Determining the price tag for eye appeal

[erwindoc]

I hear all the time, collect what you like. I like coins that have eye appeal, but then again who doesn't want coins that have eye appeal! I try to find pieces for my collection that stand out, whether they are colorful or have blazing white PL surfaces. Some have stars, others don't. Often times, these coins don't fall in the normal price guide world.

 

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

[physics-fan3.14]

I see a coin that I really want. I bid until nobody else bids against me.

 

I have just determined the price tag for eye appeal.

[cpm9ball]

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

 

I guess it depends on three things:

 

1) How much you want it.

2) How many others want it.

3) How much money you have in your bank account.

 

Chris

[johnny9434]

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

 

I guess it depends on three things:

 

1) How much you want it.

2) How many others want it.

3) How much money you have in your bank account.

 

Chris

that sums it up best

[MarkFeld]

Each person has his own preferences and budget and will draw the price premium line in his own place. Accordingly, there is no formula or specific way to answer the question which was posed.

[Catbert]

Mark. From a former dealer perspective, how did you determine the premium?

[MarkFeld]

Mark. From a former dealer perspective, how did you determine the premium?

 

I wish I could give you a more useful answer, but I usually made the determination based on a gut feel. Of course that gut feel was based on my buying and selling experiences, as well as awareness of (when applicable) what various similarly eye-appealing coins had traded for elsewhere.

 

One major consideration was how unusual or rare the eye-appeal for a particular coin was. For example, certain types/dates/issues are far frequently encountered with exceptional color, luster, etc., than others. They should not receive the premiums that their more unusual/rarer counterparts do. And of course, even for the more common ones, there can be significant differences in the degree of eye-appeal.

[erwindoc]

This is the coin I have questions about...

 

1918 S Standing Liberty Quarter

 

3-4x auction trend. Not sure quite how many come with color like this for the series.

[Kurtdog]

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

There's a formula, I know, but I could never figure out how to apply it. I think I recall it involves square roots.

[MarkFeld]

This is the coin I have questions about...

 

1918 S Standing Liberty Quarter

 

3-4x auction trend. Not sure quite how many come with color like this for the series.

 

I'm guessing I would have bid roughly $400 on the coin, or a price commensurate with the next grade up. Which would you rather have, an ordinary 63 or that coin? Or, you could ask yourself the same question, but substitute "64" for "63".

[cpm9ball]

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

There's a formula, I know, but I could never figure out how to apply it. I think I recall it involves square roots.

 

I always thought roots were round.

 

Chris

[Walkerfan]

Sometimes, you just HAVE to have a coin, when it is doubtful that another that nice will ever come around again. I paid almost DOUBLE SHEET for a coin that I was SURE wouldn't go above 50% over sheet. When I checked it the day of the action it had gone OVER that point. I decided that I NEEDED that coin and paid almost 100% over sheet. I had not seen one like it either before or since, so I DO NOT regret that decision. I have underpaid for some coins, too, so it all EVENS OUT. Sometimes, the market MUST decide what a coin is truly worth and HOW BADLY someone really wants it. I see records broken ALL OF THE TIME. There are NO hard and fast rules----just how stratospheric are you willing to reach?

[Hard Times]

Greysheet is dealer to dealer wholesale. No great coin goes for that little at auction, at least in the series I collect. As John Agre told me, if I paid that little for a coin, something is wrong with it. Even dealers have to pony up for the nice ones at auction. Most of the CACed coins, many with rich eye appeal, go for PCGS published values and typically up to 30% higher (usually next grade up MV prices), at least in the series I bid on. I can't say for SLQ's though, but the toning on the OP coin is spotty so I am not sure I would pay such a premium on it. Mr. Feld's suggested bid sounds more reasonable.

 

Best, HT

[Kurtdog]

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

There's a formula, I know, but I could never figure out how to apply it. I think I recall it involves square roots.

I always thought roots were round.

 

Chris

Now that you reminded me, I always had trouble with those roots, too, they get stuck in my teeth.

[James_OldeTowne]

Just to clarify, are you trying to establish a price? or current market value?

 

A true auction is really the best way to establish something's current market value at a given point in time.

[erwindoc]

In a way both. Seems to me that the colors on the quarter are nice, but Im just not sure if its 700+ nice. I don't know the series as well as others, but I have heard that the SLQ series doesn't often come attractively toned.

[Kurtdog]

In a way both. Seems to me that the colors on the quarter are nice, but Im just not sure if its 700+ nice. I don't know the series as well as others, but I have heard that the SLQ series doesn't often come attractively toned.

Well, you want to price it, that's your first mistake, you have to know your market. Still, it's like real estate, you're just going off market comparables, and every coin is unique. Then, there's the marketing. You want top dollar for it, you want to call that blue periwinkle, as nobody in their right mind pays top dollar for blue.

[jpcienkus]

I hear all the time, collect what you like. I like coins that have eye appeal, but then again who doesn't want coins that have eye appeal! I try to find pieces for my collection that stand out, whether they are colorful or have blazing white PL surfaces. Some have stars, others don't. Often times, these coins don't fall in the normal price guide world.

 

So, how do you determine the price tag for eye appeal?

 

Eye appeal = subjective

 

Subjectivity is difficult to "price".

 

Even trying to properly convey via this post how I determine when I'll pay premiums for a coin is difficult. There are many factors, including strike, luster, condition rarity, price for next grade up, census, experience viewing the specific coin in that grade.

 

When I think, again it's my opinion of the coin, that I absolutely want that coin in my collection, like Physicsfan stated, I'll bid until I'm the highest at auction end. There have been some coins that I thought had excellent eye appeal and was willing to pay x premium and when the bid went over that, I stopped bidding. In those instances, I knew I could get another coin at the price I was willing to pay.

[Kurtdog]

Admit it, you'll pay more for periwinkle than blue!