JEJ

Ah, OK didn't think of that. Somebody liquidating grandpa's coin collection inheritance and taking the first offer from the dealer that is willing to buy the entire lot...

12 hours ago, kbbpll said:

 You should only buy this stuff because you want it, not because you think it will be worth more later.

Definitely do this but I also would like to see my collection as a whole increase in value. Silver is up around 20% over the last year so I would expect to see my ASE selling for at least what I paid for it. And I consider that if someone has to buy from the producer of the goods, that they would have to charge more in a secondary market. But that is just not true in this case. Do they get a better price than I do from the mint. Obviously I want to spend as little as possible for the items I add to my collection, so I would like to understand how this works. If I pay $50 and then a year later (after the composition metal has risen 20% in price) I can buy it certified and slabbed (another expense to the secondary seller) for $35, I feel like I am missing an opportunity for a price break that I know nothing about. How do they get these items and such a low cost?

Wow! Major eye opener. I've been buying everything new from the mint. No More. Thanks for the help.

Good point, I have seen numerous questionable "error" coins for sale on eBay and at ridiculous prices. I think you're right about that digital microscope; no telling what you're gonna see at that level of magnification.

Yeah, really it's a matter of what you want to own. As a child collector I drooled over 1955 DDO Lincoln, and the 1972. Dream coins back then. Now I own them. I do enjoy our hobby. Thanks so much for your help Kurt!

Tnx for the reply. So can I assume that coins with unlimited mintage figures will be cheaper on secondary? It has also occurred to me that you will not find an error coin on the secondary market without a large premium?

So I was just looking for a ballpark value of my 2018 W ASE, got on eBay and found that the coin is selling for mid-$30 dollar range slabbed, and I paid almost $50.00 for it from the mint! So my assumption that ALL products will have the lowest price when bought from the mint is my own little cognitive fabrication. Besides my mind being weak, what would explain this pricing bit? Do they really charge that much more for the little box and COA??

So I was just looking for a ballpark value of my 2018 W ASE, got on eBay and found that the coin is selling for mid-$30 dollar range slabbed, and I paid almost $50.00 for it from the mint! So my assumption that ALL products will have the lowest price when bought from the mint is my own little cognitive fabrication. Besides my mind being weak, what would explain this pricing bit? Do they really charge that much more for the little box and COA??