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When a series is dead, how can you find the great coins in that series?

DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,017 ✭✭✭✭✭
Great coins in strong hands tend to go into hiding when a series is dead in the market. How do you get those coins to come out and play???

Is it even possible to build a great set in that series during "dead market" times?
Doug

Comments

  • COALPORTERCOALPORTER Posts: 2,900 ✭✭
    Do you have an example of a dead series ?
  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    Wait for the owner to die.
  • ColonialCoinUnionColonialCoinUnion Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭
    I had no idea this coin collecting thing was so complicated.
  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Great coins in strong hands tend to go into hiding when a series is dead in the market. How do you get those coins to come out and play??? >>


    Dangle a large wad of bills conspicuously. Coins love money, seeing as how they're related
    and all.



    << <i>Is it even possible to build a great set in that series during "dead market" times? >>


    Yes, case in point: During the Great Depression, you could have built a superb set of classic
    commems at amazingly affordable prices!

    I hope that answers your questions. image
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,017 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I had no idea this coin collecting thing was so complicated. >>



    LOL.

    C'mon, you guys are no help!
    Doug
  • ColonialCoinUnionColonialCoinUnion Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭
    I've honestly never thought about (or heard of) this isue before.

    Here is what I would recommend:

    1. Pick a series to collect.

    2. Study it very, very hard.

    3. By nice examples when they becomes available at prices you are willing to pay.

    Depending on what you collect, the opportunity to buy coins may be more or less frequent, but I thoroughly reject the notion that 1) An entire series can be dead, and 2) If that were true, that there would be no good coins to buy.
  • anablepanablep Posts: 5,157 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Is a series dead because the mint stopped producing it (ie Buffalo nickels, Morgan dollars)?

    Or is a dead series one in which few people collect due to limited examples available?
    Always looking for attractive rim toned Morgan and Peace dollars in PCGS or (older) ANA/ANACS holders!

    "Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."


    ~Wayne
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Can you give me an example of a "dead series", so I know what we are talking about?
  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,523 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I've honestly never thought about (or heard of) this isue before.

    Here is what I would recommend:

    1. Pick a series to collect.

    2. Study it very, very hard.

    3. By nice examples when they becomes available at prices you are willing to pay.

    Depending on what you collect, the opportunity to buy coins may be more or less frequent, but I thoroughly reject the notion that 1) An entire series can be dead, and 2) If that were true, that there would be no good coins to buy. >>



    image
    Let me give an example. Liberty "V" nickels could be considered to be a "dead" series, although personally I would use the term "moribund". If you decide to collect a set of V nickels in MS-65, you will probably find certain coins in the series to have significantly more demand than the rest of the coins. And, the series being "dead" might provide more opportunities to buy coins for you, because fewer people collect a "dead" series, dealers who buy collections will acquire some of these coins as part of collections, and those dealers will want to sell those coins. According to Coin Values, the 1885 and 1886 are the highest value V nickels in MS-65. That doesn't mean that none of these coins will come onto the market. If you do collect a "dead" series, you will find that you get more rarity for your money, as the 1885 and 1886 nickels in MS-65 are worth slightly less than an MS-65 1934-S Peace dollar. Which of these three coins is by far the least rare?

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Do you have an example of a dead series ? >>


    Classic commems and Merc dimes would probably fall into that category. Outside of
    a few key coins, there has been very little upward price movement in either during the bull
    market of the Oughts.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,463 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great. Another Susan B Anthony thread.
  • CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,637 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Networking, networking, networking.

    Get your name out there with dealers and collectors and eventually you will make a connection to the "strong hands."
  • ColonialCoinUnionColonialCoinUnion Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Do you have an example of a dead series ? >>



    Classic commems and Merc dimes would probably fall into that category. >>



    How does this comment jibe with this one:



    << <i>Great coins in strong hands tend to go into hiding when a series is dead in the market. How do you get those coins to come out and play??? >>



    At every show I've been to, commems are piled up waiting for people to buy them.

    I must not be understanding this correctly, which is certainly possible.
  • DMWJRDMWJR Posts: 6,017 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree that networking is probably the key.

    CCU, you are correct, but I probably didn't word the question clearly. When I said great coins, I meant the very best ones in a series. What if you liked mint state three cent nickels and wanted to put together a number one set of them (I'm talking about the coins too, not the holders). Where would you start in today's market? With commems, you said you see piles of them at shows, but how many are in the top 5 for the issue? In a dead market, what incentive does a holder of a top pop coin have to put them in auction or consign them to a dealer?

    It's probably going to take finding out who is holding them, and can you get access to the person or their representative, and start building a relationship. Then hoping one day when they get ready to sell, you will get the call.

    I'm not personally looking to start a series, just pondering the question whether great sets are built during hot markets, dead markets, or if that is even a factor. Money and opportunity are the two key ingredients, and I understand the money part. I'm just exploring the opportunity side of the equation.



    Doug
  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Can you give me an example of a "dead series", so I know what we are talking about? >>

    Southern gold. image
  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>At every show I've been to, commems are piled up waiting for people to buy them.

    I must not be understanding this correctly, which is certainly possible. >>


    Sure, there are hundreds of dipped out "product" commems (and Morgans and gold pieces and
    you name it) at every show. You usually won't find a ton of really high end ones, though.
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,799 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Can you give me an example of a "dead series", so I know what we are talking about? >>

    Southern gold. image >>


    Ouch! image
  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Seriously, if you want to find the great coins in a series, probably the best starting point is to
    pinpoint the dealers who make it a specialty. They'll likely know who the "players" are, and possibly
    how to contact them.

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