How should I sell these

I have a complete Lincoln Cent set from 1909 through the 80's that I no longer have interest in or use for and want to get rid of but I'm unsure whether to try and sell it complete as is, or break it up and sell the individual coins. Complete would be easier but maybe a harder sell while individually would be a giant hassle. It includes all the keys and semi-keys but no varieties or errors, all in average circulated condition

 

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I would sell it as a set just to make it easier. Time is money...lol. TC

 

If pressed for time, I might sell it as a set, but I'd expect to get less money that way. Given time, I'd piece out the keys and semi-keys -- the more time, the more I'd piece out -- and then sell the rest in the folder for the going rate.

Selling a raw S-VDB or 14-D might be a bit of a challenge unless you first slab them, or do a face-to-face sale to someone really confident with authentication.

 

I have heard that a set will bring a premium with it because it is already compiled.
I would think that trying to sell the 1950 and newer ones separatly would not be worth the time and trouble.
What do you estimate the value of such a set to be?

 

I don't see that happening in the sales I've watched, for what it's worth. I know that when I'm putting a set together, part of the fun is searching for the next addition. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone who would say "I want a complete set of coin X, let me go buy one".

 

You might slab the S-VDB and 14-D and offer them as part of the complete set. Just me, but I think that might draw some unusual attention to your offering.

 

I once bought straight sets of coins. I regretted it some years later and lost money on the resale. The chase is the fun, the problem is, not everyone is chasing the 1947-D... I'd start by trying to sell as a set knowing I'd make less but have more hair on my head at the end of the sale.

 

send it to Great Collection if your not in a hurry.they are good people and the buyers would feel confident about the raw coins.

 

That'd basically just be paying someone else to get dealer prices anyway and then losing a fee for it. Best bet would be to grade the valuable ones and then sell the rest as a set on ebay

 

Just my half cent's worth (in 1804 currency), like others have said, slab the rarities and maybe sell them separately. People who want them may either not want to purchase an entire set with them (at an even higher cost) or maybe they already have an entire set except for the rare dates and simply want to complete an already easier to compile collection. Sports cards don't provide a perfect analogy, but when I tried to unload them years ago dealers always told me to take the rare cards out, grade them and sell them on their own. Few people apparently want to buy full sets. But again, this probably applies to sports cards more than to coins.

 

Actually, if this set could bring over $1000.00 at auction on Great Collections, then there would be no sellers fee. If it brings less, then it's only 5% which is much better than eBay. Plus they will do the work for you. All the OP would have to do is ship it to them.

 

Except even over 1k you are still losing the 10 percent buyers fee which buyers take into account, and 15% with the sellers fee under as well under 1k sale price. If you check their sales history though their album sets don't seem to do very well either, maybe that changed recently but the sale prices I saw all seemed to be wholesale dealer type buys.

Either way I do believe it's leaving money on the table not separating out the better coins.

 

I would agree to maximize potential money, that selling the key's separately is the way to go. But in general, if the OP want's to just sell it with as little headache and as much money as possible, then GC may be the best option. A dealer will more than likely not offer even close to what a GC sale might bring. A buyer on eBay will be very leery of the keys and more than likely lead to a very low auction result.

 

I would buy a complete set and use it to upgrade my set and then sell the rest.

 

I assume @-jeffB is speaking mostly of online observations, but based upon my own experiences, I can comfortably say that, generally speaking, he's also right for in-person sales as well. In some cases with a set out together with particular care, it's possible to sell intact and achieve a price comparable to if parted out, but is usually the exception and isn't something that should be expected or counted upon.

As for the OP's question, it really depends on his expectations and how much time and/or money he's willing to invest into maximizing his return. The avenues open to him can also greatly impact his options.

One aspect often overlooked when selling coins or a collection is what the proceeds will be used for. Sometimes it is better to settle for less if doing so will allow one to get their hands on something they truly want, free up funds for use in other areas, etc, etc. What is best for one person isn't necessarily best for another.

 

That would work, but you'd presumably be buying higher than you'd be able to sell, because of buyer's fees, seller's fees, or dealer markup. You'd be almost guaranteed to lose money on the stuff you didn't keep -- unless you bought at a really good price, at which point we're back to "sets don't bring as much money as individual coins".

 

Possibly, but I honestly don't think there would be much difference. Once you take out the fee for GC and the cost to ship it there it would probably be right around what a dealer would if not lower. Nice place to buy, but their sale prices are pretty unimpressive from a selling side in my opinion. Plus at least with a dealer you'd have cash in hand right away instead of waiting a long time to get a check. I think you might be surprised if you dig through some of their closed raw lots at just how bad some of them do

 

It seems as though everyone is concerned with Buying and Selling, And Losing
money. If I am getting enjoyment out of what I do with my coins. Why sould I be concerned about losing some money.
People pay $100 to go to a baseball game, is that not lossed money?
What about going on Vacation? Oh my Golly Gee. Buy a camper, a truck to pull it.
Rent a site to put it in. And work themselfs into a frensy getting there and back.
All money well spent!.