Interesting Observation

That's some nice data you collected there. I think it shows the hard line between book value and worth. Dealers would never admit that a coin's value went down because that would mean losing money.

mrwisker

Interesting, yesterday I picked up three new Dansco albums, one is for Peace dollars.
In my efforts to organize my collection, I switch from a old Library of Coins album.

Over the years I have picked up a few Peace dollars, out of the junk silver box, when I see one that is not to bad.

So now I have a new Dansco album that needs 8 more to have it filled.

If I saw a AU 1928 for less than $50.00 .. I am would buy it. Same if I saw a AU 1921.

I've bought bogus slabs for the simple fact I can get a year set in decent shape for just a few bucks- only once have I had a set come to me with a cleaned coin.. mostly just nice examples of coins with some wear or scratches, in MS70 holders, lol .. most barely make AU, but what I'm doing right now, thats fine with me

I'm finding pre-64 sets like this for $5-7, the dime and quarter are worth 4 bucks or so melt- the penny and nickel are a bonus

call me crazy, but I've been lucky so far

I think that you need to look a whole lot 'closer' then.

There is a little thing called a 'mint mark' that distinguishes a $25 coin from a $300 one.

You have never seen an AU 1928 Peace sell on ebay for anywhere even near $25-$35, never, unless it has an "S" mint mark. I don't even need to collect Peace dollar (which I don't) to know that.

All of this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the state of the economy, rather, it has everything to do with coin identification.

1928 Peace ( no mint mark) in AU = $250-$350
1928 Peace ( S mint mark) in AU = $25--$35

In my opinion most sellers are good honest people. ebay has mostly earned their bad reputation due to new collectors buying there without having any knowledge of coins and then flaming ebay. If you know how to grade and authenticate coins well enough, then ebay is fine.

okiepb, like with any hobby you've got to do your homework especially before shelling out significant coin on a piece that might be overgraded or even misidentified. With ebay, the common characteristics I check for are a seller's honesty, reputation, length of service, and return policy (if any.) Return policy is important, since even high magnification imaging will not always show the slight rub on the highest points of a coin, as these will be AU/BU unc sliders that are often listed as choice and gem "BU." get to know well the particular wear characteristics of the coins you are collecting. e-Bay has gotten a lot safer to buy on now, since there are major buyer protections put in place just in the last year, so you might give them another try. Probably every collector got burned by an unscrupulous dealer at the beginning, mine was a mail order large cent when I was 11. What came in the mail was a blackened, pitted and otherwise damaged 1844 cent, which could barely be recognized as such, which I keep in my desk to this day to remind me of this "learning experience!"

A word to the wise from this longtime collector ... Be extra careful when buying a 1928 $1. It's quite often altered from a 1928-S. After removing that tiny S mintmark, the coin is recolored, stained and/or excessively dipped so as to mask the tiny, repaired pothole. So, fleamarketers beware ... Buy these from a reputable dealer.

On another note, like the 1938-D Walkers, the 1928 Peace $1's are over-priced "rarities" in the marketplace. One PA dealer I visited in March had over twenty 1928's in his NEWP box. A dealer at the FUN Show had fourteen rolls of those 1938-D Walkers, too. Why are they priced so high? Popular hole-fillers, is my guess, for well-designed sets that can be completed on a modest budget.