Ancients: Mixed Lots

Oh, I saw your vision, but I think the Star Trek holodeck would be the better way to go.

 

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I've seen your vision too, Steve. I think it's called Cherry 2000.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_2000

Watch out for water though.

 

I love group lots. I would buy more if I could.

If I see a couple coins I like before bidding those are the ones I keep for my collection and then I sell the rest to someone who will appreciate them more than me to help fund future purchases/offset costs. If all goes right then the coins I choose keeping are a 'deal'.

Plus you get the fun of researching the coins and learning about their history before sending them on to a good home.

 

I've no experience selling coins, so I can't comment on selling fees and such but others have already spoken about needing to look out for your overheads.

But I do look at large lots that come up in CNG, Pecunem etc. It seems to me some close for higher than the buyer will be able to resell the individual coins for, but other lots may possibly allow the buyer to recoup or make a little. Basically, I think a practised eye for value (or some luck) is going to be required if you expect to come away with consistent gains from selling.

 

Yah, I am definitely a sniper, rather than a shotgun hunter ... and although I love the thought of finding a diamond in the rough, I am fairly sure that the coins in the "group-lots" are usually picked-through (so the group-coins are usually pack-mules, rather than race horses!!)


However comma => I did manage to score a huge win, when I bid on a group-lot from the Triskeles Auction ... man, I still get crazy-in-the-pants when I think about that triumph!! ... brrr!!

"Four" sweet Alenandrain Drachms for $600 (including taxes and delivery)

=> $150 each (cha-fricken-ching!!)

 

I love buying large mixed lots. However, I don't do it with the intent of selling. Selling is a hassle. I've given some away and am not opposed to selling or trading some, but for me the thrill is in identifying each coin and learning about them.

Many of the mixed lots I've bought contained unattributed (unlabeled) coins and I like it that way

To summarize... I'm in the try it camp-- you'll learn quite a bit-- but buy a mixed lot you can afford without selling any of the coins. If you are able to sell some, consider that to be icing.

 

Good gawd, that looks positively dreadful. I must see it.

 

Personally, I like it a lot.

 

I agree with TIF. Try it. All you have to do is find a lot that has promise that no one who knows more than you has spotted and then bid more than others who hope to get rich by selling the coins and more than lot collectors like TIF, stevex6 and medoraman are willing to pay or skipped because they saw no promise in that same lot. Not long ago, CNG had some really great large lots with such things as 100 high grade coins of Constantine the Great and ten slightly worn but attractive sestertii of Maximinus I. Those coins should sell themselves but only if you show them to enough people who are looking for those coins at the price you feel the need to charge after you pay the bottom line invoice.

I guarantee you will learn something from the experience. I don't guarantee what it will be. There is one thing I know about auctions that I win: I paid more than anyone else who saw it was willing to pay. I have to ask myself why. Recently, I bought a coin that had something special on it that almost no one but me would appreciate so I was willing to pay more than others here would have. Recently I bought a coin for what I considered a fair price that I happened not to have and had been meaning to buy. I guess other people saw it and decided they could do better elsewhere or could continue to live without it. Recently I was third highest bidder on a coin that sold for almost $800 more than I bid. I guess the other two guys knew something I didn't. When you get your lot and have listed them for sale, let us know so we can bid. Just be sure you buy a lot with coins in it that collectors like us will be wanting.

 

Steve;
I can explain why some of those coins were sold as a lot but I feel one of them was wronged and deserved separate listing. I wonder how many people that look at the four agree with me. I do agree the four are worth $600 but it is not evenly spread. Agree?

 

How could I determine what more people want? Like whats going to be easier to sell or not? I was thinking maybe buy a bigger lot for like $1 a coin and then hopefully after attributing most get like $2-5 a coin. Maybe even more if I get lucky.

 

That's more in the eBay "uncleaned" (which is a lie) late Roman bronze range and even so, finding anything but slugs for $1/coin is probably not realistic unless you purchase by the kilogram.

 

So would you recommend getting higher end lots?

 

How many coins have you seen that you want costing $1? $5? $10? The kind of lot you are more likely to come out of with a profit is probably $20-50 a coin and that will require you to know which ones are $10 and which are $100. If you don't know, who do you expect to tell you? If you put them all on eBay with a $1 start, the better ones will get ten bids in the last five seconds. If you put them all up at $50, many will get no bids. Which is better?

There is a sale closing Sunday which has a lot of 7 tetradrachms already at about $100 a coin. When it closes what will it bring? There are larger lots of denarii and antoniniani that would be fun at about $25 per coin but less fun at $50. The question is how many of you are watching those lots. Is anyone here bidding on a large lot Sunday? Is it OK to name a sale before it closes? I'm only interested in a couple single lots but still enjoy seeing what others pay for the large lots.

 

That makes perfect sense. I think it would be better buy the coins that I know rather than go completely random. Im going to search for more lots like that. And are you talking about the Pecunem auction?

 

=> I hear ya (I merely list them that way for book-keeping purposes) ... if I was going to sell them (which I am not), then I would reserach each coin-example and determine a proper price for each ...

... I know that you have commented before on how sweet the ol' Venus & Bull is when compared against the others (I love them all, but I agree that coin is the winner of the litter)

 

Just ordered these three lots. I got the seller to sell me them all for $95. I think I got a good deal. Im pretty sure i know exactly what each coin is and should make some money on them. Plus they are coins from my new found love, Syrcause! Here are the links:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281263180214?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281298359263?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271397542820?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I think the seller labeled them wrong. I actually think the first 2 links have litras/ hemilitrons from Dionysus I and the last one has one more from Dionysus I and 4 from Hieron II. Not the best condition but they are all for resale. I plan on getting some nicer ones for my own collection soon.

 

Hi silverdrachm ... hey, I can't seem to open that third link?

=> yah, I always like the looks of those spruey-coins from Sicily (good luck flipping this lot and good luck finding some more winners in the future)

Cheers

 

I fixed the last link. And thanks!