VAM value question

UtahCoin

I realize that most VAM's do not have a significant (or any) premium. If one was looking through a significant number of Morgan Dollars in a limited amount of time, with the idea of flipping for a profit, what would you focus on? The "Top 100" or the "Hot 50"? Any thoughts?

Rampage

I would focus on certain VAMS within each of those subsets. I can think of a handful off the top of my head that I look for now-and skip the rest. For example, the 1886-P DDR is common as dirt. Every time I find one, I pass it by.

AUandAG

Probably the hit list 40.

bob

PS: fewer to remember!!

coindeuce

Quality first. You could have several examples of a high popularity variety, but if they are all low grade or problematic, they just won't sell, unless you price them at tiny margins over the sheet bid for a common, unattributed date. The market for a huge percentage of VAMs has become stagnant, because too much of the emphasis has been shifted by veteran VAM collectors to being the discoverer of the latest and greatest variety with a new or different marker at the molecular level, instead of spending energy on fostering a more broad collector interest. Aside from the weakened economy, this is in my opinion the greatest detriment to this segment of the hobby. Now I'll go don my crash suit for the flamefest. Fire in the hole!

Tiny

Might be best to focus on vams that you can get a price value on from a printed acceptable
source. That way you can stand firm as to what the vam maybe worth to other collectors.

coindeuce

<< <i>Might be best to focus on vams that you can get a price value on from a printed acceptable
source. That way you can stand firm as to what the vam maybe worth to other collectors. >>



In theory, yes a reasonable approach. However, in reality even some VAM value guides have been manipulated. That is as far as I go publicly on the matter.

DennisH

Key coins in better grades (population-wise) in the Top 100 and Hot 50 are the way to go. So are key 1878 VAMs. Like the Morgan series as a whole, there are many coins in both groups that amount to little more than "so what?" Personally, I ignore those almost entirely.

Having given this advice, I also need to point out that key VAMs in better grades are very hard to come by. Some are extremely hard. A few are darn near impossible in any grade.

Frankiefanatic

Is there a true and up to date VAM value list? If there is I have a few that are slabbed that I would like to do a price comparison on.

yep a few are 1878 Vams..

DennisH

<< <i>Is there a true and up to date VAM value list? If there is I have a few that are slabbed that I would like to do a price comparison on. yep a few are 1878 Vams.. >>

Define "true" and "value". No price guide of any kind backs up its prices with an offer to purchase at those levels, nor guarantees that coins can be sold for those prices. The best we can ever do is:
1. Watch actual sales results on eBay.
2. Watch actual sales results on Teletrade.
3. Watch actual sales results at Heritage.
4. Watch actual sales results anywhere else that coins are sold.

And even with this information in hand, the reality is that the next VAM sold will find its own price based upon its merits and the market at that time.

Wolf359

<< <i>I realize that most VAM's do not have a significant (or any) premium. If one was looking through a significant number of Morgan Dollars in a limited amount of time, with the idea of flipping for a profit, what would you focus on? The "Top 100" or the "Hot 50"? Any thoughts? >>



I would focus on coins dated 1878-P and 1888-O and VAM each one I find. That's where you'd get the most bang for the buck.

morgandollar1878

Stick to the VAMs that are on the Top 100, Hot 50, and maybe the Hit List 40. The 1878 VAMs are usually good also.

Tookybandit

Any thoughts on this subject from a couple of years ago?

DennisH

The answers remain the same... and everyone who's put in the years to become knowledgeable has their own opinions. Here's a pretty decent way to get a snapshot to what sells for a premium:

Go to the Heritage archives and do a sort for "VAM" in the Morgan category. Set the display from highest price to lowest. Ignore crazy stuff that doesn't count, like rare dates in uber grades that just happened to be identified as VAMs. As you scroll down, make mental notes of which VAMs appear most often – filtered by two things: your own knowledge of what type of coins you most encounter (Mint State, high-circ., low-circ., etc.) and by Greysheet prices for generic coins.

messydesk

What Dennis said. If you're looking through a huge number of coins and you don't know what you're looking for, you will end up spending a huge amount of time. In addition to the major lists that were provided, on which there are some coins with little to no premium, I would flag any 1878 with PL surfaces for closer study. Many of the ultra-rare 8TFs always have PL surfaces (or obverses, anyway), even in XF. They can also be tricky to attribute, though.

morbidsteve

Jeff Oxley and another guy made a little book that fits in your pocket for the Top 100 that I find very convenient.

I generally look for anything that's got HUGE differences, like clash marks and things like that and it has done me pretty well.

Steve

DennisH

Jeff Oxman, not Oxley.
Beware the prices in the first printing edition (1996); they are crazy low.

messydesk

<< <i>Jeff Oxman, not Oxley.
Beware the prices in the first printing edition (1996); they are crazy low. >>


Except for the ones that are crazy high.