So, I was at the Worcester Coin Show on Sunday, perusing the silver. I was looking to fill some holes in my modern commemorative dollars (I know, I know), and noticed some appear to be hard to find, even with elevated mintages....for example, the 2000 Leif Ericson dollar. I did see a PDCAM go on Heritage last night, but was far too rich for my cheap blood. It got me to thinking, are some just far more collectible than others, given similar mintages? Do dealers avoid these "never get your money back" coins? I apologize for my apparent ignorance, as I am fairly new to auctions and coin shows.
Both modern and older commemortives never seem to be a big draw any longer.... and a lot of dealers avoid them as their customer base just has little to no interest. Perhaps some of the older and low mintages hold a little more interest. I sold ...should say gave away a Maryland in a rattler ...In 63 cac ... and go look at the mintage on that one.
The major show that I frequent here in the midwest (NWCC in Brooklyn Center, MN) has one dealer that generally keeps two full tables of nothing but modern commems. I will agree that there are some that are not seen as often as the others, and the Leif Ericson is probably on that list. That was a nice design. If you look at any price guide, the spendier ones are typically going to be the ones you don't see as often at shows.
yes......I usually go to shows with one or two items in mind, that way i dont go crazy when I am there. Pretty much struck out on Leif at the show......there were none, and I asked nearly dealer there.....but I did buy a proof and uncirculated set of 2001 Buffalos.......I didnt intend on doing it, but I like the design. Did ok with the price, but I maybe could have done better online....who knows?
There's a local show here in NJ just outside of Philly, and a dealer was selling modern commemoratives, most in just the capsule, for $21 for the silver dollar, and half greysheet for the half. He has high velocity. Always different ones, and prices fluctuate. Other dealers have some here and there, and are generally asking greysheet. The bigger shows have much bigger varieties and pricing models. For the classic, there are some, (less at the monthly more at the bigger), and they are usually closer to greysheet. Only exception may be the Booker T. Washington. It seems like it's a show requirement for a dealer to display at least 3 different ones to set up at the show. I've never seen the Leif Ericson though, but I only buy the military themed commemoratives.
I only deal with the classic commemoratives, but I imagine that like most other coins and tokens, supply and demand set the prices. In classics, the rare ones command a high price, while the ones that were produced for several years, like the Booker T. Washington (produced for 6 years), and the Carver-Washington (4 years), are plentiful and very affordable. The Leif Ericsson was only produced for 1 year, and only 28,150, so command a higher value. Good luck getting what you seek.
You might have to pony up for Leif low mintage modern. But not in my arena either. Also classic queer, just chasing the last hole 1915 pan-pac $1 gold. But persistence you'll land Leif.
There are dealers at the major shows, like Baltimore, who stock these coins regularly. I am not a fan of certified pieces. Unless you are looking for PR-70 or MS -69 or 70 pieces, which are “registry worthy.” The coins in mint packages are more collector friendly. If you buy pieces in the mint packages, make sure the Certificate of Authenticity is included. The pieces assume that they are included. When I was dealer, I sold quite a few of these pieces if it was at the Grey Sheet levels. The real wholesale is 10 or 15 percent lower than Grey Sheet.
oddly, I bought that $1 PanPac at the last show I went to with a CAC to boot! This is EXACTLY the reason why I try not to buy spur of the moment. FWIW, I did see at least 2 PanPacs at last weekend's show, but none with a CAC.......I think maybe its overhyped, but they do seem to command a bit more money (CAC).
Yea, the big shows.......Im not really close to them, and run my own business in which its quite difficult to travel, lest I have to pay the price when I get back. Its like the scene in Jumanji where the monkeys are left alone in the kitchen..... Maybe some day........
Even at a small medium sized show, like the one in Lakeland, Florida, there were a couple of dealer who had a decent inventory of the modern commemorative coins. I sold some to them because I have stopped adding most all of the new commemoratives to my collection and decided to sell off the ones that no longer peaked my interest. I understand about the restrictions a job or a business can put on you. When I had job, getting to far away shows was difficult. I never made it to a January FUN show until I was a dealer.
Simply, yes. Market isn't there for moderns unless they stand out, like the 2021 Morgan and peace dollars. Too much risk associated with buying them from the mint in my opinion, which is why I only buy them when I am buying from local community members with the hope that in the future they come with more 'mouth watering' coins for my inventory.
Historically, buying the vast majority of these coins from the mint has been a losers game. You would have lost money on a lot of them. A better thing to do is to buy them in the secondary market. I did that, but I only have come out on top because of the gold pieces, which melt for around $400 now.
Yes, exactly. Not dissing the commemorative collectors, but I agree, buying direct from the mint is a losing proposition. The aftermarket is best for this as within a few months the hype dies and they sell for like, half of their mint price. Only worse way to buy is from the TV channels. My grandfather buys direct from the mint, which is unfortunate, but if that is what he likes then I can't judge. He isn't low on cash so I let it slide for the most part. He bought the negro leagues coins last year, which clearly is a coin that is losing value (they really took a long time to sell) but he also got the Morgans and peace, and the Purple Heart coins which I believe are much better options. Too many of the mint releases require lots of speculation on what will / won't retain value. Along with the fact that the goodies are near impossible to get due to the website, I've decided to not even try anymore.
