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Anaconda made my day..BIGTIME...remember this 1881 PF63BN PCGS Indian MONSTER?
Hi all.........well, i feel like i just won Lotto, and Adrian was the ticket agent! You might all remember that super looking 1881 PF63BN Indian that Anaconda had listed twice!
First time was when he really wasn't ready to sell it, and it carried a slight "reach" price of $10,000. Just too many smiles Adrian needed to get off the coin before he'd give it up, as you'll recall.
(and this wan't a serious offer to "sell" at that price, mind you!)
The next time it was up was in the auction link below, and i drooled and admired it all over again! But at $4,000 it was "jest" a wee bit out of my "sanity justification pricing meter"......though i did think seriously about re-calibrating my meter just this once! LOL
(edited to add: NOTE....This 2nd listing also included the following on the listing title: "Overpriced Proof Indian Cent 4 your Enjoyment" . The $4,000 asking price might well have remained at $10,000)
Anyway, Adrian read my thread about my less than satisfying experience with the latest Superior auction on the ONE lot i bid on......but which apparently was "bought back to the book". Baa-humbug!
He just PM'd me and offered the coin to me AT HIS COST! Really!!!!
Now, knowing what Adrian sometimes pays for the inventory he provides to us coin addicts..........i was a little worried at first. But by the end of the PM i found out that i'll be paying just a bit below $800 , and will know for sure once he checks his records.
quote (Adrian): "..... i bought that coin from Heritage and several of the guys there (including Jim Halperin, from what i understand) said that that particular coin was the most eye appealing Indian Head Cent they had ever seen...in over 25 years of looking at coins."
I don't think anyone would disagree with that one! Higher technical grade......no doubt. Higher "eye appeal"............not likely but i'll keep an eye out!
Is this great or what? The coin god's have just smiled down on me......and i'm happier than a pig in sheeet!
Adrian has always treated me right.......and has often offered to work with me on just about anything i've been interested in and felt i could handle. I've purchased quite a few coins from the snake this way, and always got a fair shake for the caliber of coin offered.
Now i feel a little guilty..........i got an extra shake or two!
Thanks again, my friend!
Joe T.
1881 PF63BN PCGS Indian MONSTER
First time was when he really wasn't ready to sell it, and it carried a slight "reach" price of $10,000. Just too many smiles Adrian needed to get off the coin before he'd give it up, as you'll recall.
The next time it was up was in the auction link below, and i drooled and admired it all over again! But at $4,000 it was "jest" a wee bit out of my "sanity justification pricing meter"......though i did think seriously about re-calibrating my meter just this once! LOL
(edited to add: NOTE....This 2nd listing also included the following on the listing title: "Overpriced Proof Indian Cent 4 your Enjoyment" . The $4,000 asking price might well have remained at $10,000)
Anyway, Adrian read my thread about my less than satisfying experience with the latest Superior auction on the ONE lot i bid on......but which apparently was "bought back to the book". Baa-humbug!
He just PM'd me and offered the coin to me AT HIS COST! Really!!!!
Now, knowing what Adrian sometimes pays for the inventory he provides to us coin addicts..........i was a little worried at first. But by the end of the PM i found out that i'll be paying just a bit below $800 , and will know for sure once he checks his records.
quote (Adrian): "..... i bought that coin from Heritage and several of the guys there (including Jim Halperin, from what i understand) said that that particular coin was the most eye appealing Indian Head Cent they had ever seen...in over 25 years of looking at coins."
I don't think anyone would disagree with that one! Higher technical grade......no doubt. Higher "eye appeal"............not likely but i'll keep an eye out!
Is this great or what? The coin god's have just smiled down on me......and i'm happier than a pig in sheeet!
Adrian has always treated me right.......and has often offered to work with me on just about anything i've been interested in and felt i could handle. I've purchased quite a few coins from the snake this way, and always got a fair shake for the caliber of coin offered.
Now i feel a little guilty..........i got an extra shake or two!
Thanks again, my friend!
Joe T.
1881 PF63BN PCGS Indian MONSTER
The Ex-"Crown Jewel" of my collection! 1915 PF68 (NGC) Barber Half "Eliasberg".
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!

Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
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At those prices, I'm surprised Barney didn't buy it.
I guess the story about operating on a 10% mark-up was a bit exaggerated
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since 8/1/6
But it does make me wonder about Anacondas pricing if he's selling it for 800 after failing to get at least 4 k.
