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Hi all! When type collecting, what's your opinion on going for better-dates vs common ones?

Hi everyone! Long time no see. Hope you are all doing well! So I go to F.U.N. when it is my hometown of Orlando and I usually go just to browse and learn. (I have two kids now and don't have the funds or time to devote much to the hobby these days.) I might pick up one or two coins, but I'm not working on anything too specific at the moment. I'm a type guy and I have a TON of unfilled holes lol.

I enjoy rarity over condition and I like to take the show as an opportunity to look at series or coins I may be interested in the future but I also hear people say "Don't' overpay for better-date type because you won't recoup it later."

I know, I know: "Buy what you like and don't worry about it."

I get it. But in your experience, does having better-date type help when going to sell, or are you better off buying high-condition, high-pop coins for type?

Comments

  • SoldiSoldi Posts: 2,016 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 10, 2019 8:51PM

    I made more money with better date type in EF 45 To AU 58 in the last run up around 2005? (I think) I also had a ten piece Carson City type set in this grade range, Next, all of my Bust and Flowing hair dollars never exceeded EF 45 most VF 20 to 30. All of my coins PCGS preferred and if not a Crossover to PCGS. I had a Chain cent in fine 12 and I paid a price of $9000 and you can touch it for twice that and a half. The other coin that sticks out in my mind was an AU58 1878 cc Trade dollar which I paid a gastly sum of $6000 for and you can't touch it today for $18,000 (edited).

    My prices paid where high in the years 1995 to 2002, even my 1921 SLQs were sought after by the selling dealer.(edited)

    I personally lost money trying to buy high grade coins that were relatively rare 1879-O Morgan in 65 pre gradeflation etc. I couldn't afford to play in that field

  • OriginalDanOriginalDan Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Soldi said:
    The other coin that sticks out in my mind was an AU58 1878 cc Trade dollar which I paid a gastly sum of $6000 for and you can't touch it today for $20,000.

    That seems off. $6k is a great price for an AU58 78-CC T$ but today they aren’t at $20k, more like $10-12k I think.

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,427 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You can’t go wrong buying better grade, more attractive coins for a type set. Buying better dates weighs you down, especially if you are on a budget. Of course that often is Choice Mint State or Proof coins for the more common types. For the rarer types, attractive circulated coins are okay too.

    If you go for the complete type set, there will be plenty of key, scarce and expensive coins for you to get, especially you go beyond the Dansco album holes for the 1790s and early 1800s types. A type set does not contain only common “dreck.” There are plenty of tough coins in it if you are looking for quality.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • SoldiSoldi Posts: 2,016 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just thought of something look for coins that aren't really all that expensive like say a Barber Half or two. A date that can be reasonably found, but has good collector appeal because they don't come well struck, find one well struck, buy in a mid grade. Try finding an_** original pleasing **_1838-o no star dime, again in a reasonable price to the grade. So many cool coins out there that get overlooked i.e. too small, not today's popular coin etc. No matter what the grade get that eye appeal.

    Tom Bush has a great Barber Half article that he wrote.

  • TheLiberatorTheLiberator Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭

    Awesome. Thanks guys!

  • savitalesavitale Posts: 1,406 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It seems that in general expensive, attractive coins are easy to resell for good prices. Inexpensive, unattractive coins are very hard to sell at decent prices. I don't think key date vs common date is a terribly important factor at this time.

    What I struggle with in my type set is the price disparity. My beautiful uncirculated Mercury dime is worth about $3 but the 1796 quarter hole is going to set me back about $30,000.

  • TheLiberatorTheLiberator Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭

    @Smudge said:
    Coins with eye appeal should be your goal. They get attention and while that may not fetch more money, the coins will be easier to sell.

    And honestly? That's how I've always approached it. I used to use Mark Feld a lot when he sold coins as well. He knew what I liked and would offer me up some nice pieces every now and then. I wish he was still dealing!

  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I like there to be a little something Special about each of my type coins, whether it be extra eye appeal, better date, die clash, break, doubling, repunched, or other distinctive feature,

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • HoledandCreativeHoledandCreative Posts: 2,729 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Rarer the better, higher grade is frosting.

  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Also ancestors" birth years, double points if a better date or Redbook variety.

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • CoinPhysicistCoinPhysicist Posts: 597 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 11, 2019 9:15AM

    I like to choose better dates in lower grades. For example, my barber half hole is filled with a vg8 1914 that I think has nice eye appeal. I much prefer that coin to a lesser date better grade version. I think it has character.

    Edit: I'm also only using Philadelphia coins.

    Successful transactions with: wondercoin, Tetromibi, PerryHall, PlatinumDuck, JohnMaben/Pegasus Coin & Jewelry, CoinFlip, and coinlieutenant.

  • ChrisH821ChrisH821 Posts: 6,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To me, a type set should show as much detail and eye appeal as possible for each issue. Common but very nice examples are the way to go unless you are trying to put together an unusual type set like varieties or key dates.

