Selling Toned Coins, Advice?
Sean1990
Posts: 64 ✭✭✭
I've been on the fence with selling this gorgeous 1861 AU50 CAC 50c for a while now. I haven't found many that compare with the appeal of this Civil War date. Obviously this coin will fetch more than price guide but I'm not sure on the right venue to sell it. Any advice is very welcome!
Best Answer
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Bochiman
Posts: 25,556 ✭✭✭✭✭
It's a fair question.
If I can, I will rephrase your query slightly....."When a coin isn't 'common' looking, how do you find the right venue where you can maximize that sale price?"
I have this dilemma for a few coins as well. I haven't attempted to sell them, but I have thought about it a little. So....Do you put a set price on it? If so, HOW do you price it (not as easy for collectors as it is for dealers who do this much more and potentially see many more examples, customers, and go to more shows).
Do you price it extra high, and be willing to negotiate? May turn away some potential buyers if priced too high, and you may not get the interest that you would want.
Do you price it too low and it sells right away and you left a lot on the table?
Do you sell it on the BST (no real fees) here, but, again, that goes back to the pricing.
Do you find an "expert" dealer in the material you are selling and sell to them? They will want to minimize the price, so they can make more on the resell, like practically all dealers, but they may be able to pay a bit more than the average dealer, as they may have a customer already set for it (so, no real holding time with the item...just a quick flip).
Do you use an auction site? Who handles the type of material you are selling the best? Where will you get the most willing eyeballs? What about the cost to use that auction site (ie....buyer's premium, seller's premium, extraneous fees (shipping/handling))? Do YOU want to handle it or let someone else (and, you do pay for that) in case of questions/concerns/returns/etc? Great Collections? Ebay? Heritage? Other sites?
There may be other questions as well...those are just the ones at the top of my head.
I don't have a great answer for you. What you show is a great looking coin and one that, for the right customer, should go well over the price guide. Gotta find that buyer(s) though. If you have a price in mind, then the BST would be my first choice.....get some feelers out there with it, possibly sell it, and, if you set a price you are happy with, and someone else is happy as well, then it is a win-win, right?
If you still aren't sure.....over price it on ebay with a "Make Offer"....set it for at least a month. Highlight the auction.
Or, roll the dice. Call Ian at Great Collections. Tell him what you have, send him a link to the truview, and see where he thinks it would sell on GC...if you like that, work with him and let it auction. Put in a minimum for it so it won't sell below that, and you may be happy with the results.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
9
Answers
I’d always try the BST here first. If it doesn’t sell in a week, possibly pass it on to Great Collections.
Always buying nice toned coins! Searching for a low grade 1873 Arrows DDO Dime and 1842-O Small Date Quarter.
That coin looks much better than AU50 by wear and has excellent strike and eye-appeal. Price it accordingly and see if anyone on the BST bites.
Very nice, best of luck to which avenue you decide to sell it through !!!
@Bochiman covered the bases very well....Let us know what you decide... and the results. Cheers, RickO
What a beutiful coin, and the era speaks for itsself. The history and rarities that involve these coins makes them hands down cannot be matched by others with out the toning. You came to the right place for knowledge the best are here. Keep picking the brains here because these people on here will point you in the right direction they are the knowledge that keep us going in search of that next beautiful collectoin piece. When I get back home next month I will list some of my collection I myself have several of these toned beautiful pieces from that time era they truly are a gem and no two coins are a like like a finger print. Grand pappy use to say rule of thumb START HIGH SELL HIGH YOU CAN'T COME UP BUT YOU CAN COME DOWN EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT GO WITH YOUR GUT AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW YOU ARE IN THE BEST PLACE FOR KNOWLEDGE GOOD LUCK WISHING YOU THE BEST. ITS A BEAUTY
1) Start a thread on the US Coin Forum about how to sell a specific coin.
2) Show a quality image of the coin and talk it up.
3) Allow someone who reads the thread to send you a PM and sell it.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
It's probably worth 60 money or so. Sometimes these images look different in hand.
@TomB I was actually thinking about it! 😉
Always buying nice toned coins! Searching for a low grade 1873 Arrows DDO Dime and 1842-O Small Date Quarter.
It is just marketing. Having recently sold coins to a dealer I am well aware of why collectors are trying to avoid having to sell to them. Buy-sell margins are widening for lower value coins, even nice ones, as the number of collectors slowly declines. Dealers don't want to be buried in this stuff. I actually don't blame the dealers for their low offers. They are just being realistic businessmen or businesswomen. The coin involved here is very nice looking but it is still a common date of a common type in a series that few collect by date and mintmark.
I was at the Michigan State Coin Show yesterday and wandered about looking at case after case of nice but ordinary US coins. Many were raw and many were slabbed, mostly by PCGS or NGC. Very few had "stickers". Most US coins are common. There is just no reason to get very excited about common date, common type material.
If you want more money for it, consider selling it at auction because you can have people compete for it.
GC may be a good venue for this.
If you want to go with eBay, GreatToning has a following but I think he mostly deals in more modern coins.
For your coin, I think the TrueView is nice but it may also be useful to have additional photos, similar to what Dick at GreatToning does for his toners.
I would list it on eBay bin / mo. Take a look what other sellers are selling like material for to get pricing consensus. Pushing aside seller hype - Pricing Toners can be very subjective it comes down to is there buyer out there....who is 4real and will pay that.
That's a beautiful coin.
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That's one premium half dollar, and it should demand strong money. Looks better than 50, IMO.
I'd troll it on eBay with a premium Buy-It-Now price. I love Great Collections as well, but you need MAX eye balls on this one, so I'd lean toward eBay at this point. Wonderful coin!
Good luck, Dave
For a coin like this, I like a venue where you’ll get lots of eyeballs and good competition. BST is a nice way to retail it. You absolutely, positively need stellar photos of a coin like this to get what it’s worth. For that reason, I don’t prefer GC. They’re a fabulous auction company in every other respect, but their photos of coins like this are just OK.
If you have a pile of coins like this to sell, consider Legend or a concierge consignment with a specialty dealer.