When i'm in a position tostart buying again, i would love to do soe buisness with Anaconda [for a similar % discount] Les
I have a pretty good memory and i think i remember another later auction where the coin was offered at around a $1,700 buy it now. Not sure as i didn't save it, but it rings a bell with me. Another like it certainly wouldn't be easy to find.......so i wouldn't think that would be out of line to someone like myself who lives off eye appeal........even at the sacrifice of some technical grade points.
<< <i>Wow, and to think that some poor sap could have paid $4,000 or even $10,000 for it. Good thing he's such a kind soul and gave you a great deal. >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
I suspect anyone honest would think not! It would fly out of your inventory never to be seen again! Seller's remorse and not much comfort on the way to the bank!
Come on....admit it! Super coins not easily replaced bring multiples of sheet or any other guage of value when presented to a discerning, knowledgable buyer base. THAT'S how we measure the current value of a special coin.......we market it thru auction. How many EYE BLOWING prices were just seen in the Superior sales for super coins! PLENTY!!!! (remember that 1911 MS68 Barber dime Laura bought for Legend?) There were a lot more!!!!!
While i don't know the cost of many coins to various dealers.......i remember a few i traded to Adrian and which sold for a fair markup. These he actually paid well over sheet for, and were run thru ebay and the market decided their worth. That super PF65 Barber dime i recieved $1,400 in trade allowance was started at $.01, remember......and it didn't make Adrian a lot of dough after all costs of ebay were figured in. $50 or $75 as i recall.......and he could very well have lost a bunch here. Not many dealers will risk a $.01 start/no reserve anymore!
My Anacs PF61 3CS rainbow toned wonder was traded to Adrian at around $300 or so, was offered no reserve also, and brought $400 or so at the end. And again......the "market" decided these coins values.......not a specific markup.
Truthfully......what happens if a collector OR dealer buys a super coin at a huge amount OVER sheet (which this coin obviously was, so the buyer already has a great deal more risk into the coin!), puts it up for auction and it doubles or triples again. Which one of you would NOT take the amount over your "standard" markup and return all but a 10-20% profit?
You've taken the risk and won on this one, but on some you loose your shirt, right? If they don't average out somewhere the dealer won't be around for you to drool over the next monster coin.
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
I doubt ANYONE at the time thought this to be a serious offer to sell at THAT price! Give me a break.....
Maybe in the future Adrian can list a coin he wants to "share" with this group at $1,000,000 so that you all won't take it literally........ seriously,......geeze....
<< <i>jj,
I am very happy for you and the coin is a really sweet piece.
That being said, I am really concerned about the practices of a dealer that would list a coin for $4K in the hopes that a "sucker" would maybe take the bait. Let's face it, if he couldn't sell it for $1,700 on ebay, obviously $4K was WAY out of line. >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
How can anyone talk about anything else (price, heckofadeal, prior prices, snakes, spiders, jewels, etc., etc.) when you can only be awed by a simply stunning coin.
Joe, I on line right behind you in case you are nuts not to keep that beaut!
You bring up a good point about profit margin, so i would ask you, what is a fair profit margin assuming from the begining that 10 % is to low ? 20 % ? 30 %
MORE THEN 30 % ????
Adrian once impied that i'm a sheet thumping 30 plus year newbee for liking grey sheet as a core value guide for properly graded coins, but i never said i wouldn't pay over grey sheet for coins i really like, but that doesn't mean 5 or 10 x grey sheet either and i bet you didn't pay 5 x sheet money for the pretty barber 68 proof in all your posts either
how is a collector to determin value in there coin purchases if they can't say grey sheet plus a certain percentage for a coin depending how eye appealing it is ? now this may not apply to infrequently traded rare coins but i think grey sheet does a better job showing actuall transaction prices then some over inflated retail price guides that only get updated once a year like redbook. Les
Edited to say i know greysheet doesn't go beyond 65 for most coins but it's pretty simple to figure out that the average difference between blue & grey sheet is about 25 % at the 65 level and of course more depending on the appeal of the individual coin
The 1915 PF68 Barber half is impossible to price by the sheets, as you know. Greysheet only goes to 65.......bluesheet to 67. So i mearly looked at the pricing jumps from 64 to 65 in the greysheet, along with the bluesheet pricing data from 65 to 67, and extrapolated what the next jump "might' reasonably be. I can tell you there wasn't a big jump between 67 and 68! Laura at Legend told me she was the buyer at the Eliasberg sale and i believe she paid 11K for the coin RAW, where it was rediculously conservatively graded as only PF64-65! The hammer price obviously didn't support that grade. After being graded at NGC as PF68, which i can't fault as i don't see any hairlines or marks, it traded again a time or two......don't know. But my price was MORE than fair at 16.5K........and it'll take real crazy money to get me thinking about passing it on! Geeze.....it took me a year to pay it off and not a dime of interest! What's that worth?
