As an amateur coin collector, I like to periodically value my collection. Each year I will use the Red Book and Blue Book to do this. In between publications I will use the Numismedia and PCGS websites to value my coins. I've discovered another: USCoinBook.com. I really don't want to go to the effort of valuing the collection yet again, but it does make me wonder which sites are the best for this purpose. Any opinions?
US Coin Book is OK, and I use them just to get an idea. They have some mistakes (mintages, etc.) but generally the information is good and the price is right. Some good photos about varieties etc. As for valuing coins, it is my understanding that the Blue Book is what the dealers pay for coins, and the Red Book is a little high retail, and because of the internet, the Red Book can't keep up with the day to day movement in auction prices. A price guide that comes out annually and by the time it is available, the prices are not current.
Numismedia's CoinPrices.org is pretty good as far as just up-to-date values. They don't have much in the way of any coin information. The PCGS website has their own price guide, along with CoinFacts and Photograde, both of which are a huge help.
I asked a question similar to this yesterday, but now I know more and wanted to know something else. I was aware of two online price lists for coins, Numismedia and PCGS, and I recently discovered a third, USA Coin Book. I use online price lists to value my collection. Are there any others, and how would you rate each?
Are you valuing the collection for yourself or for your insurance company? Reason I ask is if I wanted a true handle of my collections worth for my own piece of mind, I would use a combination of the PCGS price guide and recent auction results.... If I were valuing the collection for my insurance agent, I would use the Redbook.
An average of recent "Sold" listings on auction sites, is a good way to check values. Forget price guides, or even grey sheet values.
Heritage - https://coins.ha.com/ - is the best, by far. Registration and use and access to their auction archives is free. And when you use it you see listed values from, I can't recall if it's 8 or 9 but at least that many of the best price guides. Of course no price guide, not a single one of them, is worth the paper they are printed on, or serve space they take up, in regard to accuracy for real world values. But realized auction prices are, and by using Heritage you get realized auction prices AND numerous price guide values at the same time. And it's all free. It doesn't get any better than that
