New Redbook.
cladking
Posts: 28,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
Have they done anything (made any changes) to modern pricing? Added any grades?
The 2024 edition is excellent but I don't want to spring for a new one if there are no changes.
Tempus fugit.
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John Feigenbaum said the 2026 edition will be very different, as he wants to experiment and put his mark on the publication as the new owner of Whitman. It’ll be interesting to watch as more is revealed about the currently unspecified changes.
Edit: corrected to 2026 edition, not 2025
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
I heard there the 2025 red books are listed on the bay, I have a 24 red book already. Maybe next year
I'd never buy it for price data.
I agree that no matter how good a job they do on price data that there are other sources that can be used. It is an excellent reference which is why I've bought some over the years.
But as the leading source of pricing information on modern coinage to beginning and intermediate collectors it is of great value to me as a seller.
I have a complete set of Red Books including the 2025 edition.
At this stage I only really like the Red Book for the non-pricing information it contains.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
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I use the Red Book for checking which dates are "key" or "better", in case I forget, by comparing those prices to the price it gives for the most common dates in a series. I also find it helpful for grading circulated coins in a series that I am not familiar with, in a pinch.
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled
Not reliable for price data. Maybe a good book to teach newbs coins to open them up to them. Would I rely on any edition other than a couch read?? Not a chance.
I just put it together from scratch. California Coins
Vintage site: JayCoinShop.com (Both same stuff just different flavors?) #numismaticmetals
Make some stupid offers now. https://collectorscorner.com/dealer/default.aspx?dealerId=1045&pt=1
I have the basic 2025 edition, but I don't see any drastic changes in it.
I have RB and Bluebook as handy reference at shows (in bc on back table) as backup to my digital dealer CDN subscription. If need to make a quick offer just turn away pull out Bluebook….then pivot, execute the play. Lay the cash on the table so they can see the green. Or just hand it to them, take the material.
The latter works good like if for instance some other player/ dealer coming up to horn in / bid it up. Once executed if the guy horning in wants look at it and you haven’t had chance to really analyze and price it just put material in bank bag (in display case) get rid of them saying “these are for a customer.”
@ernie11. I am curious, does the 2025 version offer pricing on any 69 or 70 coins for moderns? Ant info appreciated James
There could be two "Red books" One for coinage up to 1964 and one from 1965 to present year.
Could be a good idea.
I wasn't sure whether to like this idea or agree.
While it has severe drawbacks it would free the publisher from trying to please everyone.
Perhaps the drawbacks could be eased by just adding a new modern Redbook with more complete pricing information.
One of the things you'd never know about current pricing is that some date mint sets are scarce in pristine condition and will bring a premium. They are even scarcer pristine and with nice coins.
He has done a good job with everything else so far.
I'll probably buy a 2026 as soon as it's issued whether I buy the 2025 or not.
The RB has alot of valuable information besides prices. So i buy a copy each year.
This would just increase costs without likely generating hardly any additional sales.
Not collecting any US coins, the last edition I bought was in 1998 when I resumed collecting, right before SQ. Given the constant design change and the flood of NCLT since then, I can infer that even excluding other new content in subsequent editions, the book would be noticeably larger for this reason alone.
I've never heard a proposal for two versions of the Red Book but given that it's probably mostly two different collector bases, it makes sense. Those who mostly buy classics concurrently buy US moderns mostly as a "side collection". Most of them aren't going to have any interest in the data you do.
This isn't any different vs. classic coinage. There is a noticeable variation i(measured in pct. between sales) in the price of most coins even in the same grade because market value is not a price point but a price range. No price guide can accurately reflect that. Doing what you imply would just mislead uninformed collectors on the actual value of most of this coinage.
Good point.
It would be a shame anyway for young modern collectors to not see what else was available.
Absolutely agree with you. When I first started my second round of collecting at age 13, I was able to see a vast variety of coins at a local coin/ antique shop on my way to junior high school. I purchased my first RB in 1970, and have every consecutive issue since then. Back then, it was about the only source that was reliable that I could easily get my hands on. Not much reference material a 13 old could find for pricing back then.
So now when I introduce a new collector to the world of coins, a new RB is always included for reference. And an older Whitman blue folder too!
The Red Book has good pictures, so I keep it around to quickly show people what their coins looked like before they were worn out. It’s pretty much never used for pricing. Still, if people see that it’s not from the current year, they think you’re using old information. So, I pretty much buy one every year.
I buy one every couple of years and will get one next year. As everyone has mentioned, the pricing is not accurate but what it does give is a sense of worth of a coin compared to others in the series, ie: 1921 Merc vs. say a 1945. Plus for me it something I can read on a plane or ?? And it does have the large print version which I like!
K
It is confusing with all the Proof, rev proof, enhanced rev proof , w quarters, V75, etc...
I got into moderns reading these boards and listening to guys like Cladking, Wondercoin and those books 100 greatest modern coins. Some of that may already be incorporated into current red books..
The two red book idea could be a supplement in the back of the red book or sections added within existing sections, but separate so new blood and see the difference and perhaps some may gravitate toward that area.. They have added modern coins over the years. It may increase cost but how else to educate and promote "moderns". In terms of groups we have pre 64 coinage, 1965-1970 coinage, 1971 to 1998 coinage, 1986 to 2019, 1999 to 2008, and so on.. Just an idea, maybe a dumb one but how else to promote and educate.
...
