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Modern Coins vs. PCGS Price Guide

For this thread, modern coins include coins; no bullion or commemoratives. If you don't collect modern coins, please don't post anything negative... we already know you're better than everyone else! image

For Modern Coin Collectors:

What trends have you noticed when comparing prices paid vs. price guide when purchasing your modern coins? For me, I've averaged 68% for MS and 35% for PR coins for the years 1999 and 2000. The reason I ask, in my children's sets, prices have only gone down, none have gone up (none that I've noticed). When trying to add to their sets, they'll hear; these coins will only increase in value (yet, they offer them at 80% of guide). I know series plays a roll, but the coins we've purchased are all in the same range.

On the flip side, the type coins we purchase are in the 88-95% range. Is the modern coin market artificially inflated... in the market and on paper or is it just the paper that makes the market artificially inflated?
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Comments

  • mingotmingot Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭
    My experience is only with Jefferson nickels, but it is pretty close to what you state.

    For example here are the prices I have paid for proof coins vs guide:

    69-S PR68DCAM 55/28.00
    70-S PR68DCAM 50/22.00
    73-S PR69DCAM 50/10.48
    74-S PR69DCAM 42/7.10
    75-S PR69DCAM 42/11.00

    ...

    for 76-88, I paid between $4.69 and $9.93 for each of them in 69DCAM, with the majority in the $5.00 range.

    All prices include shipping.

    Price guide is not even in the ballpark.

  • I bought a set of 1976 bicentennial coins (quarter, half, dollar), slabbed PCGS PF69 DCAM for $50, Ebay auction. If I am looking at the guide correctly, it is $50 + $50 + $35 = $135 for the three coins, or 50/135 which is 37% of guide.
  • My understanding is for recent modern proofs, anything less than a 70 is considered a 'miss' by the submitter - PR69DCAM represent dealer submission 'mistakes' for these items. Having said that (because I don't focus on moderns), PR69DCAM is just fine for my silver state quarter proofs, etc. I am happy to buy the dealer 'mistakes' at what I consider to be bargain prices.

    It is hard to argue against quality, but I do consider the MS70 modern market to be over-inflated. Not to be critical of our hosts, or our friends across the street, evidence does suggest (see the discussion in the Jordan book) concerning the resubmission of 69s to eventually get 70s. Such a slight difference, in my opinion, is not worth the premiums charged.

    image
  • FilamCoinsFilamCoins Posts: 1,900 ✭✭✭

    The largest spreads I've encountered are with the 1999-S PR-70 Kennedy Clad ($800 guide/$150 actual) and the 1999-S PR-70 Lincoln Cent ($525/$99).

    The other PR-70's I've purchased have been around 25-30% of guide.



  • << <i>For this thread, modern coins include coins; no bullion or commemoratives. If you don't collect modern coins, please don't post anything negative... we already know you're better than everyone else! image

    For Modern Coin Collectors:

    What trends have you noticed when comparing prices paid vs. price guide when purchasing your modern coins? For me, I've averaged 68% for MS and 35% for PR coins for the years 1999 and 2000. The reason I ask, in my children's sets, prices have only gone down, none have gone up (none that I've noticed). When trying to add to their sets, they'll hear; these coins will only increase in value (yet, they offer them at 80% of guide). I know series plays a roll, but the coins we've purchased are all in the same range.

    On the flip side, the type coins we purchase are in the 88-95% range. Is the modern coin market artificially inflated... in the market and on paper or is it just the paper that makes the market artificially inflated? >>



    I believe moderns are going to be a train wreck....... They are rare coins if you buy the coin not the holder.
    Think outside the box . Coin collector for 45 years
  • I like moderns as well as older coins. My experience is that high grade MS as well as key proofs do well. Other than that, please don't hold your breath. I think, in time ( a long time ), they might - and I mean might - go up. It will take a while as mint technology improved and made 69s a poor grade.
  • DHeathDHeath Posts: 8,472 ✭✭✭
    I collect MS quarters, 60s proofs, and SMS coins. If I am buying a coin one grade below the registry set collectors, I usually pay around $10 per coin, and have paid a little more or less. Last year I bought a set of 35 Washingtons in PCGS 6, date range 70-90 for $165 shipped. There were a few nice coins in the bunch, and a few not so nice. I cracked a few that I liked better than the ones in my album and resold the singles. The Cheapslab store should give you a good idea of the value of the undergrades. For coins whose undergrade is MS66-MS67, I find buying a holdered coin an inexpensive alternative to hunting down a raw coin of the same quality, but I still always look at raw. Over the years, I've been lucky searching raw stock, and have holdered a dozen or so pop-tops. Personally, I found that every time I holdered one of them, I ended up selling it because the market value. For the last few years, I've just been adding them to my collection.
    Developing theory is what we are meant to do as academic researchers
    and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Don, you are a sly dog!!image

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