Determining fair price

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I am with Doug. Except in high volume items, the problem with Ebay prices are they are not reproducible. An item may go for $80 one day, and the same item, (as much as coins can be the same), can go for $3.25 the next month. Believe me, I just paid $3.25 for a coin I saw sell for $80 a month ago.

With such non-reproducibility, I find pricing there as suspect to rely on. I buy from Ebay when I find a good deal, don't get me wrong, its just for a "market" price I would rely on pricing from coin shows, traditional auction sites, etc before I would Ebay. Educate yourself on what this "market price" is, and then buy on Ebay at good deals when you find them, and let others overpay.

 

Can you get me one too?

 

Ok, I had to go back and find the post where you talked about an educated buyer and what they would pay. Yes, I agree people overpay on Ebay why I can never get a Barber quarter for what I can get it for locally. The bidiots are sometimes asleep, that is when you can get a good deal. When I bid, I always use the price guide with the lowest price and downgrade the coin because of any unforeseen issues. Shopping around at shows and different dealers gives you an idea what retail is but some shops seem to charge more on everything. On the nickels I bought during off hours, one I have seen similar tossed in a dollar bin at a local show. I would pay the same. The other on the other hand I do see a LIBERTY with a faint I which looks to be F-12. I need a better look though. If it is so, Rebook, which is the lower than Numismedia, has it at $4.25. If it is VG, than $2.25. People are right though about crazy fluctuations. Prices were going down for IHCs, I was getting higher grade coins for lower than they went back up and people were buying worn down coins with no LIBERTY for more. On the same note, if you are selling coins it is always good to list your coins when all the bidiots are awake and in full force.

 

After reading through this thread, which I found very interesting, i'm not sure why anyone would buy coins. I liked the analogy of the coin dealer to the doctor or auto mechanic. The problem is I only go to the doctor or auto mechanic because i have to. I don't have to buy coins. Also many people think of the doctor and auto mechanic as overpriced swindlers.

I like my coins as mcuh as the next collector. I am not an expert at grading or pricing. I have bought many coins off many dealers at lots of shows and some on ebay. I have goten good deals and also my share of screwings. Why do I still do it? Sometimes I ask myself that same question.

Lack

 

You can often return coins if you think you overpaid or a coin is a problem. That is not really an issue. It is like anything else really though, the more you know about something the better you can make an educated buying decision. That goes with anything including computers, car stereos, antiques, or anything else. I would think buying coins would be most similar to buying antiques where knowing about them before buying allows you to make an educated purchasing decision.