The Value of a Coin Collection

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by centsdimes, Dec 25, 2010.

  1. centsdimes

    centsdimes Active Member

    I’ve always used the Red Book to get an approximate idea of what my coin collection is worth, knowing that this is a retail value. Yesterday I bought the Blue Book and was a bit horrified to find the collection is only worth 44% of its retail value, should I try to sell it to a dealer. Is there some way to get more money out of it, not that I’m planning to sell it.
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. texmech

    texmech Wanna be coin collector

    I don't really place in kind of value on my collection, although I have Coin Manage to inventory it. It's just something that I love and want to keep. Now if I had to sell it for some reason, that's a different story. It's interesting for me to know the value of a key coin, but that's as far as I go because I buy and never sell.
     
  4. jloring

    jloring Senior Citizen

    You'd be lucky to get 44% of the inflated Red Book prices from a dealer. Love it or hate it, eBay seems to be one of the best ways to go... or the open forum here on CT. Probably two of the better options if you ever decided to sell. And you can always check completed auctions to find what similar coins are selling for.
     
  5. coinman0456

    coinman0456 Coin Collector

    For the most part, those books and prices quoted are unqualified . Establishing a market value for any coin collection is not as simple as quoting a published grade/price for any individual coin or combination of coins . I would suggest you seek the assistance of someone who provides these services as a part of their daily business routine , a Professional Coin Dealer . Take note that there are different types of appraisals. So be certain to understand your need of one. Happy Holidays .
     
  6. centsdimes

    centsdimes Active Member

    I look at my collection as a collection, and not an investment. But I am not a rich person and there is the possibility I would need to sell it someday. I’ve been collecting for nearly fifty years and have my Mother’s and Dad’s collections—I do love my coins.
     
  7. centsdimes

    centsdimes Active Member

    Can you advise me on what sort of camera I would need to use to sell coins on ebay?
     
  8. Farstaff

    Farstaff Member

    Don't take this wrong because I am not trying to be flippant, but the value of your collection if selling, is the value placed upon it by the buyer.

    I have seen some coins sell for almost Redbook pricing and others at 60% less of Redbook.

    Personally I find I receive better selling price from other collectors than selling to a dealers although there has been a few exceptions. With collectors if they want and need your coin they sometimes willing to pay more.

    On Ebay, sometime I have been real surprised what someone has paid for a coin and occasionally they have gone over Redbook pricing.
     
  9. Farstaff

    Farstaff Member

    Depends on how much you want to pay for a camera. I use a cannon powershot 590IS, 8 mpix, with copy stand and ottolites natural bulbs. My setup including the camera cost me less than $200.00 others in the forum have spend lots more.
     
  10. blsmothermon

    blsmothermon Member

    That is all fine and dandy, but in my opinion centsdimes is right. If you took your collection in to the average coin dealer, he is gonna pull out the greysheet, go down it letter by letter, and then offer you 75% - 90% of bid depending on how marketable he considers your holdings to be. That is it plain and simple. It is one of the unfair parts of our hobby, but that is the intersection of hobby and business.

    That, along with the volatility of the precious metals markets, makes coins one of the riskiest investments possible. I continue to be baffled by people putting their life savings into coins. I believe that the posts above are correct, that to achieve the best yield on your coins (without opening your own coin shop) is to sell them in an auction setting. Not only will you get much closer to retail, you have the potential for bidding battles.

    I hope this helps. Merry Christmas!!!
     
  11. centsdimes

    centsdimes Active Member

    Thanks—I don’t want to pay too much.
     
  12. centsdimes

    centsdimes Active Member

    Thanks, merry Christmas!
     
  13. coinman0456

    coinman0456 Coin Collector

    AS I said, there are different types of appraisals and a dealer knows how to establish the prices accordingly, and Red Book, Blue book,& Black book prices are not even relevant .One way to get an appraisal by a reputable Dealer is to contact your Homeowners Insurance Company and ask if they can refer a Dealer who is a member of the PNG for the purpose of a Coin collection appraisal.
     
  14. RedTiger

    RedTiger Member

    Price guides are just that, a guide, a place to start. Many collectors are dismayed at what seem to be low dealer offers for their collector coins. For common raw collector coins in the $5 to $20 value range, 44% of Red Book might be about right. For high demand key dates and semi-keys, certified, the percentages will be better. Bullion related items are a third category and at some dealers trade close to their melt value.
     
  15. lupinus911

    lupinus911 Member

    Although Red Book can be very precise, don't completely rely on it. If you're looking at a slabbed coin, I would suggest that you use their website to find out a general price (PCGS or NGC).
     
  16. dave92029

    dave92029 Member

    As the Tax man always says it's all about the Specific Facts and Circumstances.

    I have found that the NGC slabbed coins that I follow on eBay sell for about 80-85% of the PCGS Price Guide, which has lower prices than the NGC Price Guide.

    Selling or buying is all about having the patience to wait for what you consider a fair price and understanding the rarity of what you want to buy. If there aren't very many of what you want, then pay what you need to when you find it!

    Unfortunately, immediately after you pull the trigger and pay the asking price for that percieved rare coin an other one comes along at a much lower price.

    I generally look at the average cost per coin vs estimated cost per coin of my sets. This seems to balance out the great deals and the ones that I should have passed on. I'm always surprised at how close the average cost per coin of a set will come to the average estimated market value per coin.,
     
  17. coleguy

    coleguy Coin Collector

    This may sound a bit vague but it's just the way it is, no matter where or to whom you take your coins to when or if it's time to sell. You can't sell if nobody is buying, and when selling they sell for what someone will buy them for. Guides and greysheets are fine and dandy if establishing basic ground, but even dealers have to know trends...what people are buying and what they'll pay for it, which no printed paper can predict with any accuracy. One day a coin might be worth $300 but tomorrow it might only be worth $150. The question on how much is my collection worth is like asking how many stars are in the universe....it's debatable at best, but impossible to answer in reality.
    Guy
     
  18. sgiorgis

    sgiorgis Student of Numismatics

    That is referred to as "Shoot the ducks when they are flying" :)
    Steve
    Happy Healthy 2011 to all!
     
  19. CoinKeeper

    CoinKeeper Keeper of Coins

    In my experience, the best way to judge a coins value is to see at what price they have recently sold for. Therefore, a good way to check a coin's value is to look at completed auction prices on eBay, Heritage, and other similar sites.
     
  20. saltysam-1

    saltysam-1 Junior Member

    This why I use the Heritage Gallery spreadsheet program. They do all this for you. They average in the auction prices and current trends and then give you a suggested value. If you disagree, they also list the values from Coin World and the two major TPG's, then all the way down to current wholesale values. They never use the Red Or Blue Book for pricing. You can still disregard it all if you like, and enter your own values as well. A great FREE program.
     
  21. vnickels

    vnickels Matt Draiss Numismatics & Galleries

    Greysheet is the best. Redbook pricing is ON SPEED and Bluebook is a trifle low.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page