Non-Collector With Rare Stuff/Big Collection But Not Selling. What To Do?

I actually encounter quite a few of such people when I visit my local coin shop in The Netherlands. I usually spend a few hours there when I visit, also because the owner is a great guy to talk to, and during such visits a lot of people walk in with things to sell, usually already with big dollar signs in their eyes when they enter the shop. There are a lot of people who inherit or somehow get a collection of coins and instantly think they hit the jackpot by doing so.

This guy is actually quite honest in his findings and also open in giving an analysis of why he puts a certain price on things. Nevertheless, a lot of people just get disappointed when they her the final verdict and decide not to sell. But honestly, if you come up with a huge stamp collection with only regular circulation stamps in rusty condition, you shouldn't expect much. Same goes for coins: a 1964 Kennedy half isn't worth more than melt. And if you then walk in with a silver edition of the last Dutch gulden (mintage 360) and you get a 1500 euro offer, then you got yourself a good deal, actually... no need to be disappointed and just walk away!

I guess somehow 'greed' or 'false expectancy' are the keywords here.

Agree, Chute, at least with the part about not appreciating what they have. I can see wanting to hang onto a collection for contingencies, though. My mom made me promise not to sell my grandpa's junk silver except in emergencies. Grandpa's family lost everything in the Depression, and he taught his kids that they should always have a stash of "real money" in case our current currency, which basically has no intrinsic value, ever crashes. It may not be realistic, but lots of folks feel that way. We like to have a hedge against the unknown.

For me, though I don't have any coins that would be likely to excite true collectors (most of them came out of the till at my grandpa's service station, so they're well circulated and probably cleaned after handling by greasy hands), my reason for not selling is more sentimental. Grandpa loved those coins, so I did too, even before I started learning what they were. This is a purely emotional argument, but I'd feel I was betraying him if I sold them. The folks you're talking about might have similarly sentimental reasons for hanging onto them, even if they don't really "get" the numismatic worth of the coins. And not everyone is comfortable admitting to sentimentality, so they might not tell you that!

Just because someone inherits a coin collection , Common or Rare , doesn't mean they have no other choice but to sell it . Ever hear of sentimental value !
It's a very strong value that in most cases surpasses monetary value !

My coin collection consists of coins that belonged to my grandfather, so the sentimental value is priceless to me. It is not that my grandfather knew much about the coins other than they had some value. What he had was a big stash of them. I hve six siblings, and what happened is that one of the siblings divvied them up scooping an equal amount into seven little gift bags. Now equal is subjective in this case, and it happened back in the 90s. What I would like to do is buy any coins for its silver value from any of my siblings just to keep more of the collection together.

That being said, I do know some people are not sentimental. Go figure. I agree the coins take us back in time and tell a history of not just our nation but our families as well.

Also, when we know we are ignorant about something like this, it's healthy to look on any advice, however well meant, with caution, I had a dealer tell me the other day that this was a great time to be selling off my junk silver, as the prices were likely to go down. Only a week earlier another dealer, trying to sell me bullion, told me this was a great time to buy, as prices are artificially low and likely to go up!

If I don't know what something is worth, I'm unlikely to accept an offer from someone who wants to buy it without doing my own research first. I'd have to REALLY trust them first!
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This was my thought immediately.

I suspect it's six of one and a half-dozen of the other.

I think it all depends upon where you are in life -- how much you have, how much you owe, etc. Also, inheritances often have to be divided. The heirs might agree on a sell price that is unrealistic -- so they wait.

I agree. I was not really a watch guy, but ten years ago I inherited one and have worn it ever since. I cannot imagine selling it or buying another to wear instead.