Ultimately what it all boils down to is that something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it and that is certainly true for coins and coin collectors. Like it or not we have all got to pay attention to the value of a coin because sooner or later all of us are either going to buy one or sell one (or more).

Otherwise there would not be such great price differences between coins with similar mintages and grades(in many cases). There are extenuating circumstances that may have caused the demise of any given date/mint coin(s). The 1933 gold pieces are good examples and there are many others that don't go quite to that extreme.

There are many different price guides out there. Numismedia, PCGS, Coin Worlds Coin Values, and The Grey Sheet to name a few as well as the various auction companies like Teletrade and Heritage. I personally have found Numismedia values to be a little low on many coins for the "retail" market. PCGS is a little high on some. The Grey Sheet is a wholesale buy and sell guide for dealers. And the auction companies archives are prices that they have realized from their auctions. I try to use as many of these as possible to keep me abreast of the market. It also depends on whether I am buying or selling. As an end consumer I can't expect to pay Grey Sheet prices. I can try but it doesn't always work that way. When I'm selling I can't expect to get full retail for my coins. The dealer has to make money or he can't make a living for himself. The Auction companies have their selling fees etc.

The whole gist of this is that there are many different sources for putting a value on your coins and the well informed buyer/seller will be the one to get the best prices whether he or she is buying or selling but you still have to remember that something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

Below is the newest edition to my Signature set. It's a 1917-D Mercury Dime from The Pittman Collection

Mike