck, but there is a learning curve.
I use excel in a similar fashion, however, I put the price I paid for the coin, unless I got it dirt cheap, or sent it in for certification and it comes back higher than I thought. I then use heritage, eBay or numismedia (~ 20-50% off) to get a rough estimate.
I think Tommy's advice is best. You should just make a new column for the new year's prices and watch the trends. The only thing that I can suggest that hasn't been suggested already is to transfer your database from Excel to Access. Excel slides right into Access easily and Access is able to manage large monster tables with ease. Spread sheets in Excel can grow to be enormous and unmanagable over time to the point of uselessness. It wouldn't be a whole lot of work and your database of coins would be far easier to manage. Whatever you decide to do, good luck!
Know what you mean!!!! One of the reasons I bought Coin Elite. Yeah I update it once a year, but that is not really necessay.
Just went and tried to add a column for 2008 prices. Found I really did a dumb thing when setting up these sheets. I put them all in a portrait format limiting the room to grow horizontally. Now simply turned the sheets for lanscape and added one more column for new prices. Have to do that for all sheets for everything which is what they should have been like originally. Now with well over a hundred pages to be turned I really will finally have something. Just don't know why I didn't think of all this many, many years ago. Old age is really the pits.
