| Author |
 Replies: 20 / Views: 1,161 |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
5238 Posts |
Yesterday, there was a coin show in my city of Ottawa Canada. One dealer was commenting that when the silver price was $30, he could easily sell Morgan dollars for $70. Now that the price was $110 Canadian, he couldn't sell 2 Morgans for spot (Can $86), and these were AU, late 1890s. He found it very strange. I actually got one, but why were they not selling? There's got to be a psychological component. |
|
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
24878 Posts |
There is definitely a psychological component - something like sticker shock. People have prices locked in their heads from when silver was lower, and are having trouble transitioning to the new reality. Perhaps they're reluctant to buy now thinking that silver will drop in the near future. Last week at our coin club meeting I put a set of silver half dollars on the table: a Barber, Walker, Franklin, and '64 Kennedy for $100 ($15 below melt at the time). No takers.  Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
|
|
Moderator
United States
187507 Posts |
Yes. It got expensive really fast, so now some people cannot afford them or they are hoping to wait it out for a price correction. Once the price stabilizes, even if it remains high, the buyers will return.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1751 Posts |
It is tough. I go to local auctions all time and couldn't believe folks were buying silver dollars for $30 this time last year. Guess I was wrong.
I was buying unwanted modern silver commerative dollars for under $20. I stopped buying when they hit $25 because they seemed high. Now they have nearly $66 of silver in them.
I was buying collector vintage 10oz bars for $350. I just won't (can't) do $850+.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2520 Posts |
Quote:
Last week at our coin club meeting I put a set of silver half dollars on the table: a Barber, Walker, Franklin, and '64 Kennedy for $100 ($15 below melt at the time). No takers. I've had 90% listed here on the forum at $70 an ounce for a few weeks now. and just over the weekend I sold all the quarters. Silver is currently at $85 |
|
Valued Member
United States
455 Posts |
I've been wondering, and maybe this is a good place to pose a question....
Given the current volatility in the metals, how can a collector (or a dealer for that matter) accurately value their holdings? Can the coin's "component values" be separated? I'm thinking (melt value) + (collector value) = (total value),, or something like that.
Maybe this just pie in the sky thinking?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
5177 Posts |
It could also be that the economies of Canada and the US have deteriorated sharply over the last few months. Maybe more and more people are struggling to get by. Buying a silver coin is then the last thing they think about.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6450 Posts |
When I buy a coin, I want it for the numismatic or aesthetic value. I don't want to be forced into becoming a silver speculator. I definitely don't want to suffer sudden, unexpected declines in the coin's market value based on commodity market gyrations.
Quite frankly, if the metal value is currently more than what I would spend to own the numismatic interesting part, that's a non-starter unless it's a super cool coin.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
455 Posts |
Interesting notion Brandmeister, collecting but not wanting to become a speculator, $84 silver will probably sideline a lot of hobbyists. Silver coins have always been a cornerstone of my collecting, I'm not a seller but I'd like to know the value of my coins. I guess now more than ever, they're only worth what someone else is willing to pay and I'm reading here there are collectors don't even want to pay spot for these coins.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
The blend of how everyone feels and how it manifests is called "the market." Sometime the herd heads one way, sometimes they scatter in all directions and other times they fall down drunk. People try to measure what the herd does, but what the heck are they measuring anyway?
I always thought that if I was around coins, I would hear the sound of coins, but you never hear any of that at shows, coin clubs or anywhere where there are collectors. We are careful that coins aren't banging against one another.
Yes, I am drinking a glass of wine and not my first tonight.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
5177 Posts |
Quote:
Yes, I am drinking a glass of wine and not my first tonight. In a contemplative mood, huh? I had a glass of wine earlier when watching a movie. Now just drinking chamomile tea  |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
36436 Posts |
Numismatic premiums are going away on all but the scarcest items. The last 90% buy from my local guy included BU Franklins, proof dimes, quarters and halves at spot price. They are breaking up silver proof sets as there are few buyers for those now.
|
|
Moderator
United States
187507 Posts |
 back to the Community, TSmith3510! It has been a while!  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3843 Posts |
Another person that doesn't want to become a silver speculator. I think I might start collecting higher grade and rarer date Morgans. They seem to be a good value now compared to some other series. Either that or go into gold.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
455 Posts |
Thank you jbuck, I appreciate that!
|
|
Moderator
United States
187507 Posts |
My pleasure! Always nice to have a people come back. |
| |
Replies: 20 / Views: 1,161 |
Posted 01/12/2026 2:51 pm
