USA coin values?

Hi guys, I am petty new at collecting and I'm not very good at knowing the value of the coins I buy. I have the red book and I know that a lot of the prices in there are not accurate. I was wondering if u guys know of a website that tells u accurate prices of what to pay for USA coins. I don't want to spend $100s on the grey sheets but is there anything as accurate that would give me wholesale prices? Thx

 

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There is something wrong with all of them.

 

The best way to determine up to date real market values is to look at auction results, go to ebay or another auction site and look at sold listings.

 

I use this one a bit.
http://www.pcgs.com/auctionprices/default.aspx

 

No standardized

No standardized platform other than club grey sheet that I'm aware of.

 

Thx That's awesome!

 

Keep in mind that just because a coin fetched X dollars one day, a nearly identical coin might very well not sell for anywhere near that the following day.

 

Precisely why a forum such as this is invaluable. But it is the ago-old question. When I was a kid, we used to buy the little 25 cent book of coin values in the grocery store. Even those you had to take with a grain of salt. Nothing (rare coin, rare car, rare anything) is "worth" any more than what someone will give you for it.

 

I know but I just want a website that tells me what the average dealer would pay for us coins

 

It pays to have a good idea what the coin is selling for at an auction prior to waltzing into a coin store.

 

Yes, it's like a game. It's like however much (or little) as is possible to pay. I imagine that's where club grey sheet comes into play. It would be nice if there were a more standardized gauge but, there isn't (at least not for the average Joe). You have to pay to play here too.

 

First, a CDN sampler wouldn't cost hundreds; even if they no longer offer the sampler, buying a weekly, monthly, and the quarterlies still wouldn't be anywhere near close to it. That said though, the CDN had in many ways become basically a retail guide prior to changing hands, and if this has changed I cannot say for certain.

Now, why are you so interested in "wholesale" prices or what the "average dealer" may pay? Are you looking to sell coins or to buy them? If the latter, I'll tell you right now there is no guide that will allow you to do so successfully. The fact is there's a lot more to honestly buying and selling coins than ANY guide can teach you, so if buying for resale is your goal, I strongly suggest you invest your time and efforts into learning first. When it comes to pricing/values, knowing YOUR market is key, and the reality is not all venues are equal. Selling on eBay (as an example) is not necessarily the same as selling locally in-person. As other have said, auction results can give a fair estimate of "value", but it's not absolute as coins can be just like people in that every one is different, and is why knowing what you're doing is so very important.

If you're not looking to buy for resale, and are simply trying to get the almighty "deal", the same goes in that you need to learn first. Unfortunately, many newer to this hobby think there are easy ways around paying retail, and more often than not they fail miserably in their quest. High quality often sells itself whereas dreck often ends up in the hands of so-called "deal seekers" who don't know any better and end up actually paying more for dogs because of it. There's an old saying that goes "there's no free ride in numismatics" and I'll never understand why some assume the hobby to be populated entirely of idiots to the point a new guy can come in, do the obvious, and reap massive rewards at the experienced collector's expense, but there are plenty out there who think just that. I'm not saying this is the case with you, but it happens and happens regrettably often. Take your time, learn as much as you can, and everything else will start falling into place. Good luck.

 

Most dealers are going to buy and sell at a different price based on the inventory they already have. Dealers will pay a bit more for product that they know they can sell quickly but have to pay less if they already have a safe full of the same stuff.

 

My lcs always beats ebay prices. Guess I'm lucky.

 

Getting multiple opinions from varied sources is your best defense against predators.

 

Check Coin World prices, NGC and PCGS prices and auction results on Heritage Auctions and Great Collections. Then, get prepared to use your own judgment. There is no one end-all, be-all price guide.

Over at Collectors Corner, you can call up a particular date/mint mark and see what various dealers want. Often, you will find widely varying prices.

This is not an exact science.

 

There are many fine dealers, including numerous members and at least one moderator here, who will give a good deal on a good coin for their buyer.

If you have a question about a particular dealer, consult the dealer directory here or just start a thread and ask. I've done that several times, although I ask for individual messages of the reviews in case someone has malice in mind.

Not everyone is out to screw you, as some might want to lead you to believe.

 

Thx

 

And to think, we used to do this (determine coin values) before we had the Internet.

 

I think the key is "be prepared to use your own judgment."