What do you think are the best coin values for the money?
ricona
Posts: 39 ✭✭
I realize that many, if not most, of the people that frequent this board collect coins primarily for the love of the coins instead of the potential profit. Even though I have read over and over not to collect for the potential profit(I think I understand the reasons why), I am curious about what would you buy if the motive is to buy a cool coin that has a decent chance of appreciation in let's say the next 10 years? The limit is $100.00; $500.00; and $1,000.00. What single coin would you buy in those three price ranges?
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Hoard the keys.
Many people will not give specific dates or mint marks for a thread like this, or they might answer less than honestly, because they are looking for certain rare/undervalued coins themselves. Can't play your cards face up, right?
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
As far as the question at hand, heck if I know. I think rhedden gives some good advice, though like he says if there is a falling market you may loose money regardless of your choices.
Latin American Collection
PCGS price guide in VF30 is $90. Pop of 5 in VF30 with a total pop of issue in all grades 145.
I can't think of any $100 bargains in the Barber Half series anymore.
I'd go with low grade Morgan's for silver and quarter and half eagles for gold.
Give me the C graded ms common coins cause most dealers are not going to step up for the A & B coins. Paying a premium for nice common graded coins is only a benefit for the dealer. He buys them all at back of bid and then puts his salesmans hat on.
10 years hold time does you no good if you over pay up front.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
In any case, if you want to make money you must think and buy like a dealer. If you pay full retail ...
<< <i>I would buy all the low price widgets that you can find. Laura at Legend coins claims drecky widgets sell for roughly 10 to 20 cents on the dollars. A correctly graded common morgan dollar in 64 with a green bean would be the type of coin I would stay away from.
Give me the C graded ms common coins cause most dealers are not going to step up for the A & B coins. Paying a premium for nice common graded coins is only a benefit for the dealer. He buys them all at back of bid and then puts his salesmans hat on.
10 years hold time does you no good if you over pay up front. >>
Really nice items always have a buyer and tend to appreciate at a faster pace than widgets. Demand will fall for "C" coins at a faster rate the "A" coins in a down market and will rise at a slower pace than "A" coins in an up market.
Personally, the coins I overpaid for due to quality have all paid out exceptionally well for me only a few years later. None of them happened to be common coins however.
Latin American Collection
Grades , stickers , holders ....... If the coin has no eye appeal will always be hard to sell. Can't tell you how many coins I see that should of not been stickered .
Here's what I mean , let's pick a series, say Morgan dollars, go for the proof like ones as they will always have buyers for them.
Looking back at the past 20 years, I have been wrong a number of times. While I bought nice circ. large cents and Bust halves from 2000-2002, and I thought I did well by 2007, the real winner was my retired friend who bought a dumptruck full of 40% silver Kennedies in 2003 and got overcharged by 20% by the dishonest jerk who pushed them off on him. After silver bullion went crazy, his % gain was still higher than mine. Go figure.
Then there are the common, overpriced coins that everyone loves. GSA Morgans and 1909-S VDB Lincolns, for example. These things are so popular that they sometimes make nice gains, despite our warnings on this board that they are not rare at all. Would not surprise be if "popular" coins keep on chugging while the truly rare, classy material we prefer doesn't keep up. Sometimes sleepers stay asleep.
291fifth has made a good point about buying at retail. Throw your money around chasing shiny stickers and fully priced trophy coins, and you'll be lucky to break even in 10 years. I bought a gorgeous proof Barber half and a similarly awesome proof Seated half at retail last fall because they were beautifully toned. Thought I was OK with them until I bought about 10 more similar gorgeous toners at 40-50% discounts in the last few auctions. Now I know I'm buried in the first two. My best financial gainers over the years have been rare varieties that I cherrypicked and undergraded coins that I picked up too cheap. Buy them cheap and flip them fast if you just want to make money.
<< <i>20 posts in almost 12 years. Very patient.
As far as the question at hand, heck if I know. I think rhedden gives some good advice, though like he says if there is a falling market you may loose money regardless of your choices. >>
He probably just watches, like me. This is an interesting board; focus is kept on coins.
I'm sure many of us (I have) left board when posters become too opinionated and mean.
Our hosts stepped in a few years ago when this board started getting ugly, thank God.
<< <i>Interesting question !!!
Cuts straight to the quick.
Rather than splitting my $1600 across 3 coins (and perhaps making compromises that will jeopardize quality/value), I'd rather consolidate that cash toward a truly special coin that had a strong attraction to me (and hopefully others by extension). Yes, one could argue that spreading the dollars will reduce risk like a diversified stock portfolio, however at this price point I believe that to be an unpersuasive argument. Additionally, if the return is unrealized, at least that one super attractive coin will bring me joy along the way.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
History, possibility of international interest, cool, and not at every show and flea market.
AND..... I ain't got none.
It's not uncommon for some to jump 5 times in value in under a decade.
Edited to add:
Not key dates you can buy any day surfing the web...
Stuff that's on everyone's want list and they hunt for quite a while just to find one.
Well, two words.
HOT LIPS
<< <i>Even though I have just ordered a coin cuz I got smitten with its looks, I really think that ....ANCIENTS.... slabbed.... are the "best buy."
History, possibility of international interest, cool, and not at every show and flea market.
AND..... I ain't got none.
Ancients, which I have collected actively several times, have great appeal but also have some serious weaknesses.
1. Are they authentic? When I last collected ancients, circa 2005, I had a coin that was authenticated and graded by ICG. I took the coin to an ancient dealer to sell and was stunned when he went into a tirade about slabbed ancients and then pronounced my coin to be a fake! I have no idea if it really was a fake.
2. Retail markups on ancients are very high. When I sold my collection in about 2005 the coins I bought on eBay auctions roughly broke even. The coins I bought at retail from established dealers in ancients lost between 50 and 75% versus my cost.
Then I go and order a ...sorta... spensive US coin.
But my looking at it seemed to indicate that the best way to get the ancients would be by auction where Heritage's past results are pretty current and about HALF of the offer prices on eSwamp.
I'm just looking at the future interest and might be wrong.
But I sure rember buying Chinese crowns for cheap cheap CHEAP back when I was getting crowns for diverstity while building my type set.
China coins ain't cheap no mo.
<< <i>Great coins. >>
This!!
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
<< <i>Great coins. >>
This!!
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
things by the new guys like this one
link to one
...That's easy! The ones you found as a kid for face!!
If you buy problem coins this is more than likely true. I bought some problem coins in the 1990s that I could never
brake even on and sold for a loss 10 years later, but I also bought PQ high-end quality coins that I may have overpaid for, but the price run-up
after 2000 made them a good investment.
<< <i>CBHs in grades between vf and au that have yet to be slabbed by PCGS. >>
Oooh, goody. I bought a whole box of these in 2000-2001 when they cost $50-$100 each.
<< <i>I just got interested in the ancients over the past month or so.
Then I go and order a ...sorta... spensive US coin.
But my looking at it seemed to indicate that the best way to get the ancients would be by auction where Heritage's past results are pretty current and about HALF of the offer prices on eSwamp.
I'm just looking at the future interest and might be wrong.
But I sure rember buying Chinese crowns for cheap cheap CHEAP back when I was getting crowns for diverstity while building my type set.
China coins ain't cheap no mo. >>
Did you keep the Chinese crowns?
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
Something like this in the $100 range
something like this in the $1,000 range.
Maybe a large cent, or colonial, or Standing Liberty…. but you get the picture.