Do you think there is a best time for auctioning coins at GC, Heritage and Stacks? Best in the sense of achieving most interest and hopefully highest prices. I am posting in US Coins because that's my focus and I suspect the answer might be different for other collecting categories. I was thinking December might not be good nor around April 15th.
I have no clue but it seems like July and early August might be bad times to sell since people are on vacation. Right around Christmas through New Years seems like not a good time either - people have just spent a ton of money and are on vacation too.
Never in April as it’s tax time. Vacation months of July and August can’t be good and in December, everyone’s mind is on Christmas.
If you can find a monthly coin show in your area, it can be common for people to Christmas-shop as early as September, potentially boosting sales. From my own experience, I met a couple on September 8th in Indianapolis who were looking to buy their kids a piece of gold for Christmas. I happened to have a pair of 1 gram gold bars (the only matching gold I had) that were both four 9s fine. Sometimes you can find people who want to gift their kids a numismatic/bullion related gift, which can be quite rewarding down the road.
I believe the times mentioned so far are generally considered not the best: December (or January when the bills start becoming due), tax time, and summer vacation. However, I've noticed equally strong results at all times in what I follow (toned and eye appealing items). And you never know when the market could turn, when a few bidders might be away (for something that is less commonly traded), or when a crazy bidding war might ensue. Even the bad times could be good-December could be a time people are spending more for (coin) gifts; tax time could be a boon for those getting refunds, and summer might bring out more of the younger collectors that aren't in school.
I guess I have had a vastly different experience. i have sold coins in more than 15 G.C. auctions. The worst time to sell a coin in my experience has been during mid summer. Tax time? I have always tried to time my sales so they are about 2 weeks before April 15th. Everyone is flush with return money and all 4 of my top sales and profits happened during that time frame. I am just one person though and their is not enough data to make a statistical statement. James
I used to track this on ebay but never could see much of a difference. I was selling coins in the $20 to $50 range. About the same this year selling higher value coins with Great collections.
I learned a good lesson this year. If you are selling many coins of the same type, try to stay aware of any major collections of the same type coming soon to auction and try to schedule around those.
Absolutely. This is the saturation principle and applies most strongly to thinly or moderately traded coins.
Everyone had great thoughts on the subject and they are much appreciated. Particularly @Randy Abercrombie's professed ignorance of the term.
I don’t know about timing, but Heritage fees are ridiculous. With a 20% buyer premium and a 5% hammer charge to the seller, I don’t know if Heritage name commands enough of a premium to net the most value. I found the DLRC arrangement yielded a higher net value to the price I originally paid.
Hmm - a professor of ignorance. I knew there had to be one out there someplace. I just wonder at what college or university he teaches that class
As for your question Publius, as a general rule winter time is the best time to sell. During the summer and warmer months people are a lot more tied up with other activities. Historically, winter is and always has been the time when numismatic interest reaches its peak.
