Reborn Collector Seeking Advice: Pricing And What To Collect

Oh and the 20c! I think your bids will need to be closer to what you call "market"

You might get some snobs on here that say that coins aren't stamped, they're minted. A stamp would be a more hollowed out object with the back and the front being opposites. They are instead the result of two dies pressed against each other onto a blank with great force, and not a "cookie cut-out" action that shapes and cuts at the same time.
:)

I would begin with a question to you. What did you collect as a kid, and what appeals to you? "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Take it as far as you can go without breaking the bank. Do what feels comfortable. I know this sounds like generally lazy advice but it's what really works. No one can tell you what to collect - that's the beauty of this hobby. You can with trends or you can go with whatever else in the world. It's really up to you!
Have fun! And don't forget to post lots of pictures here, we are photo hounds!

Classic gold is a bit out of budget and the more I look the more I prefer the way that the silver and copper pieces become more toned with age. I do appreciate most of the artwork on liberty coins including the seated set. Thanks for the input (it led me to realize I'm not big on gold).

I too am not big on gold...I am an old copper lover first and foremost ;-)
Classic gold is a pretty good long term investment, that's why I was suggesting it. Not in everyone's price range though.

You immediately show some of the absolute prerequisites of a successful and cautious collector - you're doing your due diligence, thinking about what you're looking for, and actively trying to decide what you want rather than just bouncing around from coin to coin like melike some uninformed newbie.

In truth, unless you find something at this auction that speaks directly to your heart, I suggest you not buy now but spend a little more time figuring out what appeals to you before jumping into the purchasing pool. A great buy of a coin which you don't care for does you no good, unless you're already a successful ebay seller.

You obviously know how to do your homework. Do a little more - refine your interests - and then concentrate on learning about what you like. Knowledge is key in numismatics. You need to understand grading, and that's a whole lot easier when you're concentrating on a few issues. You need to have an awareness of determining cleaning, even in relatively poor photographs if you're going to purchase online. You need to be aware of rarer issues, conditional rarities, and what these things are actually selling for in the real world.

Your first post showed that you have the skills and motivation to do these things. Coin collecting is most definitely not about immediate satisfaction, but more about steadily working towards a goal with patience foremost.

So, SuperDave's Prime Rules of Coin Collecting:

1) Always breathe through your nose. Patience, Grasshopper.

2) If you think it looks too good to be true, you're right.

3) There is no such thing as an unsearched roll.

4) Numismatics is a blatantly-objective, fact-based hobby in which the only right answer is the one which your heart provides you.

5) Learn. Know.

I hope you venture to old gold ones, say acquiring once or twice a year

The Austrian 4 ducat is a gubmint restrike, made to get around stupid US gold laws before 1975. 80% of melt would be $575.

Of course, let your gut and wallet guide you.

@SuperDave: Your advice is likely the best (philosophically) and also the hardest to heed. I will do my best. My grading skills have developed pretty quickly as I've gotten more familiar with the Sheldon Scale. I have yet to touch on any general "signs of cleaning" information so I've added it to my list of homework. My Red Book and my first loupe were ordered towards the end of last week. I can only get better.

@westcoin: My Red Book is coming! My next step may be to check out what my local library has in stock or else I may become a coin literature collector as well as a coin collector.

@Pandesalapi: I'm embarrassed to say I've never been very fond of yellow gold. It'd take a mighty fine specimen to sway me. However, I'm sure once I'm forced to finish sets by purchasing the key date coins my purchases will be spread out to reflect my budget. :P

@biggfredd: Thank you for taking an objective look at my pricing. I'm going to fix what you've pointed out now. A couple points you make that really stuck out. Gold and silver scrap value drives the bottom line of silver and gold coins. I need to repeat this in my head a few times so it sticks. And I had no idea about the Thaler's history. It ended up having pearls around the broach. Too bad on that, but I did enjoy the history. The PR69 bicentennial is indeed slabbed by PCGS. The other two are graded by someone I don't trust.