Is circulated Barber material still hot?

291fifth · July 20, 2006 9:46PM

If, so, in what grades?

fivecents · July 20, 2006 9:52PM

Oh yes!!

<< If, so, in what grades? >>

VG to XF.

Drizzt · July 20, 2006 10:45PM

If you can read Liberty on any of them, don't show them to anyone if you don't want to sell them

TheRaven · July 20, 2006 11:25PM

VG coins have became difficult to find lately.....

I can't even find ones that I don't like to turn down, just nothing lately

At least I got the 13,14 & 15 Halves before the huge price bump.....

MrBreeze · July 20, 2006 11:58PM

Depends on the venue.

291fifth · July 21, 2006 12:00AM

<< Depends on the venue. >>

Care to elaborate?

Bear · July 21, 2006 12:57AM

Most E-Bay specimens are Fair to VG and appear to have been heavily cleaned

whizzed, burned, polished, as well as badly cut with rim dings. Clean, origonal coins, in

VG to XF , seemed to have dissappeared from the scene. I have been unable to

buy many coins, especially half dollars, over the past few months.

MrBreeze · July 21, 2006 1:14AM

When a coin comes to EBay right now, every Barber guy is looking at it. Look at the bidders. Heck, all you have to do is look at the message boards. Also, if it's PCGS, it has a significant premium. But, there are coins available at other places (shows, other auction cos., local shops, internet sellers, etc.) without the premium. The key is research, knowledge and timing/opportunity. But, you already know that. There also is a "penalty" put on raw or non-PCGS coins. That is where the "better" Barber guys and gals are getting their deals. I, in no way, shape or form, consider myself an expert. But, I look everywhere and "work" at finding deals. I also have been lucky. A couple of months ago, I bought an ANACS 45 1910 Barber Half for $225 or so. I crossed it to PCGS at XF45. A PCGS 35 1910 Barber went for $566 in April. Now, you can decide which price you think is accurate, but there is a great deal of difference between those two prices.

lkenefic · July 21, 2006 1:25AM

All I can say is that in the short time I've been working on a 7070 and looking at Barbers in general, they're tough to find in decent condition. Decent condition (XF-MS60) AND havn't been cleaned!

Leo

Tarmac · July 21, 2006 1:33AM

Yes, Barbers are still hot ,especially the halves. I am surprised they are not hotter. If you look at the pops in all grades these are some truly scarce coins compared to other series.

A quick check this morning shows on ebay 1,417 Barber Halves for sale. Here's what I found:

17 PCGS [7 of these are non MS]
9 NGC [ none of these are non MS]

Less than 2% of Barber Halves are worthy of slabbing? This is about what I calculated even back in 2004, about 1.5%-2% are available on ebay slabbed.

The x-over game has its perils and with Barber material it is very high. So if you go the ANACS, IGC, etc. route and then try to cross you may have to submit multiple times and the chances are slim to none to succeed.

I rarely see Barber Halves in PCGS/NGC at local shows. A regional show will scare up a few and a national show you have a good assortment of MS coins. But nice circulated slabbed coins are rare even at the national shows. People who have Barber halves are hanging on to them, true collectors.

BTW, despite the run up in price Barbers are still a steal considering their pops and current cost. Same goes for Liberty Halves, which are an entirely different story.

ARCO · July 21, 2006 1:35AM

Semi-key dates in the Fine-AU range that are nicely toned and original are very difficult to find, and on Ebay will garner strong bidding. The key date coins from VG-AU are even more scarce and prices can go to levels double or more the listed greysheet prices sometimes. Coins in these grade ranges that are holdered by any of the three big grading companies: ANACS, NGC, or PCGS, with PCGS graded coins especially getting strong bids. By contrast, common date coins, even if perfectly original with great eye appeal with get strong bids in the VF-AU range, but the prices stay relatively close to the listed retail prices as they can be found more frequently.

I have been collecting the barbers in mid-grade and after six years...six friggin years, I finally found an original 1895-S in VF30. The 1904-O is still a date that has eluded me in original VF30-XF40.

Tyler

MrBreeze · July 21, 2006 1:57AM

Tyler

From what I have seen of your collection, a potential coin for purchase has a higher hurdle to clear than just "original." Your coins all have a very common (meaning relative to each other, not common as in readily available) look to them. Does that contribute to your inability to find a suitable coin?

Dave99B · July 21, 2006 2:02AM

Tyler's stuff is only uniform because he makes them in his basement.

