Do I Keep or Sell?

TIF sounds eager ... set the hook

 

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I dont agree. One can be both but it is a VERY fine line!

Interesting question and one with implications you point out I had never considered. I suppose I am a collector first (though I own very few coins in my collection). I have really only shown my coins here (and rather plebeian ones at that) I cant imagine it makes much of a difference.

My wife has no idea what I have invested. Its a good thing. When I finally kick the Great Bucket in the Sky she (and my kids) will likely benefit greatly!

Completely random and without consideration to monetary value. Some are worth many thousands, some many tens!

I do suppose I should be honest. When I posted the coin I was 75% certain I would keep it. At this point I will keep it. Rare, cool, big and heavy, eye appeal, dripping with history and mystery, well, I guess its a no brainer!

 

I typed the below paragraph last night and decided not to hit "send"; but seeing Doug's response, I will now send it as proof that he's not the only one thinking this.

I say this with good intention: Be careful about posting such a question. Your customers reading this thread might think "is he keeping the best coins for himself and only selling me the junk he doesn't want?' I am aware of dealers who stopped collecting in order to avoid this perception.

 

I hadn't thought of this point that both you and Dougsmit bring up, but I doubt this thought would ever cross my mind when purchasing ancient coins.

Ancients are so singularly unique that I evaluate each potential purchase on the basis of whether or not I personally want that coin. The only input that I consider from others -- mainly my dealer -- is whether the price is worth it. I don't try to fathom the motives of the seller.

I think your and Doug's observation here would be much more relevant to purchasing modern coins from a dealer who is also a collector, since modern coins are so uniformly similar that distinguishing between them is sometimes (mostly?) an effort in nitpicking. So if a collector-dealer were mostly keeping modern coins he liked, I might be suspicious that he was selling only lesser coins that might not be worthwhile collecting. But this knowledge/information about a collector-dealer of ancients would probably have little or no influence on my decision to purchase a coin from that person.

 

I would sell it to TIF

... or me (I love it too)

=> I'll paper-rock-scissors her for the sale

 

My response may have limited the issue too much. The considerations go beyond what's in the dealer's trays - though I do think that's a real concern for some collectors (perhaps the high-end variety) who rely on their dealers as advisors. There is also the concern of competition: some collectors might not appreciate their dealer bidding against them at auction for coins of mutual collection interest, or beating them to a coin offered at retail, etc.

 

Yes, this surely is more of a concern -- I wouldn't want my dealer bidding against me for his own collection (although it's acceptable if he's bidding for another client or even his own inventory, since these latter two circumstances would have specific bidding limits.)

 

Apologies......I keep seein' this thread and each time I'm thinkin' this.....



Again, my apologies. Carry on brothers and sisters.......

 

We are all competing for a set number of coins. When there are thousands of coins of similar type, there is no problem. When we want things that do not exist in the market very often, it does. Martin and I collect denarii of Septimius Severus. We each hope to find not just rare things but things that we did not know existed. If that were the only thing I collected, it would be unlikely that either of us would be a good customer of the other were we to become dealers. Were we to become dealers, I would not likely find treasures hidden in his list nor he in mine. Since we are not dealers, this is not a problem and we can show each other treasures the other would love to have. He has several I hope someday to find a second.

Price bracket means little in this context. A one of a kind item I'd love to have is as likely to be $10 as $10k; as likely to be VG as EF. When there is one of something and one person who cares, price is likely the same for the rarity as for a common in the same grade. If a coin exists in enough specimens that you can be picky about grade, it is not so much rare as much as it is high demand.

 

I don't understand. We are collectors and of course someone else will probably be interested in what we collect. Does it matter who that person might be?

 

Dealers are people too!

 

I dont see the danger really. I own maybe 50 coins. Some are modern Irish, ancients, etc. A completely random selection of coins. I am in no competition with anyone, really. If anyone thinks I have some uber rare collection of Aureii they are sadly mistaken. The coins I have collected are insanely random and frequently of little value. I am like others here, I like to show them off, but they may be rather plebeian.

I recently had a denarius of Caracalla in my inventory. Rather common, nothing interesting, but it had one of the nicest surfaces and eye appeal I had seen in a long time. I thought I would keep it (despite that I dont like silver), but it was in my inventory. So, someone ordered it. I was OK with that. It was truly wonderful (despite only being priced at $50). So, I let it go. I am not worried that anyone thinks I a holding back the best. I honestly only collect maybe one or two coins a year. I sell more awesome coins than I collect. BUT, I do get to keep them for a certain time and that is good for me.

I dont think there is too much conflict of interest. Most people have specific collecting themes. If a dealer is bidding for themselves there is no conflict as that may be what they want. But if they are selling and add say 50% more to the price because the really like a series of coins, that can be an obstacle and I certainly understand where it may be an obstacle for others. I have known some dealers who place huge premiums on previously published coins in standards works. Me, I dont care. Just because it was illustrated in a book 75 years ago doesnt add any monetary value for me but do understand why it may be so for others.

Yea. Me too! My response is way too long, I am tripping on Turkey and trimmings. Time to end my opus!

 

Happy Thanksgiving ... congrats on your cool new A-Pius Alexandrian keeper

 

What I mean is that when my dealer bids for me, or another customer, or his own inventory, he will usually have a fixed budget with limits and little or no incentive to get into an emotional bidding war. This might not be true if he is a collector himself and personally wants the coin for his own collection; in this case he's bidding against me with foreknowledge of my own bidding limits, which is clearly a conflict of interest.

 

No one keeps coins forever.

Own it and enjoy it until opportunity and desire combine for a sell.

 

Ahaha, biggity-ups, eh?

 

That is indeed the question. We find out when a dealer (lets say Tom Cederlind) passes and his coins hit the market. Do we see only the coins they had on their last list or do we see magnificent things we never suspected he had? I know two dealers who have shown me coins from their private collections that will shock the market when they go. I hope they live forever. Knowing them is like having a backstage pass to a great museum. I could never afford those coins anyway. I know several collectors who never sell a coin so they are keeping their coins 'their forever'.

Translation?

 

I would display it in a very obvious place where you can see it daily and enjoy it with no price listed. Wait to see if you get that special offer. Then make the decision.