Price discrepancy between various publications 0

[Jblindy]

I'm curious why there are differences in the retail value of a coin when I check values with PCGS, NGC, and Grey Sheet?  PCGS always show higher than NGC but the Grey Sheet will sometimes show higher than PCGS and sometimes the price listed will be lower.  Is the price determined an average of the winning bid within set timeframes?

[RWB]

Many of the "price guide" listings are poorly constructed and should be treated as rough estimates - literally a guide, not a precise trail. Further, only the most common and ordinary collector coins - those easily available - actually trade at somewhat uniform prices. Coin prices vary with the opinion of buyer and seller - there is nearly always some sort of "camel trading" going on. Thus, one 1895 proof dollar might sell for $10,000 more (or less) than another of allegedly identical "grade."

[Jblindy]

On 10/15/2021 at 11:27 AM, RWB said:

Many of the "price guide" listings are poorly constructed and should be treated as rough estimates - literally a guide, not a precise trail. Further, only the most common and ordinary collector coins - those easily available - actually trade at somewhat uniform prices. Coin prices vary with the opinion of buyer and seller - there is nearly always some sort of "camel trading" going on. Thus, one 1895 proof dollar might sell for $10,000 more (or less) than another of allegedly identical "grade."

Thank you for the response. My next to you then is what do you use to determine the value of a coin you are interested in, aside from your experience?  
I’ve been using the three publications I listed above, and take the lowest value listed as my guide. Is that hurting me or helping me. I don’t intend to sell the coins I buy for a profit, but I don’t want to over pay on a coin I’m interested either. 

[RWB]

If the coin is a more common one, then try averaging the guide values for the grade you want to buy. Use this as a target to meet or beat as you search on-line and in person. By doing this, you will also begin to see a more realistic price range for the coin you want, and you can then relate that back to the price guides. You probably want the best value for money, so don;t expect the "perfect" coin at the best price to suddenly pop-up. You should also expect to negotiate with a seller.