Spink divided up their Coins of England and the UK book into pre- and post-decimal books within the past 10 years. The 2014 edition I have has them together still, with Decimal coinage taking up about 100 pages. Proliferation of special designs, NCLT and the desire to include more information resulted in the need for splitting them off of the pre-decimal coins. Something like this could be done with "Mega Red," I suppose, leaving the standard Red Book more svelte. Not sure how a two-volume hard bound Mega Red would sell compared to a single-volume soft cover.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I noticed that in the 2024 edition there are no mintages listed from part of 2021 forward. Is this fixed in the 2025 version?
God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.
Have not bought one in years, but will pick up a used one on occasion at a yard sale/flea market etc
I wait each year for the giant Mega Red version to come out, over 1500 pages. I have a complete run of them, which I like buying each year for the special 300 page or so detailed section in each edition on a particular denomination.
The upcoming 10th Edition special expanded section is on Gold Half Eagles.
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
The Mega Red versions are great. I worked with Dave Bower writing about the Early Dimes and Quarters sections in Mega Red. It showed me how knowledgeable, brilliant and amazing it was working with him writing about history and coins.
@cladking The 2025 is quite similar in content to the 2024 with updated mintage information and some updated pricing, and so on. I would say the "usual" amount of updates.
I wasn't involved in the creation of the 2025 edition but I am now very involved in the 2026 Red Book which will be a massive update -- perhaps the single biggest upgrade in its existence. For starters, we are replacing pricing in the 2026 Red Book with CPG (Greysheet retail) values, meaning the pricing will be more accurate and market-timely than ever. Nearly every price will be updated.
Our editorial team, led by Jeff Garrett, is also meeting with hobby experts to verify if any listings should be added. So far I would say the number of new listings in 2026 will be in the hundreds, if not thousands.
Additionally, the size of the book is likely to go to 6x9 (similar to the Bowers', or Red Book series books on singular topics). The new size will give us a little more space to organize the pages better.
I'm so excited to be a part of this project and I've literally been working on the conversion for the last 60 days already. It's a huge undertaking. If you collect Red Books, I would definitely buy the 2025 as the last of its era in the "smaller" format.
Best,
John
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
Bad news Steve. We have postponed this year's Mega Red in favor of updating the 2026 Red Book. Once this conversion is done we will get back to Mega Red.
Question for the group: I have a number of folks question the name "Mega Red". How do you all feel about "Red Book Professional"?
John
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
Suggest: Red Book Pro Edition or
Red Book Advanced Edition
I like the name change.
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
That is exciting!
There are so many possibilities of things that can be added to it including more pricing information.
I'll probably go ahead and buy this year's edition as well to use as a benchmark for next year's.
If you're interested in the Red Book for pricing (and we all agree as time goes on in the year, no changes are made until the next edition), the "Mega Red" version (while delayed for maybe a year, maybe less, and will have a "better" name), provides more pricing in more grades than the regular edition. Nearly 9,000 items are priced in up to 13 grades each!
I would think that just as the 2026 Red Book coming out next year will use CPG (Greysheet retail) values, that process will also be used for the "Professional" (Mega Red) 2026 version as well.
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Correct. We are trying to make the pricing consistent across the Whitman and Greysheet/CPG products.
John
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
The best way to negotiate in the collectibles business is to be armed with information. Sellers may try to get one price, but if you give them a reason for a different price (like recent auction data, Greysheet/CPG levels, etc) you can sometimes convince them to sell more reasonably. It's the same in any negotiation, really.
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
It'll be hard to shed the name Mega Red, even if you call it something else, just as nobody calls the Red Book "A Guide Book". Nevertheless, something like "Red Book Professional" or "Complete and Unabridged Guide Book to United States Coins" would be a better name in my opinion. There's room for it on the cover, and people that want to will continue to use the colloquialism Mega Red.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Isn't the blue book general prices that dealers will pay and the red book prices that they sell at? I'm sure that they don't want to buy at red book price levels.
God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.
I have all the Mega Reds also and a couple duplicates. The Mega Red name came up on the second edition. Change the name and spine cover design back to the first edition. I'm only buying more, with this announcement, if the book stays the same Mega Red design or it reverts back to the first edition name and design. At this point I am just collecting these books. I have all the reference material I need. I like spine uniformity in my bookshelf. Especially with a sequential series type book.
I hope that they will continue to publish in the Red Book in the classic format. I have a complete set, and would like to keep it going.
Oh, thank you. I wasn't aware of this.
Perhaps I'll buy this year's MegaRed to use as a comparison to next year's.
Actually, the "current" version is the 9th Edition, which came out about a year ago.
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
I like the name change. Mega Red makes me think of fish oil supplements.
Here'a another option... "Red Book: Expanded Edition"
Collecting: Cents, Dansco 7070, Half Dollars, 1947, 1976, random pieces I like
My PCGS Registry
great feedback, all. Thank you!!
Whitman Brands: President/CEO (www.greysheet.com; www.whitman.com)
PNG: Executive Director (www.pngdealers.org)
I suggest that they add back the section on patterns instead of giving a link, and add to the historical events section at the front to make it more informational.
God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.
In the latest Redbook I own (2023), the coins in the 2017-S Enhanced Uncirculated set and 2018-S Reverse Proof set do not appear in the individual coin listings, they are listed only as sets. Perhaps the individual coins could be added to the listings as part of the upgrade?
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
I hope that the hard cover, red format survives. I've got a set of the 79 editions.