Sell as a Lot or as Singles?

bsshog40 · May 21, 2023 9:02AM

If you had a few coins of the same series, say maybe 5-15 coins, do you have better luck selling/auctioning Individually or as a Lot?

MFeld · May 21, 2023 9:08AM

Individually. Many bidders might want just one coin or some of them , but not all. Offering them as a group will eliminate those bidders and net you less money.

PhillyJoe · May 21, 2023 9:23AM

I would sell as a lot with a discount for me making one trip to the post office instead of 15.

lkenefic · May 21, 2023 9:24AM

I think it also depends on the material you have for sale... ie, is it common stuff like low MS raw 1940's Lincoln Wheat Cents or is it a nice date run of XF Capped Bust Quarters. You will definitely maximize profits by selling individually but bear in mind that common stuff is going to sit for a while. In this regard, it's going to come down to how much time do you have to sell.

In my personal experience, I had the low MS Lincolns sit for a while but when I started auctions at 99 cents with no reserve and combined shipping (or free shipping if you can afford to) it greatly impacts the numbers of bidders. Those that STILL didnt sell, were sold as lots with the same parameters.

davewesen · May 21, 2023 9:29AM

depends on values of coins and time/costs in selling

jacrispies · May 21, 2023 9:32AM

Lower priced stuff move in bulk. More expensive stuff sell individually. A handful of BU washingtons can easily be purchased in bulk but 10 draped bust dollars need to be sold individually.

keyman64 · May 21, 2023 9:34AM

99%+ of the time, individually.
What is the other Less than 1% of the time? A very special high grade matched set or set with a special story with reason to keep them together.

MFeld · May 21, 2023 9:47AM

@keyman64 said:
99%+ of the time, individually.
What is the other Less than 1% of the time? A very special high grade matched set or set with a special story with reason to keep them together.

Agreed (edited to add: albeit, perhaps at a full 1% or more of the time). Among the very rare exceptions where I believe it makes sense to sell coins as a group are obviously original Proof sets with matched toning - particularly those from 1915 and earlier, and matched PDS classic commemorative issues.

TimNH · May 21, 2023 9:55AM

Something like a big sack of large cents that are worth maybe $10-15 each, sell as a lot. A single choice coin in a holder that a collector might be specifically looking for, sell individually. Most of my coins were bought in big fun lots, I personally would rather have a big pile of well-worn stuff than a few minty gems.

vplite99 · May 21, 2023 10:14AM

As stated above you will make more money selling your coins individually It just depends how much you value your time.

bsshog40 · May 21, 2023 11:11AM

The two problems I see with selling individually is shipping. First, it's all the individual packages and second, the high cost of usps.

airplanenut · May 21, 2023 11:20AM

It depends on what you have. I recently had this conversation with @MFeld as I decried Heritage combining lots which forced me to buy some things I didn't want (which I now need to resell) so I could get the item I did. Since there aren't good price guides for what I'm interested in, it's tough for me to know what to pay because I can't easily figure out how much I'm paying for the item I want versus the item I don't want. In one recent sale, I bowed out because the price got too high and I didn't know if I was burying myself, but if the item I wanted had been sold on its own, I'd have been much better prepared to pay strong money.

If you have very obviously related items (silver being sold as junk) it can be easy to sell a group. The higher the value each individual item has and the more reasons someone would have to want just one of them, the more you'll lose selling them in a group. If you save elsewhere (paying fewer individual commission minimums if you consign, or postage if you're not charging that separately) then you may come out ahead with a group, but overall I'd opine that when you group items, unless they make a set people want as a set, you'll net more selling individually.

ricko · May 22, 2023 6:15AM

Selling individually should net the most profit, but will also increase the workload. Doing the math would be necessary to allow the decision most appropriate to the individual. I usually prefer profit and disregard the effort. Cheers, RickO

291fifth · May 22, 2023 6:30AM

Consider selling costs including the value of your time.

Sell as a Lot or as Singles?

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