Which is better, Heritage or Bowers?
granddad
Posts: 966 ✭
New member with some investment grade coins that I intend to sell. Would appreciate your advice on Heritage and Bowers auctions. Anyone who has knowledge concerning these 2 auctions houses, I would love to know what you think.Thank you,
Have a great day!!
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Comments
Have you also considered ANR, they are a great bunch, and I had excellent results with them, ...but I consigned thru another dealer.
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Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
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<< <i>If I were you, I'd get in touch with a dealer you know and trust, and have them consign the coins for you, as they get better consignment fees than us small guys ! I learned the hard way !
Have you also considered ANR, they are a great bunch, and I had excellent results with them, ...but I consigned thru another dealer. >>
And for those who don't yet know it -- if any -- Dave Bowers isn't even *at* Bowers and Merena any more -- Bowers is at ANR. A lot of the old B&M staff went with him, too. Dealing with ANR is probably more like dealing with B&M than dealing with B&M is.
B&M is now part of a larger corporation which I understand Legend, Kingswood, and Teletrade belong to and they are controlled by Greg Manning. Yet this corporation is controlled by a foriegn investment company...I can't remember where now (Spain ?) .
All the major auction houses know their stuff, but work out your best deal on the consignments...I strongly advise you use a large dealer to consign your coins for you, as they have worked out their deals already !
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Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
<< <i>Legend IS privately owned...by several people who are board members. Let's see if they will all step forward and clarify. >>
Don't hold your breath.
Spectrum has its own non-auction components.
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
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Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
A newbie or casual collector would have difficulty with that answer.
Q David Bowers, the person, is with ANR.
Bowers and Merena auction firm is owned by Spectrum and in no way (that I am aware of) related to Q David Bowers.
I agree with others; talk to Coinguy1 or another trusted dealer. They will help you make the right decision, and it may not involve any auction house.
From what I've seen of your coins, I do like the Mark Feld route...even if he recommends Heritage, I think I would let him take a look at what you have.
When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.
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Jerry
Rgrds
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
What about David Lawrence Rare coin Auctions ?
They will be stepping up to the plate for the first time this week.
Perhaps there will be introductory fees for their next auction ?
Stewart
<< <i>So who really owns what? I just got confused-----------BigE >>
I think Clear Channel owns everything now.
There are a number of things to consider when selecting the best auction house for the sale of your particular coins or collection. Before I get to those, however, I want to note what is almost always THE most important part of the selling equation - THE COINS THEMSELVES. (Edited to add: Most sellers would have you believe otherwise).
In the majority of cases, if you are selling through a major auction house, the coins will either sell themselves well or not, based upon how rare and/or appealing they are. What I mean by that is, If you have a fantastic coin consigned to a major auction, even if it is under-graded and/or receives no write up in the catalog, enough knowledgeable/informed buyers will view it so that it will typically bring the money it deserves. On the other hand, if you consign a real dog of a coin, even a full page write-up and hype to the moon are unlikely to get you a strong price for it.
That said, here are some factors which should be considered
1) Commission rates: Some companies offer lower commissions and buy back fees than others. Don't look just at the seller's commission, though. The buyer's fee/commission is equally important to you as the seller, because it affects the hammer price you will receive for your coin.
2) Images: Some provide better catalog and on-line imaging than others. That can make a big difference for mail and internet bidders.
4) Customer bases/mailing lists and internet presence: Some have larger, better established client lists/bases and internet presence than others.
5) Timing and location of sale: Some sales are in conjunction with major shows, while others are not and some shows (and thus sales) are more widely attended than others. You are also far more likely to do better if you are selling into a hot market rather than a cold one.
6) How long from the time you have to consign to the time you receive payment?: Some auction houses require you to consign further in advance of a sale than others and some pay you faster than others.The longer your coins are tied up, the greater the chance that the market can change direction. And, it goes without saying, most people would rather be paid sooner, rather than later.
7) The type of material you are selling: Some auction houses have reputations for handling particular types of coins and might be more likely to give them more attention and/or have more potential buyers for them.
8) Customer service - for both you as the seller AND for prospective buyers: You want to feel comfortable that your consignment will be well cared for from start to finish. That includes things such as being able to reach the person you are working with, having your lots receive the attention they deserve with regards to imaging, cataloging, lot viewing, etc.
Again, I want to stress, that while the above considerations often can and do make a difference, in most cases, it is the COINS which are likely to make more of a difference.
Best of luck.
PS - A sincere thanks to those who recommended me.
And I work for one of the competitors (ANR) and happily recommend my own firm also.
Good luck with your decision -- there is a lot of good input here already.
John K.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
If you mean high-grade super-duper monster coins, then stick with the big boys for any major auction tied to a national show.
If, however, you mean a number of really nice collector coins, rare varieties, etc, then you may wish to consider giving Stack's a call. I suggested this to a buddy of mine recently and he was very pleased with the results on his early copper, circulated type, and patterns. The seller's fees were very reasonable and all he had to do was pack 'em and ship 'em. They will even make up decent lots of lower-value items that the others won't touch.
Cool Things
Bust Coin Forum
I'm traveling in Los Angeles today but I can be reached on my cell phone at 214-298-9204, or feel free to call me at the office after I return Wednesday afternoon at 1-800-872-6467. I'm always happy to help.
Sincerely,
Greg Rohan
President
Heritage
President
HERITAGE AUCTIONS
3500 Maple Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75219-3941
Phone: 214-528-3500 / Private fax: 214-409-1596
Email to: Greg@HA.com
Heritage will give you the presidents cell number. I don't know about Bowers. Q. David may be unlisted
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since 8/1/6
Look how many six figure coins sell in ANR. Look how many Registry quality coins sell at Heritage.
B+M's last catalog didn't look so nice.