I have about 8 of them, but would never consider building a set.
There are too many and I only like a small number of the designs.
I agree with you. I have a short attention span, and I like the earlier designs. So, I call my set the "Pre-Dirty Thirties" set and stop at the Hawaiian.
==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
Successful, problem free and pleasant transactions with: illini420, coinguy1, weather11am,wayneherndon,wondercoin,Topdollarpaid,Julian, bishdigg,seateddime, peicesofme,ajia,CoinRaritiesOnline,savoyspecial,Boom, TorinoCobra71, ModernCoinMart, WTCG, slinc, Patches, Gerard, pocketpiececommems, BigJohnD, RickMilauskas, mirabella, Smittys, LeeG, TomB, DeusExMachina, tydye
I don't think prices can go much lower. The market is flooded with over-dipped, problem and overgraded coins and these are selling for very low prices.
Most collectors with choice pieces are not willing to sell them at these depressed prices.
A knowledgeable and patient buyer should take advantage of this down market by searching out high-quality coins in the sea of current offerings.
I have about 8 of them, but would never consider building a set.
There are too many and I only like a small number of the designs.
I agree with you. I have a short attention span, and I like the earlier designs. So, I call my set the "Pre-Dirty Thirties" set and stop at the Hawaiian.
And I agree with you. I'll end up with 50 pieces but they will be of designs of my choosing. It will cover all the early dates, both Pilgrim dates a complete run of Oregons. the Cival War related issues and a few later dates of coin designs I love. Texas, San Diego etc
There are too many designs I don't like and I can't see putting together a set just for the sake of making it a set of a high registry ranking.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Gradeflation is the number one cause of the doldrums in the classic commem market.
The two white commems above, the Stone Mountain and the Oregon, are well-graded as MS 65s, and I can appreciate them as such. The problem is that the TPGs have been putting coins like that in 66 and even 67 holders for several years. A coin like that is nice in a 65 holder, but dreck in a 67 holder. I initially thought that CAC would help hold the line on these, but my >80% sticker rate when I used to submit these told me that even CAC wasn't all that tough on the silver commems.
I own the only Washington-Carver graded MS 67 in a rattler holder (12/1989 PCGS population report in 67: 1). In their first 3.5 years in business, PCGS only saw fit to put 1 Washington-Carver half, of any date and mintmark, in a 67 holder. Now the population report shows 74 Washington-Carvers in 67, and there's even a 68. Sure, several should have come out of the woodwork in the last 25 years. But to go from population 1 all the way to 74? Were the other 73 really just waiting in the wings in 1989, as full-quality MS 67s? It really dilutes the values for people who hold onto these coins. I have numerous commems in rattlers that look great in 67 holders. However, I suspect several would make it into 68 holders these days.
I submitted my Monroe MS 66 CAC rattler to PCGS for grade review last year, and it came back in a 67 holder. Part of me was happy, but part of me just sighed, as this is a perfect example of where the commem market is going. Ever higher grades. And the kicker was, in spite of what the price guides say, it really didn't increase the value of the coin very much.
For the longest time, there was only 1 classic commem in PCGS MS 69, a Norfolk. Now I see in the last couple of years the number has increased to 7 MS 69s (and over 800 68s!). Where does it end?
I used to have a complete set of 144 commems (141 of them in rattler holders), plus the two Norse medals. I sold over 100 of them off last year, and now just have the 30-40 that I really like and are special enough to hold their value. I actually feel better not sitting on the other coins that were always depreciating in value.
The only way to survive in a series experiencing this type of gradeflation is to have your set regraded every few years. The only ones who make any money on that are the TPGs. Where's the collecting fun in that?
My problem with these is that many of them don't commemorate people or events that enough collectors are interested in. At today's prices there are probably some nice deals but proceed with caution. Just my .02.
MD said They are not for the faint of heart or investor.
Boosibri said I cannot see the desire to park capital
thes are great coins for a "collector" in the current market, there are many to choose from so if you're patient and know what you want it is a great time to buy. I can't see any kind of downside on buying coins like BG's Vancouver: it's a pleasing design in a nice collector grade with attractive tone, I can't see having any difficulty in selling that, but why would you want to??!!??
MD said They are not for the faint of heart or investor.
Boosibri said I cannot see the desire to park capital
thes are great coins for a "collector" in the current market, there are many to choose from so if you're patient and know what you want it is a great time to buy. I can't see any kind of downside on buying coins like BG's Vancouver: it's a pleasing design in a nice collector grade with attractive tone, I can't see having any difficulty in selling that, but why would you want to??!!??
Thank you.
What I said was in the context of buying common coins in common grades. What I should have also added is with common eye appeal as well.
The downside is the opportunity cost of parking capital into coins in low MS grades and the fact that the spreads will be quite large.
Hopefully they will stay low until i complete my set. I just completed the Booker T. Washington set the other day. I do not accumulate coins very fast anymore. It may take me a few years to get all 144. I have All the Booker T. Washington's and Washington Carver halves now, but now much else. I need 98 more. While the prices may seem lower, availability at the lower prices can be deceiving.
I do not collect coins for investment. I collect them because I like to. Profit or loss potential makes no difference. But I do need to buy them at as low as possible cost to be able to afford them.
