Are low grade proof cameo's a worthwhile investment

In the Barber half series? I'm talking PR63/64 cameo's.

 

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Coins / Investment.

Debate as old as time.

Coins should not be treated as investments unless you meet an extraordinarily tight set of wickets.

Low grade coins will generally never be investments.

Barbers will almost never be investments.

Low Grade Barber Proofs sounds like a great way to throw your money into a bonfire.

Buy what you like because you like it. Collecting coins is not and should not be a part of your "investment" portfolio (unless you are in an asset class well above mine... I've seen what you buy. That ain't you.)

 

You need to show examples to make this question worthwhile. It all depends upon the age of the cameo.

As for “investment” in coins, that is a joke. The IRS says if you make money on a coin, you pay taxes. If you loose money, you can’t even off set that loss against a gain. Gamblers get treated better. Coins ARE NOT AN INVESTMENT. Get that though your heads.

 

You never know but it's unlikely to pay off to the degree where you'd be happy. Now if you find an under priced example (maybe with a bad picture where no one else was willing to take the list), then you might be able to flip it for a quick profit (but again there is no guarantee).

 

I don't invest period. With 2 combined retirements, federal TSP, VA disability, and social security I'll get roughly $9k monthly when I retire. It's not much to many but it's enough for me to survive.

 

That is not an investment.

That is speculation.

Both have an important role in capitalism, but they are distinctly different.

 

I don't see cherry-picking as speculation...?

 

That's somewhat fair. I interpret most of these types of questions as speculation.
And the first part of my reply could apply to both investing and speculating as it's true that you never know. The flipping is the speculating part and would likely be better than investing in low grade proofs (one will learn quicker if it's viable or a complete loss).

 

I'd agree. Taking a risk on a poor photo is speculating but finding something under priced that can be sold right away is not speculating.

 

I'd speculate that it is a solid amount for the majority of people. If your retirement is 30-40 years from now, that might not be quite as solid (but again we can only guess as to what conditions will be like that far in the future).

 

The only time I see coins as an investment, is when some famous coin, with serious provenance, sells for a million dollars and then after a few years the owner sells it for 1.5 million. If you like Barber half proofs, then you have to set your own parameters and criteria for what you want to spend and which ones you want to own. Technically, yes the value should go up, let's say you want to sell them in 20 years. But when you take inflation into account, you may break even or make a little or lose a little.

 

Only ones with great eye appeal

 

I have a lot of great eye appeal coins, and they don’t amount to much because they are not “trophy coins.” I have a few of them, but not enough to make up the others financially.

 

Looks like I'm going to make an enemy of you by the content of my post, but I feel it is necessary to point out poor judgement when I see it.
The majority of your post is not the issue. "(unless you are in an asset class well above mine...I've seen what you buy. That ain't you.)" is the issue. Shame on you for your condescending attitude and, most especially, the degrading comment. I now understand @Morgandude11 comments in his thread, GTG 1928S Peace Dollar.
You should apologize to @BlackberryPie post haste.

 

Apologies me Lords all around... but I guess the word investment means sum ting different then. For a simple folk like my self a low asset class, If I were to buy at 200.00 and sell for 280 that was a good investment for me. No not going to get rich or retire but I ALSO lose some too most was early on years. But I get your point
physics-fan3.14
investment, the intent is not to consume the good but rather to use it in the future to create.

 

I'm sorry if I offended you, Blackberry. It was not my intention.

You asked a question about investment in coins, and my intention was to emphatically say no.

 

I wasn't offended at all. I actually agree with your opinion. Investment wasn't a good choice of wording from me. Rather, I should have went with "good option for new series".

 

In that case, my answer will be a qualified yes. Cameo coins are scarce, and many dates have low populations in 63/64CAM. If you're trying to complete a set, this will be a hard challenge. The other difficulty in finding proofs in that grade - many of them grade that way because they have excessive hairlines. Finding attractive proof 63s, and also with cameo? That's going to be a real challenge. However, there's the potential to make a really great set if you have the patience to do it.