Profit margins......don't think they can ever be the same across the board, and i touched on my reasoning in an earlier post to this thread. A coin not likely to be replaced with an equal HAS to be higher, otherwise the only fair estimate of it's true value would be offering it at a major coin auction and letting the market decide. To do otherwise shortchanges the current owner. A higher markup on a stunner is therefore justifyable, in my opinion.
Generic or high pop coins..........not nearly as high a margin. But then,......you can always find another fairly soon.
See my point?
<< <i>Take it easy Joe, i have yet to see one of your cooins that i didn't like. But if Adrian did say he operates on around 10 % margins and he was really trying to get 1700 for it on ebay [which i don't know to be true or not] thats over a 110 % markup if he said he was selling it to you at his cost at 800 dollars.
You bring up a good point about profit margin, so i would ask you, what is a fair profit margin assuming from the begining that 10 % is to low ? 20 % ? 30 %
MORE THEN 30 % ????
Adrian once impied that i'm a sheet thumping 30 plus year newbee for liking grey sheet as a core value guide for properly graded coins, but i never said i wouldn't pay over grey sheet for coins i really like, but that doesn't mean 5 or 10 x grey sheet either and i bet you didn't pay 5 x sheet money for the pretty barber 68 proof in all your posts either
how is a collector to determin value in there coin purchases if they can't say grey sheet plus a certain percentage for a coin depending how eye appealing it is ? now this may not apply to infrequently traded rare coins but i think grey sheet does a better job showing actuall transaction prices then some over inflated retail price guides that only get updated once a year like redbook. Les >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
I know i wouldn't!
(sorry oreville, but i'll keep you in mind!
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
Multiples of bid for coins priced in the hundreds due not scare me like coins priced at multiples of bid in the thousands.
Do you think Baseball is going to be mad at me for posting again LOL Les
Really hopes he comes back to enjoy it as a true hobby someday.....
And yes, i kinda thought you would pay those prices on these two coins! They're both bargains in today's market (though the 1915 Barber half was priced and commited to over 2 years ago......before the big surge in prices).
I think ANYONE would jump on that Indian at that price........except maybe Barney right now. But that may change with time.
Let's hope.......
<< <i>Joe, I see what you mean on the pretty proof indian, but your talking about a difference of hundreds of dollars not thousands, look what happened to poor Barney with the 64 graded monster morgan that he paid 3,000 for. Apperantly his min. reserve wasn't recognized and he's going to loose about 2300 dollars on the coin and said he's leaving the hobby because of it. And i would pay 800 for that indian cent, but even if i could, i would not pay 30,000 for your monster barber half, but if i could, wich i can't i would pay 16,5 for it like you did.
Multiples of bid for coins priced in the hundreds due not scare me like coins priced at multiples of bid in the thousands.
Do you think Baseball is going to be mad at me for posting again LOL Les >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Hey guys...."But"....."if"........"around" .....are pretty important words.....
We in the law call those "weasel" words......
Anyone is welcome to go back and try to find exactly what i said regarding my markup......if you can find it....congrats...
What i think i said was something like "if if can make 10% on the coin, i'd consider buying it"....or something like that.
I KNOW I NEVER SAID "MY MARKUP IS 10% ON EVERY COIN ACROSS THE BOARD" OR ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY SIMILAR TO THAT.
(Last night i sold four coins and made money on exactly one of them! I also sell coins very close to my cost ....for my friends and good customers.....)
and with regard to selling at cost as a sign of some animals running from the woods....first of all....that was pretty funny...imagine what a signal it would have been if i just gave Joe the coin!
Let me begin by saying I have purchased from "the snake" in the past, so I talk from the point of a customer, past and maybe in the future.
I congratulate you on a sweet score and it is a very nice looking coin and Adrian made you a sweet deal as you have been a long time customer. However,I think it is in very poor taste to brag about the deal (just the price, not the coin) he gave you and it is a dis-service to him to put your business on the street, as such. Personally, I would like to see his '38 Texas commem reach a realistic price so I could snatch it up and I would like to say if you ever needed to market your 1915 pr Barber and I bought it at your cost; I ask,would that make you feel good about the deal if I put the price on the street? Please don't think I am trying to start a fire, but, I would be embarrased if that happened to me.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
Excellent observation. Maybe it would have been better to PM Joe with my opinion ( as you can tell, I'm fairly new here). My only criticism was posting dollar amounts. Had Joe merely said Adrian offered him the coin at his cost would have been enough info for me. I meant no harm, sorry dave
I might be wrong, but I would guess that Adrian is happy that Joe shared his pleasure about the coin and the price, regardless of what others might think about it.
