Just curious to what other collectors like to spend PER coin. I know everyone likes a bargain but do you spend 20-30 dollars per coin or do you spend more per coin. I know it all goes by grade but I am curious as to what grades everyone collects or can afford to collect. Right now I am still in the bargin bin and maybe splurging on a coin that I REALLY like......
I spend what I must to get the coins I want. Unfortunately most of the coins I want now are out of the common range so the prices I am spending per coin are heading up and up the average would be about $60 a coin right now.
Likewise. I've gotten the cheaper coins and notes and all that's left are the expensive ones and.... the really expensive ones. It's sad when you discover that a coin you need/want costs over $200 for one in G/AG condition.
I really don't have an average....if I find a coin that I need/want I then look at the price and decide if I can either---pay for it right now---save for it---or pay on it for a few months. If any of those is possible then I get it....if not then I just take another look and pass. Speedy
I don't have an average either. If I see a reasonably priced coin that I want and can afford, I will buy it. Charlie
one thing you should remember is that low grade coins don't go up in value so much. if for example some rare coin is $200 in AG-3 and $2000 in XF... in 10 years that coin might be worth $220 in AG-3 but $3000 in XF... so if you "invest", you'd better buy higher grade stuff
I do not buy coins as an investment if I see a coin I like and can afford it I will buy it. For me it is all about the hobby of collecting coins. The history of a coin and what was going on at the time the coin was minted.
With todays market, if I see a common date for a low enough price I'll pick it up-G/VG condition probably. Lately, I've been saving up and buying better dates-not necessarily better grades though. The most I have spent on a coin was the 1805 Bust quarter-about $150, other than that it's been down to between $15-30 a coin. Right now I plan on saving to buy one or two key dates for my Barber and Bust Quarter collections. Most of the coins I've picked up for my collection have cost between $0.50 and $5 each with many in the $2-$3 range. I've found some great coins in those price ranges. I think that I have only paid $50 or more on 5-7 coins-basically all bargains for the price.
Other than silver bullion coins which for me are still in the "like 'em and bonus if they go up" category, Thalia and I have not been spending more than a few cents to a few dollars per coin. The most expensive coin I have bought her so far other than for her birthday Kookaburra was $5 and that was the New Zealand 1953 "Coronation Crown" for her Queen Elizabeth II exhibit. In terms of low vs. high grades and common vs. rare coins, I think Horvath is right on. This is especially with respect to world coins. The same coins are still in the "bargain bins"! I think I'm not re-immersed in the hobby enough to go to the more expensive price points, but I can see filling in some of the blanks in that Lincoln set and upgrading my 20th Century Type Coins, which will cost some non-trivial dollars. And then there is that St. Gaudens Double Eagle that I've always wanted...
I usually by coins in the 200-500 dollar range but Ive bought as high as 7000 before. I try to focus on gem uncirculated or better.
I tihnk the average I spend per trip to the coin store is like $50 or so... but that's probably going to go up soon after I finish the more common series. Most I've ever spent for a coin is $200 for a 20 cent piece... but the next highest was $50 for a bust half with nice detail but a little scrathed on the reverse. Average per coin I couldn't come close to figuring, sometimes I buy a lot of cheap common coins on a visit, sometimes one or two more costly ones in the $10 to $20 range, depends what I'm in the mood for, a lot of my coin buying is a little impulsive. Right now I have some relatively common series I' trying to complete so buying somewhat cheaper coins... though about to cap off the Jefferson series with the silvers and the keys, so may go up a tad. All bets are off if something catches my eye that I like and can afford, lol, but end up leaving with something else than what I came in for. As I just finished my Kennedy series will be going after Franklins soon likely... but want to finish off the Jefferson first.
Ok....my average buy (at least for today) is $100----my dealer had a good deal on some rolls of BU Franklins---so I got them....more than likely I will be useing them for trading or reseal but a good deal no matter what. Speedy
I spend enough to acquire coins that I feel are appropriately priced, and suitable for my collection, without spending enough to impact my food and entertainment budgets. If you think I'm going to be any more specific than that in a public forum, you probably expect me to post the combination for my safe, the code for my security system, and sketches of where the keypad and safe are, along with details of the other security features protecting my coins and other valuables. Dream on!
For me its all about what you pay for what you get. Basically I'm looking for bargains in the very few places in the numismatic world where I think I know what I'm doing and have an interest. The coin market is pretty efficient, but not perfectly efficient. I don't necessarily recommend this approach for others. You almost have to enjoy the search as much as the coin.
An important counterpart to that question is how often you buy coins for that average expenditure. Over the past year, I've only bought a couple of coins from a vendor - one for $12.00, and one for $55.00. But I've also "bought" coins out of the office Coke fund at face value, so I guess my average over the past year is just a dollar or two...
