When buying a coin what is your order of characteristics?

GottaGetCoins

For example, which is the order in which you base your decision:

Such as:

Eye appeal
grade
Grading service
Population
ETC

Russ

Cheapness. I'm poor.

Russ, NCNE

darktone

<< <i>Cheapness. I'm poor >>

Russ, at least your rich with friends on this forum.

Eye appeal is the biggest thing to me- If I don't like the way it looks I don't care what the grade is. mike

ColonialCoinUnion

Famous Pedigree. Since I can't afford everything, I had to establish artificial restrictions to eliminate a lot of coins I might otherwise buy. This one works for me.

Eye Appeal. If I'm going to buy something that is expensive, completely useless and likely to be a terrible investment, it had better be attractive.

Originality. I hate tweaked, buffed, whizzed, cranked, spanked, dipped and processed coins. They give me the woolies, and I mean that in a negative way.

Rarity. Nothing worse than buying a coin, paying cash and getting another example of that same coin in change. So I like to go for things that don't show up too often.

Prometheus183

Cheapness. I'm poor.

Ditto

cointagious

eye appeal within the grade establishes the price.
grading service is irrelevant. i've probably purchase near a thousand acg slabs in my day. it is always about the coin.

ealandg

1. Need - Do I feel like I can't live without it? My "gut reaction" determines 75% of whether I will buy or not.
2. Damage - I really like early stuff and a lot of it is damaged and/or cleaned. I might still take it depending on the rarity, but REALLY dislike harsh cleaning. If it has been dipped and retoned a long time ago, I am more forgiving.
3. Eye Appeal
4. Price - I don't have much money, so I need to be cautious and try to negotiate price wherever possible.
5. Slab - If it is a big ticket item, I want it slabbed by someone who is at least semi-reputable so I can guarantee authenticity. I don't give a hoot what the grade says.

relayer

#1) Can I use the cert number in my Registry Set

fcloud

Number 1 Eye appeal.
Number 2 Eye appeal.

If I don't like the way a coin looks I'll skip it.

The service doesn't matter if you buy the coin.
Population doesn't matter.

nwcs

Eye appeal
Grade
Coolness
Cost

Cost trumps all.

mommam17

My next coin will be either an original Hudson or Vancouver. It will have to have real nice luster, that will give it real nice eye appeal with no detracting marks. I will be in either a PCGS or NGC 65 holder. It has to be the right price for me to buy it. My dealer friend says I always know exactly what I want!

Dog97

Finger prints
Dip spots
Strike
Luster
That's about it. Usually if those are ok then it has good nuff surfaces & appeal for me.

Conder101

Need - If I don't need it I will very seldom buy.
Price - If I can't afford it everything else is moot.
Rarity - If I have more than one possible purchase I will select the rarer ones first.
eye appeal - If I have more than one possible purchase of equal rarity, I'll take the nicer one.

DHeath

I like some things most collectors don't, and likely never will. I'm working on MS JFK set in which every coin is a mint error. LOL Of the criteria you've list, I'm most affected by eye appeal. I suppose I like being surprised by a coin, and that can include coins that are genuinely rare, great toning, condition rarities, story coins, mint oddities, or attractive well worn pieces. If I find a coin interesting for any of those reasons, it's on the short list.

ConstellatioCollector

Need for the collection... If I don't need it, I don't buy it (most of the time).
Eye appeal... Has to be one beautiful coin.
Cost... I need to have the funds or a way of acquiring the funds.

aem4162

is it what i'm looking for/date i need
is it in the best condition that i can afford
is it pretty

KUCH

1st rarity
2nd grade
3rd eye appeal
and
last,
but
not
least

price.

PutTogether

Eye appeal (I doubt anyone would admit to not caring about this)

Historical significance. I like coins from periods that I like to learn about. I like Peacedollars and SLQ's because of the depression era.

Value. Not as in profit, Im not an "investor" I'm just not into buying something that will drop significantly in value. A little is ok, but not a lot.

coinlieutenant

For me the order of characteristics is strike and followed by luster. Marks dont bother me as much as a weak strike or lifeless coin does.

Eye appeal usually goes along with that so I would say, the four most important points I look for in a coin are...

1. Strike
2. Luster
3. Eye appeal
4. Originality

haletj

For me, ditto to what coinlieutenant said.

Dave99B

1. Originality
2. Eye apeal
3. Technical grade
4. Strike
5. Luster

I usually pass unless the first three exist....

Dave