This thread is another good example of how a can of worms can be opened here, when one would least expect it. This is not a criticism of anyone who has posted to this thread, but merely an observation.
coin in that series.
And just to maybe reinforce your buying price on the 1915 Barber Half, I can offer this; I have been collecting Barber Halves for 7 or 8 years. When I started I bought both NGC and PCGS. So when the Eliasberg 1896 came along in NGC PR 68, I bought it, (about 6 years ago ). Last year I sent it in to NGC and it came back as PR68 Cam. The coin had some light colored toning around the edges mostly. I then sent it to PCGS, but it did not cross, ( small surprise ), so I ended up selling it for $14,950. I know the person who bought it, and he swears he would never part with it.
The 1896, in the PCGS Registry, carries a weight of only one, as most of the Barber Halfs. The 1915 is the only year that carries the highest weight,( Rarity factor ) of three, so I think the price you paid for the Eliasberg 1915 was ' Right on '. Hope I was a little help.
PS>>>> I did not even allow for the extra 'eye appeal' that your coin possesses and makes it worth even more.
ZERBE
I try to read between the lines but am still missing the secret encoded "Dealer vs Collector" twist others seem to have spotted?
It is the chief reason so many dealers wholesale their older merchandise rather than give a collector a deal.
Coins are v-e-r-r-r-r-y touchy. I can't even COUNT the ways one can step in **** while dealing in coins.
I quit this January. Can't believe the effect the absence of stress has had.
Just the dead center one and first person to simply inform all that I am first on a waiting list behind joejeweler for your coin.
Sorry barberlover: You are stuck behind me!!!
I can't help but feel we're going to lose a lot of imput here, from some of the most knowledgable posters, if some continue to slam every nuance of a post.......ESPECIALLY if it's regarding a dealer!
A lot of dealers won't post at all now because of this type of shinkicking, and it would be a travisty were dealers of the caliber of Laura or Adrian someday decide it simply wasn't worth it. Can you imagine never getting our dose of eye-candy on a regular basis?
And yep, Mark,.... i was just sharing my excitement over the very nice gesture Adrian had just made me......nothing more. Sometimes things don't go as planned.......
<< <i>Dave, I was obviously not refering, just to you. I very much appreciate your sincerity and apology, but you certainly don't owe me one.
I might be wrong, but I would guess that Adrian is happy that Joe shared his pleasure about the coin and the price, regardless of what others might think about it.
This thread is another good example of how a can of worms can be opened here, when one would least expect it. This is not a criticism of anyone who has posted to this thread, but merely an observation. >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
Now, you may begin piling the "kudos" on me.
2 Cam-Slams!
1 Russ POTD!
I have read enough of this thread to keep from chiming in on this one. What it comes down to is that many on this board felt a bit of what I felt whenever I heard that Adrian sold the coin to Joe for that price, a bit of jealousy.
Jealousy is that basest of emotion that denies our avarice its fulfillment. When that perceived need is not met, ALL of us, even the saintliest one among us, has an initial tendancy to call "sour grapes" and try to spoil the deal in some shape or form. In this case, an attack on the alleged 10% markup of Adrian in the past.
I'm not trying to attack any of the previous posters here. I like pretty much everyone on the board. I'm just trying to get us all to think about our own human frailities and limit them.
Let's me just call this as all of us should have.
Congratulations Joe, and Adrian! Enjoy the coin that has been put in your care.
Very respectfully,
John
siliconvalleycoins.com
Seriously, "in poor taste" is a bit much comment though it is your opinion and i'll respect it as such although i don't agree with it. If you consider sharing my excitement with everyone the same as "bragging" then maybe therapy would not be such a bad idea!
This forum is first and formost a learning and sharing venue......is it not? I don't see how mentioning the facts.....including the price......are in any way a dis-service to Adrian. In fact, he PM'd me stating it was a "cool" thread! The ONLY dis-service is in having to sort thru all the root-down comments by some who seem to look for any way to slam anything positive. (root-downs are opposite of cheerleaders.......looking for ways to tear someone down!)
BTW.....the 1915 Barber half,....EVEN if sold at "my" cost, wouldn't bother me in the least.....'cause i'd be dead and it would have been sold by my heirs.
Hi John (coinlieutenant).........thanks for your insight. You may be onto something there! I think you "get it" (my reasons for the post).
<< <i>Joe,
Let me begin by saying I have purchased from "the snake" in the past, so I talk from the point of a customer, past and maybe in the future.
