I'm going to a show Saturday. I'm making my usual spreadsheet to take along with coins I'm going to be on the lookout for, and what I'm willing to pay for them. I don't have a huge budget to get a big variety of different things, so I'm just focusing on adding to my walker set. Its been a while since I went to a show, and last time I did I used like 3 month old numismatic new prices on my spreadsheet figuring I would make sure I got good deals. What do you guys think?? I have in front of me the july 2007 NN price guide. I was thinking maybe 90% of the prices listed in there for walkers. Thanks for you advice in advance!!!
If you want to be anywhere close to reality, don't use their price guide. You can download the current Grey Sheet right on your computer for about $5 and you can get the past issues for under $3,
Unfortunately I have to agree with that. At coin shows I go to they have a table in front and they give those magazines away free there. The first time I opened one up I thought I just became very, very rich. Some of the coins I looked up were in fact double to triple of reality. Darn. Some of thier prices made the Red Book look reasonable.
That doesn't make it totally useless. It's just useless if you intend on buying foreign coins at the show.
For the folks who have attended coin shows, do you find that dealers are willing to negotiate prices at all? Or do they pretty much stick to their advertised prices?
Depends entirely on the dealer. Some stick to marked prices and some will haggle a bit - but usually only a little bit.
Considering I go to about 2 to 4 coin shows a month I would have to say only about 5% dealers stick to a price stated or written on the 2x2 or sticker on a slab. The largest amount of dealers I run into will always drop prices as much as 20%. One I know drops his prices about 25% all the time. Not sure why he even puts prices on coins. I always ask if that is the best price and if even starting to say firm, I walk away. Amazing how many times I can hear them saying "Hey wait, maybe we can deal here a little"
i think my dealer has them for $1 past issue too. he also has free redbooks from the 70's and 80's! i got a 1976 redbook when i first started for free. its kindof neat to look back on those prices from 30 years ago. it kindof gives you and idea of what coins prices will be in another 30 years.