Dave

291fifth · July 21, 2006 2:10AM

Here in the Detroit area I have seen more Barber material offered recently, but almost all of it is either very low grade or has problems. It is also usually common date material. One notable exception is a 1901-S quarter, NGC MS67. The coin has been offered for sale locally though I have only seen a photocopy of it, not the actual coin. (A bit beyond my budget, I'm afraid.)

michael · July 21, 2006 2:13AM

yes for all dates and especially for better date and/or mintmark combinations in choice vf and xf and au

TheRaven · July 21, 2006 2:28AM

<< Here in the Detroit area I have seen more Barber material offered recently, but almost all of it is either very low grade or has problems. >>

Your statement is true for everywhere.....

Most Barber coinage is either

A) AG slicked back stuff

Rim dinged to death
C) Cleaned with a brillo pad
D) All of the above

kryptonitecomics · July 21, 2006 2:31AM

I have 1 circulated Barber Half...probably a VG and it's a 1913....is it worth anything or should it go in the melt bin?

TheRaven · July 21, 2006 2:33AM

I think a 1913-P VG is about $75 I think off the top of my head

Leiana · July 21, 2006 2:33AM

If it's a 1913 plain it sure is!! Probably a hundred dollars!

-Amanda

kryptonitecomics · July 21, 2006 2:37AM

Your kidding......wow I picked it up for Melt a while back and yes it's clearly a philly coin.....no mint mark. It's not white and polished either, it's toned but it may have had a light cleaning in the past since it seems like so many have. Maybe I will throw it on Ebay or post it in the B/S/T since it's worth more than $5 bucks

TheRaven · July 21, 2006 2:39AM

picture of the beast?

USCGCraig · July 21, 2006 2:58AM

Most certainly yes. I'm on vacation and dropped by a coin shop from my hometown that I visit every time I come out. Quality Barber material lasts less then one day in his shop. Just for grins, I asked him what he would buy and sell a 1904-S Barber Half in PCGS XF45 for. His answer. Buy at $900 and sell at $1,100 or so. I told him I would gladly pay $1,500 and let him keep the extra juice. Quite a few dealers out there don't know how to accurately price quality Barber material. There are a lot of deals out there but you must be very patient and have a keen eye on quality.

kryptonitecomics · July 21, 2006 3:07AM

I'll have to try to dig up a picture if I can when I get home......that way I can confirm the date and take a picture if I need too........my mind is going and since you guys say the 1913 is a better dat I want to make sure I don't have my dates mixed up. I'll post the image here tonight!

Julio · July 21, 2006 3:23AM

cladking · July 21, 2006 3:29AM

The very low end of the market seems to have slowed its torrid advance a little. By low end
I mean the G and lower halfs and the VG and lower dimes and quarters. These still bring the
same high prices but there have been no increase in nearly a couple years now. Junk is more
readily available and somewhat more difficult to sell but many buyers will take these if mixed
in with the nice ones.

Tarmac · July 21, 2006 7:52AM

Any guesses why this series is so tough [but not costly given the high grade condition available at a reasonable price] despite few admitting they collect it?

InYHWHWeTrust · July 21, 2006 8:03AM

<< ...

I have been collecting the barbers in mid-grade and after six years...six friggin years, I finally found an original 1895-S in VF30. The 1904-O is still a date that has eluded me in original VF30-XF40.

Tyler >>

6 "Tyler-searching" years = 42 regular earth years by my calculation. This is depressing, and .... somehow at the same time... the optimist says, Hey, there was/is at least ONE (1)!

There is big fat goose-egg in the XF40 Pop report for the 1895-s and a whopping 3 "VG-VF" bucket.

There are several other dates Tyler mentioned before in the 1898-o thread a while that have 0 pops in circulated grades like XF40 and many with 1 lone example ( 93-s being a long sought after one as well) . Last time I checked 04-o still 0 pop in XF 40. One can only hope they do exist, just tucked away somewhere, toning pleasantly while we wait and search....

Don

kryptonitecomics · July 21, 2006 8:08AM

Here's the image.......not sure if it's a G6 of VG8 or what but it is what it is....a circulated half with a typical old cleaning from what I can see...still collectable and not as bad as some of the sandpapered examples on Ebay

TheRaven · July 21, 2006 10:49AM

I would say that is a G-4

Still worth more then melt

Barberman55 · July 21, 2006 11:59AM

The better date Barber halves, certified AU, have totally dried up. A couple of years ago I was able to pick up on Ebay, both the 93-S and 01-S, certified by NGC AU-58. Today on Ebay, now and then you'll see a certified common date in AU, but rarely a key or semi key date Barber half.

MrBreeze · July 21, 2006 12:01PM

G4 is also what I would grade it to buy it, but it would probably be sold as a G6.

TheRaven · July 21, 2006 1:38PM

They probably would try and sell it at G-6.....

Many dealers are very hopeful on low grade Barbers in my opinion.....

rec78 · July 21, 2006 3:47PM

This is a very interesting thread--key date barber halves were rare in XF condition even 30 years ago you could not find them. Dave Bowers has said that he has never seen a set of XF barber halves. a complete set of XF barber halves would be a marvelous achievement if it is possible to assemble. I would like to see one. Most of my barbers are vg...Bob

TheRaven · July 22, 2006 3:09AM

Well we have a few collectors on here working on XF sets I thought.....