I congratulate you on a sweet score and it is a very nice looking coin and Adrian made you a sweet deal as you have been a long time customer. However,I think it is in very poor taste to brag about the deal (just the price, not the coin) he gave you and it is a dis-service to him to put your business on the street, as such. Personally, I would like to see his '38 Texas commem reach a realistic price so I could snatch it up and I would like to say if you ever needed to market your 1915 pr Barber and I bought it at your cost; I ask,would that make you feel good about the deal if I put the price on the street? Please don't think I am trying to start a fire, but, I would be embarrased if that happened to me. >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
Good point also, coinlt
Some thought it was interesting that an $800 coin was being listed at $4,000 and $10,000. that's all I saw.
Pretty coin BTW.
2 Cam-Slams!
1 Russ POTD!
attack!
I only hope that you arent quite serious......
John
siliconvalleycoins.com
Are you a "bust-out" ? (so broke you can't even pay attention?)
Guess you missed the point that the "auctions" for this coin were listed as "Overpriced Indian For Your Enjoyment".......it was not intended to be a serious offer to sell at that price! Get it?........NOT!!
<< <i>i've looked at many of the coins that mr. anaconda is selling on e-bay and, imo, they are all overpriced. only a fool would pay the amount he is asking for any of his coins. the fact that he was trying to sell an $800 coin for $4000 does not surprises me. if it turns out that he only paid $140 for this "$800" coin that would not surprise me either.
attack! >>
Once again resides with Legend, the original purchaser "raw" at live Eliasberg auction. Laura and i "love" the same lady!
$2750 !!!
Sherbet Melange
siliconvalleycoins.com
2 Cam-Slams!
1 Russ POTD!
"i've looked at many of the coins that mr. anaconda is selling on e-bay and, imo, they are all overpriced. only a fool would pay the amount he is asking for any of his coins. "
Bengals....thanks for not ignoring me. At least i won't have to put you in the same category as Russ.
First off, it's just a wee bit too ironic that the icon you have chosen (the proof blue barber quarter) is a coin that i sold to another forum member which i believe he has recently sold for a profit to another forum member. Incidentally, i sold it for way over any sheet you care to use. Pretty funny, eh? I hope you see the humor in that! Jokes on you!
"the fact that he was trying to sell an $800 coin for $4000" -- Bengals, you are not responsible enough to own a computer and have access to the internet. If your mother is reading this thread, she needs to take your keyboard away from you immediately. If you are an adult, shame on you. Go to your room OR start reading a little bit more before you try to stand on anyone's neck.
"if it turns out that he only paid $140 for this "$800" coin that would not surprise me either." Bengals - are you a betting man? Got an spare change? I love to make bets on things that i know and can prove.
Finally, let's all not take ourselves and coins too seriously. They're just coins.
adrian
What is your next mission? Mars from the comfort of your bedroom? Make sure you hide your car keys before you embark on the mission!
People can list coins at whatever price they want, it's their business. I always took his listings of that 1881 as his way of saying it's not for sale unless your passion/common sense ratio was out of sync. One of the businesses I work for has been listed for sale in trade journals for the past 15 years at a ridiculous price, the owner's way of saying he doesn't want to sell but can be persuaded.
First off, it's just a wee bit too ironic that the icon you have chosen (the proof blue barber quarter) is a coin that i sold to another forum member which i believe he has recently sold for a profit to another forum member. Incidentally, i sold it for way over any sheet you care to use. Pretty funny, eh? I hope you see the humor in that! Jokes on you!
<<
adrian, the way I see it, the joke is on the person who owns this coin... i didn't have to pay anything to use this picture!
should i congratulate you for selling this coin for "way over any sheet you care to use"?
btw, i just checked with my mommy, and she said that it is not very nice to brag and insulting others is not very nice either. she also said that the keyboard should be taken away not only from kids but adults too. and, finally, she advised me against betting... so, sorry, i cannot place the bet, but thank you for asking.
<< <i>This thread has become a bit perplexing to me. Both the seller and the buyer appear to be informed AND happy with the transaction and their relationship, yet, each has received some criticism.
Mark I would use the word confused, but I know you don't like that word
If someone pays $2,750 for the most common of Morgans with little spots of tone, they'll have to either be drunk, on drugs, or have no idea how to get rid of their money fast enough.
2 Cam-Slams!
1 Russ POTD!
So, the smart pill is finally kicking in. Good. Double the dose and try to get more rest.
Oh, and i see from your offerings that you are a state quarter specialist. That's special!
(Now calm down. You asked for it. You drew first blood. Just suck it up like a man and get back to cheating your employer by posting to this forum while you're on the clock. Thief!)