    Collector, occasional seller

  • tommy44tommy44 Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I like filling holes so if I were starting a type set today I would go for the common date in the best condition I could afford in the beginning but that's just me. Although it should be part of the long term strategy future value and resale wouldn't be the first thing on my mind when buying a coin. If it's an attractive coin for its type and it is priced right when you buy it,even if a common date, when the time comes to sell I think it would sell before a unattractive or lower grade coin.

    it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide

  • ashelandasheland Posts: 22,612 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Eye appeal and original surfaces for me, if it's rare all the better...

  • PhilLynottPhilLynott Posts: 880 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My personal view is the better dates aren't actually very rare most of the time and I'd much rather spend a similar amount of money on a better condition/eye appeal example of a more common date.

    But you said right in your post you prefer rarity over condition so you answered your own question. Type sets are all about doing things your own way.

  • WCCWCC Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don't believe it is "either" or "or" but maybe some of both. It is coin and series specific.

    I wouldn't spend any money on the common key date coins in the most widely collected series. These coins are common and not remotely scarce (much less rare), are among the most overpriced coins even within US coinage and depending upon the holding period, are likely to lose noticeable value from a shrinking or stagnant collector base. Examples of these coins include 1877 IHC, 1916-D dime and 09-S VDB cent. I expect the lower grades to perform worse than middle or upper circulated/Low MS but expect all to lose value.

    I wouldn't pay any noticeable premiums for common generic gold in better grades or where the price spread to a slightly lower one is "high" either. An example would be any better grade 1904 double eagle profiled in another active thread. It is a very common coin where most of the supply is almost certainly owned by non-collectors as a speculation. Like many common world gold, it should be priced as a bullion coin or with a nominal premium regardless of the grade but US collectors don't think of it as such - yet.

    For any others, it just depends. If the price difference wasn't too great and I could afford it, I'd probably prefer a semi-key date in liberty seated coinage as a nice AU versus a common date in "gem".

  • dogwooddogwood Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭

    I’m a Barber fan. When I see folks do a 16d Quarter in 64, that’s fine and fills the hole, but it kinda feels like a wasted opportunity. For that $400 they might have gotten an 11s or 99o in 58, for example. Maybe.

    Or with a lot of searching, if one is patient, an 05o or 03s in 53. Very scarce coins.
    Just examples of taking the time to research a given series for different opportunities.

    We're all born MS70. I'm about a Fine 15 right now.
  • chesterbchesterb Posts: 961 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Baley said:
    I like there to be a little something Special about each of my type coins, whether it be extra eye appeal, better date, die clash, break, doubling, repunched, or other distinctive feature,

    This is how I approach it also. I also prefer better dates in my set over common dates. For example, I will want a nice 1876 20¢ over an 1875-S even if it is a lower grade.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 11, 2019 10:01PM

    @TheLiberator said:
    I enjoy rarity over condition and I like to take the show as an opportunity to look at series or coins I may be interested in the future but I also hear people say "Don't' overpay for better-date type because you won't recoup it later."

    Virtually all "better dates" are not actually rare. Many are available in quantity at any time. The prices are propped up by high asking prices and not supported by true auctions. On the Sheldon rarity scale, rare is "R5" with 75 known pieces on the high side.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 31,613 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Zoins said:

    @TheLiberator said:
    I enjoy rarity over condition and I like to take the show as an opportunity to look at series or coins I may be interested in the future but I also hear people say "Don't' overpay for better-date type because you won't recoup it later."

    Virtually all "better dates" are not actually rare. Many are available in quantity at any time. The prices are propped up by high asking prices and not supported by true auctions. On the Sheldon rarity scale, rare is "R5" with 75 known pieces on the high side.

    This!

    And who needs a 16-D dime or S-VDB cent unless they are date/mintmark collecting? There is no demand for such coins if everyone simply collected by type. So as fewer people collect by date/mintmark, "better date" has no meaning.

  • DIMEMANDIMEMAN Posts: 22,403 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I disagree, with those saying common resells better than key date. I have always found that key or even semi-key dates are easier to resell. And they go up in value much faster than common dates. JMHO :)

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 12, 2019 6:48AM

    @DIMEMAN said:
    I disagree, with those saying common resells better than key date. I have always found that key or even semi-key dates are easier to resell. And they go up in value much faster than common dates. JMHO :)

    Are you comparing to a common date condition rarity in the same price range?

  • ReadyFireAimReadyFireAim Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think a type collection, almost by definition, should have the highest grade common of each type of coin.
    You can't very well appreciate a type if you buy a rare one that has lost a lot of its detail.

    For us regular set collectors, we have a mix if high & low grade coins depending on rarity.

  • Mdcoincollector2003Mdcoincollector2003 Posts: 665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 12, 2019 7:15AM

    Try and get a coin with every mintmark for example if you don’t do gold you would need at least one P,D,S,O,W,CC,No mintmark for Philadelphia. Here’s some examples:
    P-2017 p penny for shield reverse
    D- 1912 d liberty nickel
    S- 1876 s seated liberty quarter
    O- 1861 o half dollar
    W- 2018 W silver eagle
    CC-1878 cc morgan dollar
    No mintmark Philadelphia - 1837 capped bust half dollar
    But if you are also doing gold you would also want a Charlotte and Dahlonega.

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