Anyone familiar with Rick Tomaska's website?

[bsshog40]

I was looking at his website and I couldn't actually pinpoint his prices. For instance, I was looking at a franklin Proof. This is what the price showed. $1 100.00 There's no comma. Would it be $1,100.00??? It was a 1959 PF67 Cameo. $1,100.00 seems a little high to me.

[Coindude]

Bobby, prices are always high at Rick's site. That's just the way it is. You can call them and talk to them about a certain piece, they have been known to lower their price depending on an offer.

[bsshog40]

I guess so, I passed up a nice 1959 Franklin PF67*Cameo at $135 on the bay. I would think if this is $1,100.00 that he's wayyyyyy above my pocketbook.

[physics-fan3.14]

Rick is well known for being a relentless promoter, so much so that he has bought his own hype. Everything on his website, while being attractive, is overpriced (usually by a multiple of 3 or more). In some cases, he has prices so high that I just laugh. No amount of salesmanship can overcome the ridiculous prices he charges. I have sold him a couple of pieces, and he paid normal wholesale prices - I saw the same coin (which he paid $100 for) then listed at $450.

[Coindude]

I guess so, I passed up a nice 1959 Franklin PF67*Cameo at $135 on the bay. I would think if this is $1,100.00 that he's wayyyyyy above my pocketbook.

When did that happen Bobby? I would think that coin would be worth in the $500 range. I would recommend you picking up any and all that you find at that price. Regardless of Rick's hype, the 59 Franky's are the second key to the set and cheap at $135. And I'm not just talking cheap, but ridiculously cheap.

[James_OldeTowne]

Try selling a Tomaska coin back to him and see what percentage of the original price he's willing to pay. I've tried on at least couple of occasions (with client coins), and left feeling insulted each time.

[Schatzy]

Rick belongs in the same club as coin vault and HSN!! They are all sharks looking for there next victim!!

 

 

[Schatzy]

I guess so, I passed up a nice 1959 Franklin PF67*Cameo at $135 on the bay.

 

We did you pass....that sounds like a very good price.

 

This one just sold for $444 Link

[robec1347]

I sold my set of Franklin Cameo/Dcam proofs at a Heritage Auction a couple of years ago. I attempted to sell here on the Marketplace and the BST ATS. I received a few comments but no offers. My prices offered here and there were cheaper than what they sold for on the Auction.

 

At least a couple were purchased by Rick Tomaska, or at least they appeared on his website. One was purchased for a bit over $1000 and sold for $4000. Another was purchased for $2000 and sold on Rick's site for over $8000.

 

Is this what you mean by being a little high priced? People pay the price because they think it's a better coin coming from him even though it's the same coin I was selling at less than Heritage prices.

[bsshog40]

I guess so, I passed up a nice 1959 Franklin PF67*Cameo at $135 on the bay.

 

We did you pass....that sounds like a very good price.

 

This one just sold for $444 Link

Heck I may be mistaken. I thought it was a star and cameo. I think it was actually 67* but had some cameo look, as why it had the star. Anyway, the $135 was still over my budget.

[michael]

its all

 

marketing

 

hype and

 

presentation

 

AND

 

finding

an end user

passionate collector

that thinks with his heart not his head

 

THEN YOU GOT A WINNING COMBO for the selling dealer and i have seen many angry tears a few years later when the coins were offered back

 

collect what you like with discretionary funds

[jesbroken]

Good grief, Bobby. I don't believe that he really wishes to sell them. I can't imagine such a rise in valuation. Good thing he wrote the book. Different strokes. Then, that's just my opinion.

Jim

[Houston Investor]

Rick is an expert in his field and is probably more qualified than anyone to price this material. I am sure he is a good business man and knows that sooner or later he will get his price. I have his books in my library and they are very useful to me.

 

Everybody complains about a particular dealers prices. The proof in the pudding IMO is if he is paying expensive advertising in Coin World, etc. then he is probably getting those prices.

 

We are in an economic recession that has been going on a long time. Many people I have had come up to my table at shows probably don't have more than $20 in their pocket. Any coin priced over that is going to look expensive to them .

 

 

[bsshog40]

I sent him an email about the price of a coin the day I posted this thread and have never gotten a response. Great business man.

[Houston Investor]

He wrote a really good book on Franklin Halves and certainly knows his stuff.

