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Top 10 Auction houses - who are they???

Hello folks,

I am trying to determine the top 10 auction house for coins. The ones I have come up with so far are (in no particular order)

1) Heritage Auctions
2) Stacks
3) David Lawrence
4) Bowers and Merena
5) U.S. Marshal’s Office (believe it or not they sell coins from FBI, DEA, US Marshall and Coast Guard that were confiscated)

What about AAN (American Auction Network) Yes, they are a TV auction house, but they do NOT sell like QVC, HSN or SNBC. Where they spend 10-15 mins on just one item. They “move” through their inventory. They sell: graded, ungraded and collections. Coins and currency. Check them out.

Well these are just the ones I have dealt with in my short time on investing in coins. Who else do you folks have found to be the top houses???

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Comments

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,884 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Goldbergs

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • toreador74toreador74 Posts: 201 ✭✭
    Superior
  • ColonialCoinUnionColonialCoinUnion Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭
    Do you work for the AAN?
  • bidaskbidask Posts: 14,040 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Do you work for the AAN? >>

    I have never heard of AAN. I heard of Morphy/Legend though.
    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,907 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I heard of Morphy/Legend though. >>



    I doubt that they will be in the top ten considering they are a new company.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,907 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Teletrade should be in the top ten.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • DoctorPaperDoctorPaper Posts: 616 ✭✭✭
    Scotsman, Early American Historical Auctions, Spink's.
    Wisconsin nationals: gotta love 'em....
  • One cannot leave eBay off the list.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,907 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>One cannot leave eBay off the list. >>



    I don't consider eBay to be an auction house. It's a venue that supports thousands of small "auction houses".

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • FrankcoinsFrankcoins Posts: 4,572 ✭✭✭


    << <i>One cannot leave eBay off the list. >>



    eBay claims $4 billion in completed coin sales in 2007. That dwarfs Heritiage, which claims to be the number one
    traditional auction house at about $600 million.

    Unfortuately, the policies and practices of the "800 lb gorilla" in any industry tend to become the STANDARDS of that
    industry.

    Those policies of ebay which could become standard are:

    Having no numismatists on staff, but rather have 20 cent per hour "call center"
    employees in India make decisions on pulling counterfeit coins, even though they
    can't tell the difference between counterfeit and genuine

    Ending auctions of consignors' GENUINE coins because they are
    not in the plastic of a "partner" grading service

    or you dared list the grade on a raw coin, or perhaps offered
    a Carson City dollar in an original GSA holder (unapproved grading service),

    A "tattletale" system where competitors can destroy your reputation, income,
    and business simply by making enough trivial complaints. Ironically, "tattletales"
    are not permittted to warn innocent bidders about obviously counterfeit coins.
    Frank Provasek - PCGS Authorized Dealer, Life Member ANA, Member TNA. www.frankcoins.com
  • SaorAlbaSaorAlba Posts: 7,593 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I consider eBay more like an online fleaMarket where you never know what you are going to get. I found that out in this last month. After 11 years on eBay, I have had my first negative buying experience and left a negative. With dealing with major auction houses, I have never dealt with anything but professionalism on a high degree. I have always received my coins quickly, packed securely etc. Cannot say that for the eBay transaction recently.
    Tir nam beann, nan gleann, s'nan gaisgeach ~ Saorstat Albanaich a nis!
  • LindeDadLindeDad Posts: 18,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Where is the picture of the cannned meat product?
    image
  • Well, it sures seems that I asked the right question. So far the list is 12 and 1/2 houses. (I gave eBay the 1/2 house rating). Here is the list as it stands right now:

    Heritage Auctions
    Stacks
    David Lawrence
    Bowers and Merena
    U.S. Marshal’s Office
    Goldbergs
    Superior
    Morphy/Legend
    Teletrade
    Scotsman
    Early American Historical Auctions
    Spink's
    eBay

    Thanks for the info. If anyone else knows of a good coin auction house, please addit to the list. We have only each other to really learn from.

    image

  • DoogyDoogy Posts: 4,508

    If by 'top houses', you mean companies that have been in operation the longest and have a successful track record:

    Spink 1666

    Baldwins 1872

    Stacks 1890s (if i recall?)



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