How do you place a value on your collection?

Bankerbob56

About 13-14 years ago I started putting my coin purchases into an excel spreadsheet listing things like the coin, date, MM, grade, purchase price, date purchased, and from whom an item was purchased. I created this type of spreadsheet for each series I collected. So, based on these spreadsheets I get a rough estimate of my collection's "value". With the current downward pressures on coin prices I believe my estimated value is becoming more overstated. For the sake of discussion let's assume I paid close to market at the time I made my purchases.

So, how do the rest of you estimate you collections worth?

BAJJERFAN

If you have all of your PCGS graded coins in their my inventory listing, just use the price guide value calculated for you at the top of the page.

Bankerbob56

<< <i>If you have all of your PCGS graded coins in their my inventory listing, just use the price guide value calculated for you at the top of the page. >>



This works if you collect only TPG coins. I have a few Danscos, loose coins, a few mint and proof sets.....

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>

<< <i>If you have all of your PCGS graded coins in their my inventory listing, just use the price guide value calculated for you at the top of the page. >>



This works if you collect only TPG coins. I have a few Danscos, loose coins, a few mint and proof sets..... >>



Greysheet for those? eBay sales prices?

Walkerguy21D

I walk around FUN, look at what similar coins to mine are priced at by the big EAC and other retail dealers, and determine that I'm rich!

stevepk

There are three ways to value your collection:

Immediate liquidation
Short Term liquidation
Long Term liquidation

Immediate liquidation
Most pawn shops will only pay 40% of melt for any coin regardless of numismatic value. This means a prized 1796 quarter in a problem-free PCGS holder is worth no more than about two dollars. This method should only be considered if you leave your collection to heirs who are in immediate financial desperation, have not done any research, and aren't very bright. As a collector, it is your responsibility to see to it your coins are never liquidated in this manner.

Short term liquidation
Many buyers are slaves to the Greysheet and will pay 80% of listed values. Other buyers with a greater appreciation of numismatics will recognize eye appeal and the fact Greysheet is often flawed and will pay accordingly. Finding these buyers may require patience.

Long Term liquidation
Refer to Stacks/Bowers and Heritage auction achieves, being careful to compare 'apples to apples'. This not only a comparison of grades, but also the unique eye appeal of each coin. Filter out any abnormal highs and lows and gather a consensus based on as many comparable examples as possible within the past year or two. Many speculative buyers will argue you need to deduct 17.5% for the buyer's premium Heritage charges, but I disagree. If a coin sold for a thousand dollars including the buyer's premium, it means someone, somewhere spent one thousand dollar to obtain a coin similar to yours. Realizing these values for your coins can be done, but it requires patience. A local coin club or the PCGS BST forum are great avenues.

stevepk

For raw coins, attend a coin show and ask how much a dealer wants for a coin comparable to yours. You can also refer to Ebay achieves for coins similar to yours that sold. Pay attention only to the green entries indicating actual sales.

winky

PCGS +. I haven't figured out how much over but it is over what they say. I don't think you can buy for what their values state on most coins. If I could I would have 77% less in my collection !!!

roadrunner

I've always valued my coins at what I could get for them if I walked the floor of a major coin show like FUN, summer ANA, Long Beach, or Baltimore and had to liquidate them. And if you regularly attend larger shows this is not that hard to do. You can use the various price guides to help ball park things. In a rising market like 2004-2008 where liquidity was high, things were pretty easy. In the weaker market of 2009-2015 the lack of liquidity now plays a much bigger role in selling regardless of what price guides or auction results might suggest.

roadrunner

<< <i>If you have all of your PCGS graded coins in their my inventory listing, just use the price guide value calculated for you at the top of the page. >>



And then multiply that value by 0.6 to 0.7 for most typical US coins. For early 19th century stuff and better date bust, seated and gold, the number might be closer to 80-100%. Sometimes even over 100%.

For moderns or very common and generic coins that number could be 0.4 to 0.5. But during the 2004-2008 I found that 0.65 worked pretty well to find the general wholesale levels on most US type coins 1820-1930. If you have researched your own favorite series then you know what these ratio's run. If you're consistently paying 100% PCGS price guide for coins that aren't really hard to find and aren't screamers, odds are you are overpaying. A 0.65 ratio means that price guide is a 50% markup to typical wholesale levels.