 

No I don't thnk he will argue with someone about price and neither will I. At my table at a show when their BS starts, its time for them to leave. If on the other hand someone is a serious buyer and lays his money on the table say 5-10% behind my price and makes a reasonable offer then thats an arguement I will consider.

 

Many Dealers use his price list as a guide to price similar coins in their inventory. I would say his market is the best of the best and there can be wild price swings on this esoteric material even in the same grade range based on the quality of the coin and where it falls in the range.

[bsshog40]

He wrote a really good book on Franklin Halves and certainly knows his stuff.

 

No I don't thnk he will argue with someone about price and neither will I. At my table at a show when their BS starts, its time for them to leave. If on the other hand someone is a serious buyer and lays his money on the table say 5-10% behind my price and makes a reasonable offer then thats an arguement I will consider.

 

Many Dealers use his price list as a guide to price similar coins in their inventory. I would say his market is the best of the best and there can be wild price swings on this esoteric material even in the same grade range based on the quality of the coin and where it falls in the range.

Actually I wasn't arguing about his price. There was a coin I was looking at and was wondering what the price was. There was no comma's and I was just verifying the price.

[e1cnr]

he has top quality stuff that sells for top dollar

 

helped start the DCAM/CAM movement in early proofs

help make many of the top proof registry sets

 

has authored a couple nice books

 

 

only complaint I have heard is that he leans towards a one-way market

and many of the coins he sells would not have an interest in buying back

and many more would only be willing to buy at a much lower price

 

 

as far as website possibly not current,

many dealers are big show savy but not internet savy

 

[physics-fan3.14]

only complaint I have heard is that he leans towards a one-way market

and many of the coins he sells would not have an interest in buying back

and many more would only be willing to buy at a much lower price

 

 

This is the mark of a huckster dealer. Any dealer who truly sold quality merchandise would buy it back, quickly and readily. Take Mark Feld for example - you'd never see him turn down the chance to buy back something he sold, or only offer a pittance for it.

 

Tomaska has bought a couple of my Franklin's for reasonable market prices, and then I saw my coin on his website for 4x retail. The coin was nothing special, it was an average 64FBL, but because it was on his website he thought he could ask ridiculous amounts for it.

 

And that's the thing - he's a promoter. He has some nice stuff, yes, but he also has a lot of average stuff. I'm not denying his contribution to the field (he got the TPGs to start designating Cameo, as well as the driving force behind FBL), but he's bought his own hype. His most recent book is evidence of that, and I tell people not to even buy it. It's all hype, blustering hot air.

[robec1347]

only complaint I have heard is that he leans towards a one-way market

and many of the coins he sells would not have an interest in buying back

and many more would only be willing to buy at a much lower price

 

 

This is the mark of a huckster dealer. Any dealer who truly sold quality merchandise would buy it back, quickly and readily. Take Mark Feld for example - you'd never see him turn down the chance to buy back something he sold, or only offer a pittance for it.

 

Tomaska has bought a couple of my Franklin's for reasonable market prices, and then I saw my coin on his website for 4x retail. The coin was nothing special, it was an average 64FBL, but because it was on his website he thought he could ask ridiculous amounts for it.

 

And that's the thing - he's a promoter. He has some nice stuff, yes, but he also has a lot of average stuff. I'm not denying his contribution to the field (he got the TPGs to start designating Cameo, as well as the driving force behind FBL), but he's bought his own hype. His most recent book is evidence of that, and I tell people not to even buy it. It's all hype, blustering hot air.

 

I agree 1000%. I've been on both ends with R&I. I've paid top dollar to him, both recently and early in the Cam/DCam buildup and promotion (late 80's-early 90's). When I liquidated my Registry set of Cam/DC Franklins, I wasn't offered anything closer than 20-30% of what I paid to him. I offered them here and the BST ATS at prices consistent with Heritage results, which was in some cases lower than my purchase price.

 

I ended up selling all on Heritage at a considerable loss. I found at least three on the R&I site priced at what I paid, but purchased at a fraction o that. Two examples, one was auctioned at $1400 and was for sale on Rick's site for $4000. Another was bought for $2000 and showed up on Rick's site for $8000.

 

If I were to buy Franklin's again, R&I would NOT my source.