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The Price of Sample Slabs
acan451
Posts: 357
Why are the price of samples going up?
I keep a close eye on as many EBay sites as possible, and the one thing I have noticed is how the price of sample slabs are going up.
I saw one this week for over $500.00. Yes it was a rare sample, but even the easy to find ones are going up in price.
Let me know what you think.
Alan
I keep a close eye on as many EBay sites as possible, and the one thing I have noticed is how the price of sample slabs are going up.
I saw one this week for over $500.00. Yes it was a rare sample, but even the easy to find ones are going up in price.
Let me know what you think.
Alan
0
Comments
<< <i>Most times I get mine for free!
Let's ask a sample of a sample population of sample slab collectors. Your sample of sample slab pricing may not a representative sample?
I checked eBay and there are still plenty of inexpensive samples even there... probably even cheaper slabs if you ask for some on the BST here.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 700
That seller has listed that very same one more than once. I do not think it would sell at that level.
There are a few samples that are known or believed to be unique. Oreville's PCGS Franklin half is one of them (he posted a photo in an earlier thread).
A few years back, many of the NGC Morgan or Peace dollar samples were going for $200+, but that was mainly for the MS63 versions. The MS60 ones are much more common, but even so, I see those prices beginning to creep up. Might have something to do with silver spot, but I think there is also a small increase in the number of sample collectors.
These are just a few of what I have found
As wingsrule said, the amount of collectors is going up.
I have bid many times on the PCGS AND NGC 1921 Morgans, but they always go to high for me.
They seem to exceed the silver price, and are circulated. For what they end up selling for I could buy a much nicer Morgan and a better year.
So it can't be for the coin, it has to be for the slab.
Yes if you look around you can still find samples at a fair price, but not as many a before.
Thanks to everyone for the dissuasion, it is always fun to talk with all of you
Alan
2010-D LINCOLN SHIELD CENT SAMPLE SLAB PCGS $20.00
1963 Roosevelt Dimeš FAT NGC SAMPLE SLAB šRainbow Toned $192.50 reduced from $275.00
Super Rare 1964-D PCGS Roosevelt Dime Sample Slab OGH $25.99
1887 Morgan Silver Dollar RARE NGC SAMPLE $99.99 3 days left on bid.
Old NGC 'Fatty' 'Sample' Toned 1964 Roosevelt Dime 49.00
1921 Morgan PCGS Sample Slab OGH Circulated $51.89 TWO DAY'S LEFT
Lance.
Herb
<< <i>2010-D LINCOLN SHIELD CENT SAMPLE SLAB PCGS $20.00
>>
Those are the shield cent samples in the PCGS Secure Plus holders... they were giving them away for free at the PCGS table at Long Beach. I already had one but I grabbed another to be donated to my local coin club as a door prize or something like that. $20 seems high for a sample they are still giving away today.
But something like the circulated Morgans you see in the old green holders... you shouldn't expect to ever get one of those for silver melt prices. They defintely aren't slabbing coins in old green holders anymore and I don't see anyone giving away Morgans as samples anymore!!! Maybe when they were holdered it wasn't a big deal since they were only worth $3-$5 in silver at the time. But now they are worth around $30, way too much for most to giveaway. If you can find one at double that price it's a bargain I think. At the Sacramento ANA show I saw 2 morgan dollar sample slabs and the cheaper of the two was $100.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 700
A little abbreviated examination of the history or general slab collecting and sample slab collecting is in order
Prior to 2002-2003, there was no such thing as sample slab collecting. It was a curiosity in that sample slabs were given away for free by the various TPGs. Since they were "free," there was little interest in collecting pieces of plastic that slabbed cheap/giveaway kind of coins.
After 2001, conder101 began to write a book about the history of various slabs including PCGS, NGC and other company slabs. At that time, it became acutely apparent that there was a very small supply of black NGC slabs which could not cover the growing demand for such slabs.
For the first time there was a developing demand for the packaging around the coin and not the coin itself. True, this began as perception that the coin within the slab was severely undergraded but then generalized to the rarity of the plastic slab as opposed to the coin itself.
This interest in slab collecting of NGC black slabs expanded to the PCGS Regency slabs and then the PCGS doily slabs (to a lesser extent) by the year 2002 and 2003 along with mildly rising prices. When conder101 published his print edition book about the history of slabs,he inadvertently set the general slab collecting market on fire.
The hobby of sample slab collecting really began when Cameron Kiefer began to buy up as many sample slabs as he could (essentially, he was the market maker) and in conjunction with his internet publication, also set the sample slab hobby and prices on fire.
After Cameron Kiefer left the collecting hobby (since he joined ICG as a grader around 2005-2006), he no longer acted as the market maker and sample prices took a severe tumble of over 30-40%.
Also, the collecting of NGC sample silver dollars became feverish until it was re-discovered that the numeric series 001 through 025 had no special other than the numeric ordering sequence of up to 25 submissions on each of the old NGC submission forms. After this discovery, the prices of the NGC silver dollar slabs collapsed by as much as 50% within one year.
Since that time, sample slab prices have recovered slowly but then once again caught on fire in the past year due to the hot general doily slab market along with the strong silver prices.
oreville
As always you do no how to put things into perspective
Alan
The NGC and PCGS dime prices you noted are all much too high, IMO.
