Online galleries vs. Ebay and coinshows

highvizballs

I have been checking out some auction houses and there prices seem to be quite a bit higher than ebay or local coin shows for the similarly graded/date/mint/ coins. I know that all PCGS MS-66's arent equal but do the auction houses have the cream of the crop in any given grade to justify their prices?

MikeInFL

IMHO, for the most part they don't. They have to make money and it's by inflating coin prices higher than normal and "selling" the coin. You will find that the better coins have an even higher premium. You will get better deals (and have to be more carful) for slabbed coins in auctions..Mike

RYK

There are no hard-and-fast rules. Sometimes you get better deals in auctions, sometimes on the bourse. My advice would be pay less attention to "getting a deal" and more attention to acquiring coins that are excellent for what they are. You will be happier with what you buy and will probably do better financially in the long run, as well.

291fifth

eBay is the way to go IF you know what you are doing. eBay today is clogged with trash but there are still good coins to be found. The best items appear when individual collectors put their material up for sale in unreserved auctions. You must know how to grade what you are bidding on.

DMWJR

I know what you are talking about, but the golden rule is always buy the coin, not the holder (or in this case the auction house). You only get a good deal if you buy a nice coin, whether on ebay or an auction house.