I have looked through many coin value guides and one thing that I have noticed is that no book has the same value for a certain coin. The values can differ between $5 to $100, sometimes even $300 depending on the coin and grade. Which book has the most realistic values? I currently use "2008 Guide to U.S. Coins" and it seems to have the highest values for coin out of all the other guides.
I usually go by the RedBook and while it has numerous critics it's the standard I grew up with. Take Care Ben
None are reallly reliable and/or accurate. Since there is no manufacturers suggested list price on a coin, they are what they are. All books, grey sheets, magazines are only as already noted, a guide. According to Webster a Guide is said to mean show the way, basically speaking. This means that a guide is ment to show you the way to prices, not the actual price. In addition to that coins are valued on a price and demand situation so that we the people set the prices based on how badly we search for specific coins. Therefore this is the priciple of ebay and other auction houses. If you bid on a coin, the price goes up and it is now worth what you bid. Someone else bids and the price again goes up and now that is the value of that coin. After many years of collecting, going to coin shows, reading coin magazines, books, etc. I've never found yet a consistant price guide. The Red Book USED to be decent, not accurate, with prices but since they now make a book with a date about a year in advance, that book to has fallen from usage as a price guide.
I haven't gone anywhere spock, I'm just waitin on the next phase to start. Can't wait to beat ya again
Chuckle, old habits are hard to break I guess. My oldman swore by the WWII Marine Corps Handbook and the Bible, said "these are the only two books you'll need in life." But I still get a copy every other year (2002, 2004, 2006, etc.) It's a great source for quick/general information and old habits run pretty strong in my family... Take Care Ben
Red Book has some great pictures. I use it sometimes on my large cents. Never have used it for pricing. it can basically tell you if a coin is more valuable than the next but thats about it. I go by past auctions, Heritage, Ebay etc. Also get the greysheet and use that as a reference. That seems to be what to have if your selling to a dealer for sure. Figure to sell for somewhere between 10-20 % back of bid most of the time. I remember back in the old days.. you know.... I had to walk to school barefooted uphill both ways in the winter.. Us collectors would have the red book, the dealers, well they had the sacred Blue Book. Boy was it a treat to get ahold of one of them back in the day.. HEYAAAAAAAAA.... Get them wagons rolling..
Big money-Heritage Auction Archives Little money-ebay completed auctions Both are current and real world.
I may be missing something, but when I go to the Red Book to look up coins, I find very few grades listed, so even if you believed absolutely in the numbers, you might not find one for a particular grade of coin you need it for. The listings in "Coin Values" are more detailed, but still missing some grades and as others have pointed out, they vary a lot. For high priced coins they can differ by $1,000 or more from other listings. I think the value of a coin, by definition, is determined by recent auction closing prices. The closing prices are a useful guide. However, an important caveat is that prices on closed auctions vary a lot within a given grade and TPG depending on the eye appeal of the coins. I still find it the most useful guide. You can get an idea of the highest price paid for a coin, but you don't necessarily have to feel like you've been taken if you pay more for a coin with exceptional eye appeal.
It all boils down to the value and current popularity of the coins that you are searching for. Coin World's trends (Coin Values) is fairly current, but dates two months ahead, I just recently received the March 2008 edition. Best, for regularly traded pieces would probably be the grey sheet for current prices.
One of my favorites for ease of reading is the Krause US Coin digest(in color). The commemorative section(along with the other coins) is very easy to reference, with coin pictures & mintages spaced very nicely. I use the Redbook, guide to North American coins, guide to US Coins, Krause world coins, Coin values, along with checking recently ended Ebay auction results. But remember one thing. When coins get hot, all of a sudden past prices are out the window in a hurry! As an example, i remember when the rumors about ultra low mintages for the 2006 W platinum eagles started flying. I watched a feeding frenzy on Ebay for those coins that set fire to that platinum coins price.