Fare to much
I paid about ten dollars for my NGC fatty dimes, but I just counted four dimes for
$49.99 and one for $29.99 and that was on one page of 12 coins.
Like our good friend said the price of sample slabs has had it's up's and down's
I thing the hobby is catching on, after all it is a lot of fun!
I bookmark as many pages as I can find and monitor them every day, and I
see the prices the samples sell for.
Alan
<< <i>All I am saying is that I find the prices of sample slabs are going up
These are just a few of what I have found
As wingsrule said, the amount of collectors is going up.
I have bid many times on the PCGS AND NGC 1921 Morgans, but they always go to high for me.
They seem to exceed the silver price, and are circulated. For what they end up selling for I could buy a much nicer Morgan and a better year.
So it can't be for the coin, it has to be for the slab.
Yes if you look around you can still find samples at a fair price, but not as many a before.
Thanks to everyone for the dissuasion, it is always fun to talk with all of you
Alan
2010-D LINCOLN SHIELD CENT SAMPLE SLAB PCGS $20.00
1963 Roosevelt Dimeš FAT NGC SAMPLE SLAB šRainbow Toned $192.50 reduced from $275.00
Super Rare 1964-D PCGS Roosevelt Dime Sample Slab OGH $25.99
1887 Morgan Silver Dollar RARE NGC SAMPLE $99.99 3 days left on bid.
Old NGC 'Fatty' 'Sample' Toned 1964 Roosevelt Dime 49.00
1921 Morgan PCGS Sample Slab OGH Circulated $51.89 TWO DAY'S LEFT >>
A Lincoln Shield Cent sample slab at $20 bucks !!!
I got plenty of those, that I would be happy to sell you at $5 bucks ea. delivered.
(okay, it's a sickness
Practice makes perfect & nobody is perfect. So, practice being nobody and be perfect !
<< <i>Sample slabs are a thin and dangerous market. Think twice before putting money into them. >>
Good advice. That being said, most sample collectors can procure their sample slabs at no cost as the TPG give them away for free.
Even if such a collector is looking to buy the sample slabs way more than 50% of such sample slabs cost less than $10 each so the amount of money one can expend acquiring such sample slabs is essentially trivial.
But 291Fifth's warning is a sound piece of advice. It is easy to get ahead of yourself and pay too much for too many sample slabs.
Sample slab collecting can be very inexpensive, fun and non cut-throat where other sample slab collectors are usually helpful. Start slow and keep your cost down per slab for as long as you can.
Examples are a type set of one sample slab from each major TPG.
One of each from 4 TPG. Cost of buying the least expensive slabs about $7 each x 4 = $28.
Or you can get them free and fly to Long Beach CA. Cost = FREE plus at least $300 airfare = $300 total or more. Average cost per
sample slab $75. LOL.
For MOST collectors, that should be enough of a sample slab set!
$49.99 and one for $29.99 and that was on one page of 12 coins.>>
And at those prices you'll see them there a year from now.
oreville is correct...........I'll never recoup my money!
My latest additions
Pictures courtesy of Hallenbeck Coins.
Herb
I never even realized such a thing ever happened. Just totally missed it.
But anyone who had submitted at last 2 coins to NGC in one submission at any time would have instantly realized thay the coins in the package were serialized in sequence per the receipt invoice. I found that out in 1988. It's hard to believe the hobby in general had to rediscover this concept. Maybe it was just too much Koolaid for the average collector?
roadrunner
<< <i>Prices only get high when I'm in the hunt
Herb >>
We must be related!
The name is LEE!
Is correct, sample slab collecting is a fun way to enjoy the evolution of the slabbed coin.
I have made some GREAT new friends since I started collecting them
Now If you can find a first generation PCGS sample at a FAIR price then you have a little piece of history.
ibzman350
Is also correct, those sample dines selling for over forty dollars should and will be there in a year from now.
In the past few weeks though I have been out bid on many sample slabs, selling for over fifteen or twenty dollars
Again we have to remember that sample slabs can be and are in many cases made in small amounts of say 25.
This is appealing to some, to own a slab with such small mintage.
I have seen the 25TH anniversary PCGS sample sell for a large amount, Just can't remember how much, ain't that a shock LOL
The whole point is, it is up to the individual what he or she wants to collect. Sample slabs are no different than any other collectible,
if you you enjoy them, then collect them. But most of all as a good friend of mine said to me, it is the thrill of the hunt.
Finding that sample that you don't have, that's what makes it so much fun.
All the best to everyone.
Alan
<< <i>
<< <i>2010-D LINCOLN SHIELD CENT SAMPLE SLAB PCGS $20.00
>>
Those are the shield cent samples in the PCGS Secure Plus holders... they were giving them away for free at the PCGS table at Long Beach. I already had one but I grabbed another to be donated to my local coin club as a door prize or something like that. $20 seems high for a sample they are still giving away today.
>>
If anyone else needs one of these I just saw that PQPeace has 4 of them listed on his BST thread for $3.99 each. Sure beats the high eBay price, but still not quite as good as free
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 700