Is anybody close?

Barberman55 · July 22, 2006 3:25AM

<< Well we have a few collectors on here working on XF sets I thought.....

Is anybody close? >>

I think Craig (Coast Guard Craig) may be close to completing a XF set of Barber halves.

rb345 · July 22, 2006 6:40AM

I have about 55-65% of the barber half series in VF-MS, including a number of AU key dates including 1892-s, 1896-s, 1897-s
1901-s and 1893-S AU-55, which I bought this spring for $1325 from Tyler on Ebay after beating out Mike Hayes, whom I half expected to make me a second chance offer. And a lot of XF-AU duplicates and even quadruplicates.

I would have offered some of them for sale in order to reduce the pain and suffering of fellow barber collectors, both to raise
money and in the hope that some would become so desperate to buy from me that I could declare them as dependents on my
federal income tax return, but have been too busy: I have a girlfriend.

Several months ago I acquired a 1901-s half which seems to have MS 63 details for $350, but the obverse appears to be
scratched. Someday I hope to post photos here to get some opinions about its grade.

Several years ago I twice missed the chance to buy an 1895-S half in MS60-63 on eBay for $1.00 but waited to long to place
late bids on a coin that got zero bids each time. So now I have to wait for that opportunity to come around again.

bidask · July 22, 2006 7:37AM

I bought a 1913 d PCGS 64 original at the Central States show.

bidask · July 22, 2006 7:39AM

<< I bought a 1913 d PCGS 64 original at the Central States show. >>

Paid between CDN bid ask!

USCGCraig · July 22, 2006 9:27AM

I have 50 out of the 73 graded as XF45. I also have 10 or 11 that are AU and the rest are under. I only need the 08-P in order to have a complete set.

I would like to ge a hold of Mr. Bowers and see if he will make that statement public. I am up for that challenge.

TheRaven · July 22, 2006 11:45AM

That is a very impressive collection to have put together.....

291fifth · July 22, 2006 12:03PM

I'm going to a large local show tomorrow and am going to be checking the Barber offerings. I always hope to see an original VF-AU quarter or half dollar but they seldom appear at this type of show.

MFH · July 28, 2006 8:30AM

<< ...
... and 1893-S AU-55, which I bought this spring for $1325 from Tyler on Ebay after beating out Mike Hayes, whom I half expected to make me a second chance offer. >>

I placed my maximum bid on that coin, but was disappointed that I didn't win it. Hope you are enjoying it in your set. I was going to crack it out for my secondary set anyway ... I guess I'll wait a few more years for a VF35 - XF 45 for my raw book.

A few dealers and collectors have been offering me a few coins that just are not available on the open market. In a few weeks my sets will be upgraded with a few interesting items...

...to be continued...

Tarmac · July 28, 2006 8:55AM

While not all circulated there are a bunch of nice ones on ebay in PCGS: a monster toned 92, 98-s, 04-s, 12-s, a great looking 15 in 64, etc. A really nice grouping. The NGC coins are not too shabby either.

The coins are there the challenge is ferreting them out, being patient and be ready to buy when they become available.

Musky1011 · July 28, 2006 9:19AM

Here's a dime I dug out of the ground while metal detecting a long time ago

Too bad I used a screwdriver as a probe!!!!!

Check out the gouge

Jim

seateddime · July 28, 2006 1:57PM

only for the coins I want to buy

rb345 · July 29, 2006 1:23AM

After having paid minimal attention to eBay for the last several months, bidding and prices now seem much more restrained. Per-
haps its the paucity of better date/condition barber offerings. Also, several weeks ago Heritage auctioned an 1986-s quarter graded MS-60 details/cleaned by ANACS for only $5500, which is below its Coin Values price for MS-60.

While it appeared that the coin might have been scratched and that some of its surfaces might have been damaged, it drew only one or two bids and sold at the low end of its range. The key date barbers on eBay also seem to be selling far more sluggishly.

Perhaps it's the eonomy and economic exhaustion and incapacity. I've noticed weakness in the New York City rental market for
non-Manhattan apartments renting for over $15,000 or $18,000 per year even when they're well-priced in relative market terms,
which based upon discussions with brokers and apartment seekers seems to reflect a ceiling in the median person's ability to
pay. And willingness as well: in recent months I've come across a large number of people "renting down" to save money. which
seems to reflect an underlying or increasing concern for the future.

And one of the major pollsters, perhaps Rasmussen(.com), reports that in a recent survey about half of Americans reported
expecting things in this country to get worse, including overall economic conditions.

Is circulated Barber material still hot?

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