Trouble Selling Higher End VAM

I don't even look at auctions whose start price is over 99 cents.

Part of the difficulty is that your coins, although extremely nice, aren't uncommon. Your VAM-11 is one of 38 which NGC has graded MS66. It's likely that there is no demand; VAMmers who can collect at the MS66 level probably already have one. I wouldn't expect any premium, and there's a perception of great disparity between NGC and PCGS at that grade level. It's about a $200 coin.

The Trigger, although somewhat more "popular," is hampered by the fact that it's available in DMPL. The same statement as I made above applies; those few who are VAMming at this grade level probably already have one. This one's not worth much over $200, either.

That would be Scotsman, correct? Did you send them for the auction held with the Silver Dollar Expo in October?

OOP's I almost forgot... A few of us have been looking at the NGC attributed coins up on the Bay. I think from what we have e-mailed back and forth they run at about 90 % correct attributing

I will add also, When I commissioned items for sale, suddenly there was quite a persentage on the table for them to handle my items...A big bite out of my profit! up to 30%...
I guess that"s why we go ebay or other outlets to keep the losses down..

There are several factors in play. What you two are alluding to is market saturation. Right now, there are simply not enough 'serious vammers' in the market place willing to spend money. Prudden has nice coins, but has two issues against him. (1) the wrong third party grading company relative to attributing vams (2) a common VAM that carries little to no premium.

There is a common perception on Morgan and Peace dollars that are attributed that they cost way more money and that simply in not true. I know dealers that would like to foster that opinion, but in my experience I don't see it.

Maybe I am a just a picky buyer or a PCGS snob. Maybe both.

Oz, PCGS is solid but I have issues with them. I have well over 100 slabbed coins from them. I have had 3 coins go into presidents review. All 3 came back from David Hall stating that the grades where correct. I started too crack the coins out of the holders after that. For 2 reasons first J Leidman told me in person that few if any coin going into DH review will be changed, and that he him self has never had a coin grade changed thought the review. The vibe I received from J Leidman was that it is window dressing, as if PCGS is never wrong or that they back up there graders even if they make an error.

The second thing is I have cracked out OGH's after that and sent them in just to have a few come back in body bags as cleaned or AT. The moving grading scale just peee'ed me off. You should not have to send in a coin 3 times to get it right. For the most part the grading is solid, but I have about 10 coins that will never go in for review or attribution as they are the worst MS-65 pcgs graded coins I have seen. And I have many 64's that are hand over feet better ie; full strike with little to no marks.

I am sure you have see this as well. I listed one of the clashed (E's) that I picked both are PCGS ms-65 I think the one I listed is an EDS, and I like the coin. But next to the other I can't see how this one is graded the same.

Sorry for ranting OZ. D.H. and I do not agree.

I agree 100 % with you Oz. My problem is when you hold a much nicer coin and compare it to the lesser one. When you have a very strong 66 and an older graded 67 and the 66 is that much nicer how is one to look at it? When a review costs more than a full regrade, and you have both to look at. I feel that it if there was an error it should be fixed and not at the end users expense.

My only real problem is that they like all grading companies make mistakes, They are just less prone to admit them. On the one that twisted my lid was a 1938 D/D nickle I had bought the MS-67 over 10 years ago. I then found a raw one about 3 years ago. I bought that one because it was much nicer then the one I already had, and was thinking I may have the only MS-68. I know it is a nicer strike with nice color but in the end the fact still remains. 2 of the board members that I had shown both to side by side thought the MS-66 was a nicer coin. If I do not understand how they grade (I can understand that) But the two folks that are on the board and have a lot more experience then I feel or thought that same way.... then in my mind its just a case of holding the number of high grades down to maintain a smaller population and price, or the (We never make a mistake syndrome)

The reason I started to crack the case's was more to find out how consistent they are. And I found that they are not, and I am not the only one that has seen it. None of them where real high value coins (all where under 300.00) I look at the coin not the slab now and should of done it earlier. I love my 1938 D/D ms-66 and my son will get it when I pass. And I sold off the 67 that is a 66.