2011 Ladybug Coin Massive Devaluation The RCNA Auction Today

This was a very stimulating discussion with various points of view and each point has its own merits. This is part of what I look for in the general discussion on the merits of nclt coins! This should be pinned from those of us who first venture into the nclt collecting side of the hobby. I say this with the view to educating the newbie in nclt coins as it's a very different and seductive world, with all the variety from around the world, beckoning from a computer screen. July 1,2012 I was seduced by the coin show on the shopping channel. The first few years I couldn't get enough! These types of discussions would have helped me to narrow my focus more quickly! I also wouldn't have ran out of room so fast either. I tell you, when you have chronic back pain, moving lbs of coins is a hassle! As the coin I want is always at the bottom! It's taken a good 5 year to narrow my nclt coin focus to silver dollars and the silver proof sets! It's actually not far from where I had started with nclt! However, I let myself be seduced by the pages of discussion on owning a hot coin. It's almost like a chemical hit for the brain, much similar to likes on a Forum or Facebook post. I own many non hot coins, as I loved the artistry on the coin! I don't really have many regrets, as I have gotten hours of enjoyment and educational value, as I'm drawn to historical and nature themes. I never thought I ever hear the ladybug coin lose 2/3's of its value of $1500 at one point !!

Maybe the trouble with the deluge of nclt coins is the excess is not getting melted, thus reducing the glut on the market? As circulation coins get reduced over time for one reason or another!! There's no natural predator for the boom in nclt coins! Coupled with the phenomenon of the 21st century pop culture coins! Many are a huge stretch even by my standards! It's interesting to return after a few years break of just pulling out interesting pocket change! Canada really does issue a lot of special quarters! So I never totally stopped, except in buying as much nclt silver coins!! Maybe if the glut of unwanted coins were melted, making some a challenge to find and coupled with quarterly releases of low mintage truly historic commemoratives, it would renew and keep long term interest in this aspect of the hobby?
I'm going to use a food analogy, I'm crazy for cheesecake, however if I dined solely on it for months then years, it wouldn't be long before I couldn't even look at cheesecake. I feel something like this has happened to this area of coin collecting, coupled with the outrageous price tag the mint charges. People like to see a little appreciation or at least the value hold steady, in their discretionary purchases! It leaves a sinking feeling, when I'm 3-6 months prices on the secondary market start to plummet! I feel it's why so many people come and go, in this area of the hobby. The wise ones have learned to have patience and wait. They seldom by mint direct!

I'm surprised after almost 10 years, there's still an active Masters Club , with members at the upper tiers, or even the gold and the level above! As everyone pretty much agrees in time, that expensive piece of artwork is only going to be melt value. So care must be taken to choose wisely and be patient, when deciding at what price point the coin is worth buying.

It was a lot of fun of hearing a person described their excitement at finding a 2007 rare coin/set at an out of the way post office! Waiting to see if there's any potential hot coin in a release. I usually either couldn't afford or like many of the said coins. It still made for some exciting reading! The $ for $ series probably brought in its share of people who would leave the hobby after a few years. I wonder if the long term collector, is a person who started out by finding a cool commemorative coin in their change? Setting each one aside in a jar, then stumbles on to nclt side of the hobby! I have been pulling cool quarters out of change, the years I was inactive on the forum!!
This has been a wonderful and enjoyable discussion ! As it has insights from people who collect for a wide variety of reasons and probably a wide range of income levels and backgrounds. Which makes for a well rounded exploration of a topic!

Meilleurs Voeux Pour l'annee 2022!! And Best Wishes everyone!

Interesting to see old NCLT posts resurface once in a while. There is no right or wrong when it comes to personal taste, but I think the snowflakes were just amazing. Absolutely ZERO historical value but totally cool (no pun intended).

@zhuyuecal: A few thoughts...


The Canadian NCLT market was booming 7-10 years ago, with lots of activity that drove the market price of many coins to artificial highs. The prices were driven by the speculator-segment of the collecting community. It appears that much of this segment has left the Canadian NCLT market (or is at least far less active) and secondary market prices, overall, have dropped as a result; artificial sell-outs (i.e., those driven by speculation vs. active collecting) are no longer prevalent. So, I agree, today's Canadian NCLT hobby has far fewer apparent "predators" than it once did - but it doesn't rule out their return!

Your comments on a dealer's spread regarding bullion buying and selling are interesting. Of course, such spreads are necessary for dealers to stay in business. I only see a problem with this when the spread becomes excessive - the scenario you described is fair to my eyes. I agree with you that most coins should not be considered short-term investments - I tend to not consider them investments at all!

@comments, honestly, I have more fun to find circulated commemorative coins from coin rolls or daily changes than buying from RCM.
So every time buying from RCM, the expectation to have some financial gain is part of the motivation.
Especially when you see the one I own is sold successfully with a higher price than that I paid to get it.


@canadian_coins, I don't think the purpose of making money would take the fun out of collecting. Just a different way of getting fun.
Just like gambling, I make a guess by whatever algorithm, most of the times I lose, but once I make one good guess, that is also a very exiting moment.
The difference is, it is quite an expensive game :|

Also - Toys. That were meant to be played with - are now 'collectible' if still in packaging.

@purelywasted: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I always enjoy reading about the perspectives of other collectors.

My Canadian NCLT purchases are fairly limited in variety (>80% silver dollars) but run fairly deep within my area of interest (I have examples of all NCLT SDs from 1971 onward). I've only ever purchased them with an eye towards building a collection, never as an investment.

I still enjoy adding to my SD collection each year with the Mint's new SD issues. As long as the enjoyment continues, and I am able, I likely will continue adding them. I await this year's offering!

@canadian_coins: Thanks for sharing your story. You certainly ventured much farther down the NCLT path than I ever have!

Based on the images you've shared here in the past, you had quite an impressive collection at one point!