Thoughts On Collection Consolidation

You have 40 $500 coins? Wow. I wish I had this "problem."

IMO, the less coins you have the less enjoyment. Also, there's a lot of risk and a lot less buyers for such high profile coins.

I couldn't do it. Maybe I'm too in love with sorting and cataloging to have a minimalist collection of high dollar value. I'd rather have a complete worn set of wheat Lincolns instead of a pristine 1909 VDB. In fact, if I had the 1909 VDB I would probably sell it to get a complete worn set of wheat Lincolns!

-- Boris

I prefer having a good # of type coins. I'd rather have a $100 than 100 $1 coins, but would prefer 40 $500 coins to 2 $10K. I like having the variety, and as Depreso mentions, it's easier to liquidate smaller $ coins and you don't have to worry about as drastic swings in value given that there are far more buyers.

I've definitely been tempted as well though - thinking about the awesome coins (well, coin - singular) I could get if I sold everything else. I'd love to have a 1907 Gaudens high relief...

Weyelll.... is it really more difficult to sell 1 $10k coin or 40 $500 coins? Honestly, I think you'll have to wait longer to sell 1 $10k coin, but selling 40 $500 coins sure as heck isn't easy!

I've pondered this a lot, too Johnny. Do I really want 5 Fugios in AG-G or one in VF? Do I really want 4lbs of Wheats or 1 genuine 1909S VDB?

The answer for the first is really tough! I like all of my "characterified" (hee hee hee) - others would call UGLY Fugios. But they each have a story and I can put them in my hands together and say, "So this is what Fugios feel like in the hand... this is what somebody may have traded for a goat in 1790..." Or not, depending on which historian you read.

The answer for the second is easy. If I really wanted to sell off each one of my 4lbs of duplicate wheats, or even by roll, it would only take fifteen years, and by that time, I might be able to afford 1 genuine 1909S VDB if I managed to get top price for each of my 400,000 pennies.

But that's not what you asked. You asked is it better to have 1 ridiculously awesome coin versus 40 really cool coins. Well, were I looking at it from an investment perspective, I'd personally rather 5 or 10 awesome coins than 40 really cool ones. I don't know if I'd put it all into one. But if I had the chance to put it all into one, I just might... =)

I hear what you all are saying, and thanks so much for your opinions! It is nice to have a "collectors" collection, with a lot of variety and perusing ability so I understand that. I think I mis-stated my original post. I wouldnt want my whole collection to be 1 or 2 coins, but I'd consider trading stuff that I either have less interest in, or can easily replace for 1 or 2 monster coins. I was really interested in Lincoln Cents and mercs when I started, and am now much less interested in them. I still really like looking at my type, gold, and SLQ sets, so I'd hang on to those for a while since I look at them often. I'm at odds, because I like completing albums as so many others here do; but once it's complete, it's sort of like "Mission Accomplished". The idea of buying a monster coin, that I'd never be able to afford otherwise in my life, is intriguing. I disagree a little on one point, I don't think a 10K coin would be hard to sell at all, Heritage deals with dozens of those per day effectively. Monetarily, quality is known to hold it's value very well overall vs. quantity(though that is a very generic statement)...but I digress.

Of course I would never go into a purchase like that without tons of thorough research as to what I'm getting into. Anyways, if anyone else has any inputs on a "monster coin" that they'd like to add to their collection if they were to trade a portion of their collection, I'd love to hear about it!

I met a man who owned Breen-12 of the 1894-S Barber dime. Just thought I'd throw that out there to make you feel a tinge of jealousy.