Do you carry price guides in with you to shows or shops?

[pendragon1998]

Just wondering...

[DC Dawg]

YES!

[MunkyMan95]

Occasionally.

 

Usually, I do my research before I go to look for a coin, but if I'm just browsing I might bring a price guide to go by.

[bsshog40]

If I know I'm heading to buy coins somewhere, definately, I now carry a price guide of some sort!

[RUSS BEGA]

always. i mean unless i know what i'm looking for. if i find a common morgan in 63 im not going to look it up. but for other things i'm not as familar with i'll take a price guide

[CAP Freak]

Or I make a want list with price on it but I always bring something. You never know when the owner weants to swindle you out of cash...

[WoodenJefferson]

No...I just ask to see the Red Book on the shelf behind the counter.

 

No, really, I never have. You should be well aware of your interests prior to purchasing coins or whatever and be informed of prices and what you'd expect to pay.

 

Still, a random purchase outside your expertise or budget would be well worth a trip back to the car to take a peek at current values. Pretend you have to make a phone call...quickly look it up, re-enter the shop and your smarter than when you entered.

 

Course the dealer is going to watch you and go...uh ha, getting some ammunition are ya? Bring it on!

[DC Dawg]

Course the dealer is going to watch you and go...uh ha, getting some ammunition are ya? Bring it on!

OTOH, someone who does not know the prices and does not carry a price guide can be said, "uh ha... a sucker! Bring it on!!

 

Scott

[TomB]

It's my opinion that you are asking for trouble if you go to a show without proper protection.

[physics-fan3.14]

I usually carry a briefcase type thing, and inside there are a couple of price guides and my Franklin guide. If I see something I want, but am not sure of the price, I will walk down the aisle, out of view of the dealer, look it up, and then either go back or move on.

[pendragon1998]

Okay, so what do y'all carry in - gray sheet? What do dealers say to you when you look at the price guide in front of them?

[RUSS BEGA]

i carry what ever i have that given week/month. usually it's coin values minus 10% and they dont seem to care much except one dealer told me to leave and not to come back but i think it was partly because i'm 15

[Wihlborg]

Do I always carry a price guide when I go to a show, yes, I do. I carry the gray sheet and I have no problem checking it in front of a dealer. In fact, I see dealers doing this to one another all the time.

 

While I agree that one should have an idea about what various coins that may interest them are selling for, IMO it is next to impossible to memorize the actual bid and ask prices for every coin you may find at a show. Many popular sets have well over a hundred coins required to finish, that’s a lot of prices to remember even at only one grade level.

 

Having a price guide available when buying coins allows you to know if the price being asked for a coin is low, high, or right on. This helps you to make a more informed decision as to how much you are willing to pay for a particular coin. For instance, if a coin you are interested in is PQ for its grade, or has pretty toning, having a price guide available lets you know if a premium is being asked for it, and if so how much. This is true at the other end of the spectrum also. If the coin is a just made it for the grade example, do you really what to pay a solid for the grade, or worse yet PQ price?

 

Always bring a price guide. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

 

John

[Coinguy19]

one dealer told me to leave and not to come back but i think it was partly because i'm 15

 

I hate it so much when dealers treat me differently because I'm a kid.

[RUSS BEGA]

one dealer told me to leave and not to come back but i think it was partly because i'm 15

 

I hate it so much when dealers treat me differently because I'm a kid.

 

 

yea that happens to me all the time but i know alot of delaers that actually treat me with respect and relize that i do know a thing or two about numismatics

[WoodenJefferson]

I did not know that coin dealers carded you at the door?

 

 

Tough o be young...only if I had it to do over again.

 

Hang in there Russ...one day you will gain respect from even the worst of dealers.

[RUSS BEGA]

I did not know that coin dealers carded you at the door?

 

 

Tough o be young...only if I had it to do over again.

 

Hang in there Russ...one day you will gain respect from even the worst of dealers.

 

HAHAAHA... i am saving that if you dont mind! that is great! i know it's tough but i try. i mean i've won schlorships with the ANA and done all this other work and that still doesnt seem to matter...

[Shortgapbob-migration]

I usually have a greysheet in my binder that I carry with me. However, I usually do not open it up right there at a dealer's table. If I am unsure about the price of a coin, I usually leave the area and look it up.

[jom]

It's my opinion that you are asking for trouble if you go to a show without proper protection.

 

A sort of numismatic prophylactic?

 

jom

[rrantique]

It's my opinion that you are asking for trouble if you go to a show without proper protection.

 

A sort of numismatic prophylactic?

 

jom

 

Kinda reminds me of the movie with the Koneheads.

[TomB]

It's my opinion that you are asking for trouble if you go to a show without proper protection.

 

A sort of numismatic prophylactic?

 

jom

Exactly!

[WinstonWare]

I’m looking at greysheet.com right now and I can’t figure out which subscription deal I would order. Is it this second one or something else entirely?

[TomB]

If you are looking to buy the Greysheet on an irregular basis then I would suggest the $13.75 offer. If, however, you want to get the Greysheet regularly then I would suggest that you choose the once-a-month delivery option.

[michael]

Do you carry price guides in with you to shows or shops?

 

NEVER

 

the extraordinary and extraspecial quality of classic coins i like will NEVER, EVER be found in price guides....................

 

 

[michael]

not even close....................

[WinstonWare]

Do you carry price guides in with you to shows or shops?

 

NEVER

 

the extraordinary and extraspecial quality of classic coins i like will NEVER, EVER be found in price guides....................

 

 

That was going to be my next question. Considering that all coins don’t have the same eye-appeal, how does one know the appropriate amount to pay for a spectacular coin? Just overall market knowledge and experience?

[michael]

winston you hit the nail on the head

 

it is overall market knowledge and experience

 

unfortunately only decades of experience giving you the foremost key in pricing in the coin game is

 

not ONLY knowledge wihch is easy to get

 

BUT PERSPECTIVE which is hard to get and takes decades of experience on the bourse

[DC Dawg]

Thanks guys... you reminded me I need to pick up the $13 package so I can have it in Baltimore! It's late, so I hope it comes on time.

 

Scott

[Wihlborg]

Winston,

 

The gray sheet or any other price guide is just that, a guide. They will give you an idea of what the going price of an average example of a given coin is. Once you know what the price of an average example is, you can use that information to help you decide what you would be willing to pay for a particular coin you may have found at a show or coin shop.

 

If used correctly, price guides can help a collector in two ways. Sure, they can help keep you from overpaying for a coin, but more importantly in my opinion, they can help you decide how much you are willing to pay for a above average or really special coin. The key however is being able to tell if any given coin is below average, average, or above average for its grade.

 

Unfortunately for many collectors, they do not use price guides correctly. They tend to think of price guides as the absolute final say on what one should pay for a given coin regardless of where it falls in its grade range. They may find a truly outstanding example of a coin and expect to pay sheet price for it, or pay full sheet price for an ugly or just made it for the grade coin. Needless to say, someone like this won’t have many nice coins in their collection.

 

John

[jom]

Unfortunately for many collectors, they do not use price guides correctly.

 

Yup. In fact, price guides could KEEP you from buying nice coins if taken too seriously. However, the only real way of getting around it is having experience with that particular series. If you know a date that you know looks like *spoon* 99% of the time and you now find one that is well struck or one with toning you never see you will KNOW if the price (even though it's a big premium) is right. No price guide will help you in that situation.

 

jom