How close to reality are Heritage 'My Collection' values?
vega1
Posts: 941 ✭
In the Heritage "My Collection" feature on their website they list an estimated value labeled 'Numismedia Wholesale Ask'. In general, (and in your respected opinions) how close is this to actual value you should ask for assuming your selling?
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Any thoughts?
Thanks
0
Comments
One example was my pop 1 1867-s 25c MS67. In 2002 the MC price list had my coin at something like $20-25K. I went so far as to write a letter to Heritage saying I think they were miles off (considering I could have sold that coin in 1998 for $30K...and by 2002 $35-40K was probably more in line). A Heritage employee wrote me back and told me that my coin was worth only $25K based on previous price histories of the coin and its availability. I got a good chuckle out of that considering that other than the MS63 Norweb coin (not seen since 1988) and the MS64 Eliasberg coin (buried since 1997) there were no other decent uncs of this date surfacing over the past 30 years.....let alone another MS67. The Heritage researcher said it wasn't that rare of a date and they are out there......this based on his personal experiences. Well, it's 2008 now and no additional coins have come to light or are hinted at. In fact the 67-s has plowed forward in rarity over the past few years standing along side the rarest S mints of the series. Considering my coin was purchased in 1986 and not resold until 2004 (now off the market in a major seated collection), I don't think that other opportunities to buy a gem 1867-s 25c will be popping up too soon. It was 18 yrs between the last sale and purchase. Funny thing that I never did get that Heritage expert's name. Maybe he can give me some history on the gem MS66 1866-s 25c coming up in their May Long Beach sale (yeah, I owned that also back in the 1980's). Another commoner date with many superb gems to choose from. The catalog fails to mention that the coin is ex Harold Blauvelt (B&M 1977 $5000) and ex-NERCF 1 sale at $46,000 (April 1980). Yeah, that coin increased 9X in value from 1977 to 1980 when Jim Halperin purchased it for his Rare Coin Fund 1. Oddly, the MS67 1867-s was in that very same NERCA sale and fetched "only" $30,000. At the time the 66-s was considered rarer in circ and gem. Today the 1867-s is understood to be rarer in UNC. One thing I noted on the photo of the 66-s is that a fairly obvious carbon spot has formed at the top of the obverse. That was not there in 1988. Since the coin was no doubt dipped earlier in it's life, this was some of the unfortunate fall out. It's a shame too since this is the only monster gem of this date.
The 66-s still resides in the same rattler holder it did when I had it. The surfaces are exceptionally clean and there is no reason it should not grade MS67 today, even with the distracting spot.
How far off are they? Possibly a lot for coins less traveled. For routine widgets I'm sure they are close enough. But I would never use their numbers for selling anything of mine. There are better ways of coming up with an ask price.
roadrunner
number. Then, when the bidders bid the actual price to its correct
level, the auction house looks like they are magicians at massaging
a really top dollar. It is all, tricks of the trade.
Camelot
This is a collection of about 40 coins listed by heritage as having a value of about $7200. A few examples of the values they are giving are:
1875-S Trade $ NGC 60: $825
1809 $.50 ANACS 50 (normal edge): $520
1926-S $.05 PCGS VF25: $370
1840 $.25 NGC 50: $325
1860-O $ ANACS 30: $325
1870 H10 cent PCGS 64: $292
Edited to make the trade dollar an 1875... not 1865.
Is that 1840 quarter a WD or ND? The WD in AU is not an easy find.
roadrunner
Any thoughts on the topic would be appreciated. I'd really like to know how close these values can be assumed to be (for selling).
Thanks
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
He bought it with out a counter offer.