I go to 2 to 4 coin shows a month. I've gotten to know many dealers really personally. As an average, over the years, I've found that most dealers raise their prices about 15 to as much as 25% over what they really expect. This is due to so many now knowing a coin show is nothing but a flea market for coins. At any flea market no one pays what a seller is asking and the same is true of coin shows. So knowing this is going to happen, dealers raise their prices accordingly. This makes it really difficult to figure out what a coin is really worth since the more dealers at a show, the more widely varied is the prices. No one uses a
Red Book. Most dealers use the grey sheet but the prices they actually have on most coins is just what they think you'll really pay.
One dealer I know always has the prices on his flips. However, as soon as someone looks at a coin, he right away pops up with don't worry about the prices. I'll go down about 10 to 15% for this show, because I like you, the air here makes me do it, my Son put those prices on and they are all wrong, etc., etc., etc. Everyone gets a story and if you still want, he still goes down in prices. Eventually you think you are making a fantastic deal and pay and go home. He now has the original price he wanted anyway.
So just how much is a coin worth? I don't think anyone on Earth really knows for sure.
Posted 09/06/2009 9:50 pm
