Should I stay or should I go?

291fifth · April 4, 2004 8:38AM

About six months ago I started selling my collection. The moderns went first. Then I started breaking up the exonumia, early commems and one-a-year cent set. I still have a good number of coins left and am now considering whether to retain some of the best type coins or just slowly continue selling until everything is gone.

I have said in previous posts that I feel it is important for collectors to sell from time to time to get a feel for the real coin market. My experiences in selling have indicated that the very top of the market and the very bottom of the market are healthy. Unfortunately, I can't afford to collect the very top of the market coins and don't want to collect the bottom of the market material. The problem I see is with the area of the market I can afford to collect and like to collect...the vast middle of the coin market. The middle of the coin market seems to be softening and I really don't want to tie up money in material that is going nowhere from a price standpoint. At my age a coin collection has to be considered to be an investment, like it or not.

Should I stay or should I go?

Russ · April 4, 2004 8:43AM

If you believe that the market segment within which you collect will continue to soften, the answer is easy. Sell. If your feeling about market direction materializes and you still want to keep your hand in the hobby, you can start buying again at a later date and better prices.

Russ, NCNE

stman · April 4, 2004 8:53AM

<< <i>At my age a coin collection has to be considered to be an investment, like it or not. >>

Well I'll be my honest self which is never popular, but here goes...... If you're saying the area you "Collect" when in reality you are looking at it as investment is the middle of the coin market and is going no-where. And you say you don't want to tie up stable money.....

<< <i>Should I stay or should I go? >>

Then IMO you should go.

Hey you asked I answered.

Aethelred · April 4, 2004 8:57AM

What do you consider the "middle" of the market?

originalisbest · April 4, 2004 9:00AM

That's what it all depends on. If one's perspective is over $100,000 is high end, $2,000 and lower is "low-end", and anything in between is what's soft, then I'm quite content to be in that low-end camp.

cladking · April 4, 2004 9:01AM

There's not just one top or one bottom to the market. There are lots of different
US coins with middles, tops, and bottoms at many different levels. If you feel that
you must be able to get your "investment" back then it would be wise to go with
coins you think have the best chance of making a good return. If these aren't suit-
able for some reason then you may have no real options in that segment of the
market. But there are a vast number of other areas to collect. This includes not only
the many US coins which have been minted but thousands of years of other coins.

Usually it's best to go with the coins which you most enjoy, but there should be some-
thing which fits your criteria.

291fifth · April 4, 2004 9:04AM

<< <i>What do you consider the "middle" of the market? >>

Coins in the $100 to $3000 range.

originalisbest · April 4, 2004 9:07AM

I might agree with your $3,000 figure on the upper end approach, but I've seen an awful lot of demand for certain $100-$500 coins, key dates, certainly. That's not to say your area of $100 or so coins might not be cold, however. Not everything's the same level of demand at a given time.

08HALA20 · April 4, 2004 9:12AM

As usual Russ and Cladking have wise things to say.

If you think your coins are at the top of the price scale it is only wise to sell and buy again later at a lower price.
that is if they are easily available in the grade.

Most of all as I have heard many times

If it aint fun: sell, buy until it is fun again.

Rookie Joe

Hedger · April 4, 2004 9:22AM

Do you have any young family members who enjoy the hobby? You can sell your high end stuff now while prices are higher and give the low end stuff to a beginner. Tough, but we'll all have to make that decision at some point. My uncle did the same thing; sold all his high end stuff and gave me the rest. I'm glad he did but his interest in the hobby has diminished. I think he feels the same way as you do.

mgoodm3 · April 4, 2004 9:27AM

Sell what you don't want. Find a niche that you like and start to work on it. I don't buy coins for their resale, I buy ones that I like. I've never actually sold any coins. I've given away a few.

291fifth · April 4, 2004 9:28AM

<< <i>Do you have any young family members who enjoy the hobby? You can sell your high end stuff now while prices are higher and give the low end stuff to a beginner. Tough, but we'll all have to make that decision at some point. My uncle did the same thing; sold all his high end stuff and gave me the rest. I'm glad he did but his interest in the hobby has diminished. I think he feels the same way as you do. >>

I have put away some type coins for a young nephew. It remains to be seen if he will develop a real interest in coins. For the moment I am giving him coins to make up a 20th century type set at his birthday and Christmas.
There is still a way to go. To him a coin from 1901 is ancient history. A coin from the 1940's is really old.

Should I stay or should I go?

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