Most "Financially Responsible" Way To Become Mc Member

20 x 1/4 oz snake? you do realize there's an asian version of this coin right from singarepore with better packaging.

Yes, I know about Asian version which is available from APMEX. BUT, there are 100k of the Asian version vs. some 29k with the RCM packaging. I agree that the Asian version is nicer, but RCM doesn't sell it unfortunately...

omxfl: But it is the same coin so the mintage will be combined with the one in Asia. Personally, I would find it easier to sell the asian version than the RCM version.

True, but as I said RCM doesn't carry the Asian version and APMEX sells it at a premium which has to be considered as well. There haven't been many of the Asian version sold over here as far as I can tell from ebay sales. Maybe they are all in Asian posession by now...

Very risky bet IMO

The market is always swamped with lunar series coins. The RCM alone has issued what, 8-9 different ones. Irregardless of packaging, this is an 1/4oz Ag coin with 100,000+ mintage sold at more than 400% of melt. The only RCM coins with mintage over 10,000-20,000 (let alone 100s of thousands) that do well are the bird series and glow in the dark dinos, the mass appeal of which yet another lunar series coin will not match.

Being the first of a speculative/potential series will not help either. The 1/2oz dragon, first of its size and series and all, can still be had at cost if not less. The 1/4oz snake don't even have advantage of being unique in weight (all of the 20 for 20 coins are 1/4oz). That means with fees of selling you'll be shortchanged. If lucky dealers offer 20% below issue price; if not, melt.

The only scenario I see the 1/4oz snake appreciating is if so few of them sell that very, very few of them is available in the secondary market. Have to wait until the 2013 report comes out late 2014 to find out, and another few years to see if collectors care.

And yes, it's easier to sell a $50 coin than a $1000 one. But you'll have to sell 20 of them, that's 20x the time, 20x the hassle, 20x the risk, 20x the shipping fees, ...


The most financially responsible way to make it to MC is to buy what you can afford and what you will enjoy keeping irregardless of value. My wife and I buy and sell to fund our collection and to feed unexpected costs with our baby boy (nobody tells you car seats, with a capital plural "S", alone can cost more than what we pay to maintain the car...). But, if tomorrow studdenly everything we own is deemed worthless, we're not going to sweat. We'll just have to expand our display case :)

All the best and good luck.

Time will tell if I made the right decision, but I considered ebay sales of course. The 1/4oz has been selling rather well lately and at a higher price than I would need to break even. The benefit of the 1/4oz coin is that it is $20; i.e. I'll always get that back at least!
All I want is to get MC status for FREE - don't we all! :)

so if you are not a member does your shipping go to zero on your subscriptions as well, as soon as you reach member status.?

thanks tipit, I am only like 200$ away, and rather than waiting for my subscription to take me over I will buy the next 1/25th gold coin,that should put me over the top. now does someone notify you when you reach member status, or does it automatically happen on your invoices.