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Where are the biggest gaps between Greysheet/CPG values and actual market prices?

P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,813 ✭✭✭✭✭

Seated dollars, especially CAC’d, come to mind first. What else?

Superb collections are built more by omission than by addition.

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    lermishlermish Posts: 5,067 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Their cousins, trade dollars, also especially CACed.

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 9,921 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I sold an 1864 H10c in a PCGS PR63 holder for around 20% over GS. Someone said they would have paid a lot more for it. HA and PCGS coinfacts did not show that it was really worth that much more. I could havce sent it to cac, probably would have stickered, but the $25 plus shipping and wait time did not seem justified.

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    P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,813 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @logger7 said:
    I sold an 1864 H10c in a PCGS PR63 holder for around 20% over GS. Someone said they would have paid a lot more for it. HA and PCGS coinfacts did not show that it was really worth that much more. I could havce sent it to cac, probably would have stickered, but the $25 plus shipping and wait time did not seem justified.

    That's funny you mention that. It was looking at proof seated half dime prices that inspired my post.

    Superb collections are built more by omission than by addition.

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    TomBTomB Posts: 23,232 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I always thought problem-free and attractive, mid-grade Barber quarters and half dollars were disconnected between the two. This held especially true for the better issues, which there are many in both series.

    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

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    Desert MoonDesert Moon Posts: 6,501 ✭✭✭✭✭

    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    My online coin store - https://desertmoonnm.com/
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    P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,813 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Desert Moon said:
    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    All? That's a bold statement. I know you curate your inventory very carefully with premium coins, so I'm not surprised if selling above CPG has been your experience. Which series stand out with the biggest gap between guide and reality?

    Superb collections are built more by omission than by addition.

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    Davidk7Davidk7 Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭✭

    For the coins Alan buys, they always sell for above CPG and above auction records. Guides truly are off, and you have to buy with your gut nowadays for the truly PQ coins.

    Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram

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    Desert MoonDesert Moon Posts: 6,501 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 7, 2026 2:16PM

    @P0CKETCHANGE said:

    @Desert Moon said:
    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    All? That's a bold statement. I know you curate your inventory very carefully with premium coins, so I'm not surprised if selling above CPG has been your experience. Which series stand out with the biggest gap between guide and reality?

    And to support my claim and David's, I haven't been offered a CACed coin below CPG retail for a couple years, unless I am buying a big group, then I can bring the price down to maybe 90%-ish CPG and still way above greysheet............

    In terms of series that stand out the most is early bust of anything, the guides are way off. Possibly the worst previously was seated dollars for CAC examples, these have increased recently but still are low. There is alot of catching up to do.

    Warren Mills of RCNH posted this in his newsletter this week (https://www.rcnh.com/NewsItem.aspx?id=69):

    "However, I am dismayed at the lack of price increases on the Grey Sheet and other pricing periodicals. Go to a coin show, look for original fresh Seated type coins, common to scarce dates but fresh coins. Look at the Grey Sheet, then ask dealers what they are quoting to sell these coins for. Then throw away the pricing sheets. I hardly ever see a knowledgeable dealer that looks at one anymore! If they are CAC coins, forget it. I was quoted up to three times Grey Sheet bid for common date Seated circulated type coins with a CAC sticker. Collectors aren’t aware of what is happening in the market and price sheets are completely dropping the ball. Without credible figures, we could lose a large part of the collector client base. They are not being educated about where most coins are actually trading. This could lead to distrust and abandoning the hobby they love. I hope the Grey Sheet and other price guides start talking with the market markers that are in the trenches. If so, be ready for a tremendous number of plus signs in these guides."

    Yup. Even nice vanilla plain, Barber Quarters in most grades are way low, think 30-50% low when CACed. This is the reality of identifying the best coins for the grade as CAC does, and the guides are way off.

    My online coin store - https://desertmoonnm.com/
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    DisneyFanDisneyFan Posts: 2,973 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Desert Moon said:

    Yup. Even nice vanilla plain, Barber Quarters in most grades are way low, think 30-50% low when CACed. This is the reality of identifying the best coins for the grade as CAC does, and the guides are way off.

    What Barber quarters? It seems like nobody has any for sale these days. : )

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    SimonWSimonW Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Desert Moon said:
    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    So you’re saying all the coins that are better than average are worth more than average?! You nailed it for sure

    I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.

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    BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,976 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Greysheet prices for early copper have been way too low for decades. You can’t buy those coins for reasonable mark-ups over the bid prices. What’s reasonable. I’d say 30% for a thousand dollar + item.

    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 ... ?
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    Desert MoonDesert Moon Posts: 6,501 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SimonW said:

    @Desert Moon said:
    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    So you’re saying all the coins that are better than average are worth more than average?! You nailed it for sure

    True, but it you look at the Greysheet CPG CAC retail prices they list, which are supposed to be for said coins better than average, the prices are still way too low. They have 2 sets of retail prices, non-CAC and CAC. Check it out.

    My online coin store - https://desertmoonnm.com/
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    SimonWSimonW Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 8, 2026 2:59PM

    @Desert Moon said:

    @SimonW said:

    @Desert Moon said:
    All US Coins, CPG retail is no where near reality for problem-free, attractive, US coins with CAC stickers on their slabs.

    So you’re saying all the coins that are better than average are worth more than average?! You nailed it for sure

    True, but it you look at the Greysheet CPG CAC retail prices they list, which are supposed to be for said coins better than average, the prices are still way too low. They have 2 sets of retail prices, non-CAC and CAC. Check it out.

    Sure, that's valid, but to my understanding a CAC sticker pays no regards to eye appeal, just grading accuracy. I have a fairly ugly coin with a grean bean, and it's solid for the grade, just not really all that attractive. A coin can be both CAC approved AND have significant eye appeal, there's no price guide for that...since it's subjective.

    I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.

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    CatbertCatbert Posts: 8,263 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Graded and stickered seated half dollars.

    Seated Half Society member #38

    "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress,
    running like a water color in the rain...."
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    shishshish Posts: 1,225 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Graded & CAC approved Seated and Trade dollars.

    Liberty Seated and Trade Dollar Specialist
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    DesertCoinDesertCoin Posts: 508 ✭✭✭

    Not the biggest or flashiest, but rolls. 2019-W 1c, 2026 1c, etc.

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    semikeycollectorsemikeycollector Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Grey Sheet does not come close for better data Liberty Gold Coins $2 1/2 through $10. Forget about CACs of these dates.

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