What Is A Soft Market?

Soft market = more inventory than interest.

The coin market hasn't quite rebounded from the glory years of 2005-2008. Folks don't have as much disposable income and are spending less on coins. Recent national shows indicate an upturn, but we are no where near where we were just two years ago. The advice you got was from someone who thinks it could be a lot better.

I work in a coin shop and can vouch that numismatics are indeed soft compared to a couple years ago. The demand just isn't there, and it's hardly exclusive to coins. Any collectible/hobby will be affected in an economic downturn like we're in. Whether it's numismatics, stamps, baseball cards, etc, people just aren't spending as much. People are worried about their jobs and putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head, so collectible and hobby type stuff goes to the backburner.

Right now it's more of a buyer's market versus a seller's market due to the economy, so now is when deals can be had.

From talking to another dealer in town, he said that the market for silver dollars was very soft other than the common circulated ones being bought more for the silver content.

It would have been much easier to simply ask the person who told you that the market was soft what he actually meant by that.