Many speculative buyers will argue you need to deduct 17.5% for the buyer's premium Heritage charges, but I disagree. If a coin sold for a thousand dollars including the buyer's premium, it means someone, somewhere spent one thousand dollar to obtain a coin similar to yours

Rather than "speculative" buyers I would just call them uninformed buyers. I polled the auto blogs in the past and fairly large % of that hobby (30-50%?) really believes that buyer's fees come out of the buyer's pocket. Why? Because it shows up on their invoice. What more "proof" could you ask for....

TommyType

Not saying this is the BEST way....and it doesn't take into account raw coins:

But I input all of my slabbed coins into the Heritage "My Collection" service. Besides being an easy to use, remote, storage of my records, it spits out both a retail and Numismedia wholesale value for both individual coins, and the aggregate total.

It's always tempting to use "retail value" to value a collection....but by using the wholesale value, I'm forced to be at least a little more realistic. (Not that I have any proof that Numismedia is anywhere close to realistic, either).

Finally, I consider having the coins entered into the Heritage site a good thing in case I get hit by a bus. I let the wife know they are listed there, and in theory(?), Heritage has access to the list, and it would serve as a good way for a complete novice to start the liquidation process. I told her to just ship them off, and take what you can get.

Baley

I just go by what I paid.

Davideo

Purchase price * 50%

bsides

<< <i>I just go by what I paid. >>




This!

Pokermandude

I go by what I paid as well. And I only track pieces of significant value and/or TPG'd. I don't sweat the small stuff.

DoubleEagle59

For Canadian coins, it's quite easy.

Based on current selling prices on Ebay, an accurate 'value' for one's Canadian collection is 50% of Canadian Trends.

With all the different US coin catalogues out there, if only it was that simple.

coinlieutenant

I value my collection on spreadsheet simply by what I paid.

derryb

<< <i>I value my collection on spreadsheet simply by what I paid. >>


This.

TopographicOceans

I track my collection value two ways:

The price I paid plus upgrade expenses (i.e. PCGS fees) but I track S/H and taxes as expense per coinPCGS Price guide, then I have a multiplier I can set (usually 70%) to assign a guestimate to the value

The true value probably lies somewhere in between.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>

<< <i>I value my collection on spreadsheet simply by what I paid. >>


This. >>



The PCGS my inventory gives a price guide value and let's you keep track of what you paid; plus you can add pics and other notes too. No reason tho that one can't use both.

DRUNNER

Interesting to see Roadrunner's views. I have learned through time that is a nice 'rough' way to value most coins (albeit proof sets, loose Dansco stuff -- well, do the best you can).

Take the PCGS Price Guide and x .65 and you really get a great idea of liquidity. MOST things, MOST of the time. Sure, you Barber BigHitters with esoteric 04-S halves in VF37.5 (CrustState III(c) medium gray camcirc) and Colonial collectors looking for diestate 6B (VII.2) mousecud (early, baby mouse), it won't work so well. But for the generic schock guy like me . . . it gives a good idea.

Drunner

crazyhounddog

Auction results.

ricko

I never worry about it or even try....Cheers, RickO

metalmeister

I don't bother because it changes all the time. However I do know what I paid for it.

Steve

All my holdered PCGS Lincoln cents I value at 75% of the PCGS (retail) price guide. This represents over 95% of all my collection's value. I have no other slabbed coins. I add another $2k to $3k for my non holdered Lincolns, all of which I consider as uncirculated. Steve

roadrunner

<< <i>.....Take the PCGS Price Guide and x .65 and you really get a great idea of liquidity. MOST things, MOST of the time. Sure, you Barber BigHitters with esoteric 04-S halves in VF37.5 (CrustState III(c) medium gray camcirc) and Colonial collectors looking for diestate 6B (VII.2) mousecud (early, baby mouse), it won't work so well. But for the generic schlock guy like me . . . it gives a good idea. Drunner >>



Drunner, that's probably the best (and funniest) summary I've ever heard of how to work the price guide. That should be copyrighted and placed as a footnote to all price guides.

BryceM

<< <i>... Colonial collectors looking for diestate 6B (VII.2) mousecud (early, baby mouse) >>



Fascinating! Where might one acquire this mousecud (early, baby mouse) coin of which you speak?????

LOL!

Bankerbob56

<< <i>I just go by what I paid. >>



I used to think this was a fairly good indication. I would think my collection would be worth +/- 80 percent of what I paid, but with current prices it appears that I may need to adjust my estimate to +/-60 percent! That's why I pose the question. Just curious.