Sad to say that, while channel surfing, I ended up watching Rare Collectibles TV (RCTV). It was a live auction with a Greenish Toned 1885 Morgan in MS65* up for bids at $50 increments. The "host" was spurting out the qualities of an 1885 Morgan in MS65 and how it was an $800 coin just to get folks to bid. (When I started watching, it was at $100) It ended up at $650. The toning was unremarkable IMO. Second coin up was an 1882-S in NGC MS67 with a huge semi-circular toning spot (not Half Moon but the other direction) to the right of the obverse. The opening bid was $1,000. Try as he might, no bids came in. He even pointed to the toned spot and stated that "you could see where another coin was laying across this one in the bag." I thought that the toned areas were what was open to the air but whatever? Next up, and not in an Auction format, was a 5 minute spiel on the merits of the 1986 Silver Eagle and how it was the 1st of a long line of Silver Eagles and how every coin collector always wants the 1st in a date series. 1878 Morgan, 1921 Peace, etc. Valuation was built by showing some reference that had the 1986-S Proof at $125 and the host was relating how he and his buddy, at one point in time, had been selling these "dealer-to-dealer" at $130-$135 each. The coin was being offered, with original government packaging, for $89.95 +S/H. As many as you wanted. Then, something struck me. Is this how folks who don't necessarily have any numismatic experience are "sold" on a coin by all coin dealers? I mean, these TV People really go the gamut in their sales pitch. Always building value with half truths and out right wives tales that have no basis in reality, just hype. Are all coin dealers like this? Better yet, are these TV Sellers a mere reflection of what the typical "coin dealer" (Yellow Mustard stains and all) might be? BTW: The 1986-S Proof Silver Eagle in OGP is readily available on eBay for between $50 and $60. Free Shipping. (Just in case you wanted one! )
No, there are plenty of coin dealers who don't even "sell" coins, preferring to let their coins sell themselves. They know who they are, as do those who push coins on their customers.
