Archie Kidd Guidebook of Silver Art Bars 6th Edition-Valuations

mrearlygold

How relevant are the values in a book like ? I was there in the great meltdown and wonder sometimes how tough some of the old bars are now and how many collectors of such bars could there possibly be.

mrearlygold

"in a book like". Oops.

Timbuk3

!!!

OPA

A.K. is a good reference book for U.S. produced "Art Bars," but lacking in accuracy for German issued bars. (i/e. has Degussa produced bars as: Berlin Mint produced bars...totally incorrect)

JohnnyCache

It's my opinion that the usefulness of these guide books today is, more or less, in simply having a compiled listing of the various types of bars produced by maker, design, etc.

Secondary to the compiled listing would be the reported scarcity/rarity of each respective type, with the understanding that there are/could be errors in production numbers provided.

However, specific to valuations, I think completed eBay listings may provide a better understanding of current valuations. At the same time, the eBay listings, based on number of bidders for a particular auction, could provide a rough idea how many collectors are still out there. It wouldn't necessarily be a straight up correlation, as the design subject matter of a particular bar, its assumed rarity and the spot price of silver could all come into play with regard to the number of bidders attracted to the auction and the final valuation attained.

I have the books myself and enjoy them for what they are, and I'm not a collector. I have exactly one art bar. I used to have three but I sold two off for a nice profit.