Help! At coin show

I'm a new collector and was thinking about getting a raw 1938D Walker. What is the most I should pay in an average condition?

 

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Depends what you mean by "average condition." If you're a new collector and can't tell if the coin is cleaned, I'd hold off. Just look at a lot of coins, talk to the dealers and other collectors and try and learn something.

 

You should not pay a whole lot more than the bare worth of the silver, depending on what you're calling "average" condition. And you should understand the people at a show on a Sunday have to carry this stuff home with them if it doesn't sell, and are likely to be....flexible on price.

 

I think that's overstating things. From what I've seen, it's hard to land even a dented or harshly cleaned example for less than $30.

 

Mea culpa; I hadn't contemplated the rarity of that specific issue in my haste to get an answer up for someone who was plainly time-dependent. It's a rarity in a sea of commonality. My second sentence regarding the willingness of show dealers to dicker on Sundays stands.

 

I'm looking at VF between $90-$100.

 

Seems like it's in the ball park for a no problems specimen. Definitely don't hesitate to haggle a little, especially with it being Sunday, as @SuperDave said.

 

Let us know

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have two hours to make a decision. Right now I am thinking of passing because it might be an impulsive buy on my part. I would like to start a collection of Walkers and I thought a 38D would be a good place to start. All the dealers have them so they don't seem too rare.

 

A dealer is now offering me between Fine and Very fine for $75. I might bite

 

$75 is a descent price for a F-15 38-D, but this should be a good coin free of cleaning, rim dings, scratches, PVC damage or otherwise distracting marks.

 

so, did you buy it?

 

No I did not. I felt that I should wait. I know I want to make a set of Walkers for certain. However I am not sure in what grade. It could take me years to do so so I want it to be worth my time and not have to upgrade it. Any help on what grade to collect Walkers at would be great. I am not shooting for all MS-65's because that is out of my budget but I would like something nice to pass down to my nieces and nephews.

 

Look at pcgs photo grade, and find a grade range that you would like, price the rarest coin in the range you are looking at and use that price as a cap on what you are willing and comfortable to spend on any example.

 

If you are new at this and want to have something nice to hand down, consider graded/slabbed.

 

A new collector taking his time, kudos!

By "set" do you mean full set, short set, extended short set, or...?

 

I would like to do a full set. I saw a Dansco book on Walkers that I would like to get.

 

My first one was a VG with rim nick. After a while it didn't look too good to me. You're on track, look around and get a nice one that you like. You are correct, circulated 38 D's are not hard to find, plenty to choose from.

 

If you're looking to do the full set in a somewhat uniform grade, take a look at 1921 P/D/S and the 1916-17 P/D/S first and decide if you're willing to spend that much on the set.

A short set from 1941-1947 also looks nice and is a very affordable alternative.

 

The 41-47 short set can be real cool. I have seen several of those and the price is not outrageous.