I just sold a former Pop 1/0 Classic Commem with lovely color for a customer for about 50 cents on the dollar. The problem is that the coin has moved up to pop 7 (last time I looked) and now typically trades at about 25 cents on the dollar of the original price my customer paid when it was pop 1. I got double the current going rate for my customer for the lovely color. So, he only lost half his money on this one. "It pays to buy nice color"(?)
As always, just my two cents.
Wondercoin.
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
I think that eBay's practice of throwing classic commems with modern commems wears people searching for the classics out to the point of passing the commems by.
Jim
One click gets there just like one click gets rid of all that NGC junk.
Comments
There are too many and I only like a small number of the designs.
I have about 8 of them, but would never consider building a set.
There are too many and I only like a small number of the designs.
I agree with you. I have a short attention span, and I like the earlier designs. So, I call my set the "Pre-Dirty Thirties" set and stop at the Hawaiian.
==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
Successful, problem free and pleasant transactions with: illini420, coinguy1, weather11am,wayneherndon,wondercoin,Topdollarpaid,Julian, bishdigg,seateddime, peicesofme,ajia,CoinRaritiesOnline,savoyspecial,Boom, TorinoCobra71, ModernCoinMart, WTCG, slinc, Patches, Gerard, pocketpiececommems, BigJohnD, RickMilauskas, mirabella, Smittys, LeeG, TomB, DeusExMachina, tydye
Most collectors with choice pieces are not willing to sell them at these depressed prices.
A knowledgeable and patient buyer should take advantage of this down market by searching out high-quality coins in the sea of current offerings.
Commems and Early Type
I have about 8 of them, but would never consider building a set.
There are too many and I only like a small number of the designs.
I agree with you. I have a short attention span, and I like the earlier designs. So, I call my set the "Pre-Dirty Thirties" set and stop at the Hawaiian.
And I agree with you. I'll end up with 50 pieces but they will be of designs of my choosing. It will cover all the early dates, both Pilgrim dates a complete run of Oregons. the Cival War related issues and a few later dates of coin designs I love. Texas, San Diego etc
There are too many designs I don't like and I can't see putting together a set just for the sake of making it a set of a high registry ranking.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
The two white commems above, the Stone Mountain and the Oregon, are well-graded as MS 65s, and I can appreciate them as such. The problem is that the TPGs have been putting coins like that in 66 and even 67 holders for several years. A coin like that is nice in a 65 holder, but dreck in a 67 holder. I initially thought that CAC would help hold the line on these, but my >80% sticker rate when I used to submit these told me that even CAC wasn't all that tough on the silver commems.
I own the only Washington-Carver graded MS 67 in a rattler holder (12/1989 PCGS population report in 67: 1). In their first 3.5 years in business, PCGS only saw fit to put 1 Washington-Carver half, of any date and mintmark, in a 67 holder. Now the population report shows 74 Washington-Carvers in 67, and there's even a 68. Sure, several should have come out of the woodwork in the last 25 years. But to go from population 1 all the way to 74? Were the other 73 really just waiting in the wings in 1989, as full-quality MS 67s? It really dilutes the values for people who hold onto these coins. I have numerous commems in rattlers that look great in 67 holders. However, I suspect several would make it into 68 holders these days.
I submitted my Monroe MS 66 CAC rattler to PCGS for grade review last year, and it came back in a 67 holder. Part of me was happy, but part of me just sighed, as this is a perfect example of where the commem market is going. Ever higher grades. And the kicker was, in spite of what the price guides say, it really didn't increase the value of the coin very much.
For the longest time, there was only 1 classic commem in PCGS MS 69, a Norfolk. Now I see in the last couple of years the number has increased to 7 MS 69s (and over 800 68s!). Where does it end?
I used to have a complete set of 144 commems (141 of them in rattler holders), plus the two Norse medals. I sold over 100 of them off last year, and now just have the 30-40 that I really like and are special enough to hold their value. I actually feel better not sitting on the other coins that were always depreciating in value.
The only way to survive in a series experiencing this type of gradeflation is to have your set regraded every few years. The only ones who make any money on that are the TPGs. Where's the collecting fun in that?
MD said They are not for the faint of heart or investor.
Boosibri said I cannot see the desire to park capital
thes are great coins for a "collector" in the current market, there are many to choose from so if you're patient and know what you want it is a great time to buy. I can't see any kind of downside on buying coins like BG's Vancouver: it's a pleasing design in a nice collector grade with attractive tone, I can't see having any difficulty in selling that, but why would you want to??!!??
Thank you.
MD said They are not for the faint of heart or investor.
Boosibri said I cannot see the desire to park capital
thes are great coins for a "collector" in the current market, there are many to choose from so if you're patient and know what you want it is a great time to buy. I can't see any kind of downside on buying coins like BG's Vancouver: it's a pleasing design in a nice collector grade with attractive tone, I can't see having any difficulty in selling that, but why would you want to??!!??
Thank you.
What I said was in the context of buying common coins in common grades. What I should have also added is with common eye appeal as well.
The downside is the opportunity cost of parking capital into coins in low MS grades and the fact that the spreads will be quite large.
Latin American Collection
I do not collect coins for investment. I collect them because I like to. Profit or loss potential makes no difference. But I do need to buy them at as low as possible cost to be able to afford them.
Bob
As always, just my two cents.
Wondercoin.
I think that eBay's practice of throwing classic commems with modern commems wears people searching for the classics out to the point of passing the commems by.
Jim
One click gets there just like one click gets rid of all that NGC junk.