• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

The Official Red Book
0

32 posts in this topic

I am very new to coin collecting.  If I buy from a dealer, should I expect to pay the red book price of a coin?  I have seen many asking prices that are slightly higher than red book.  If I offer to pay the red book price, will most dealers look at me as if I am from another planet or is it a reasonable offer?  Thanks in advance for any info you might give.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello and Welcome!

While it's been quite a long time since I've collected US coins, I think I can help you out here.  The problem with the Red Book is that it only comes out once a year.  Therefore, it does not keep up with market prices very well.  In most cases, I'd say prices slightly higher than Red Book would be very reasonable.  However, it is important to note that fluctuations in bullion prices for many common coins made of precious metal can cause rapid and pronounced price increases and decreases and the market for key and semi key date coins also moves around more than that for common dates, so if you're in the market for keys, you may have to pay significantly higher prices than what is in the Red Book.  If the dealer's prices are slightly above Red Book prices, I wouldn't try to bring them down to Red Book prices......that could be considered rude as such prices are already very reasonable.  I personally wouldn't do so.  Remember, dealers need to make a profit and a good dealer should be in touch with what the market is doing at the present time, so their data would be more up to date than the Red Book.  Basically, the best way to look at the Red Book is as a US coin guidebook, but not necessarily an effective US coin price guide. 

I hope that this is of some help to you!

~Tom

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, bwolper said:

Tom,

Thank you for taking the time to give me such a thorough explanation.  Perhaps there will be more input from others.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

No problem.  I'm always glad to help out.  Jonathan also brought up some very good points with his response.  My fiancee and I are some of our favorite dealer's favorite customers.....we're always polite, we pretty much always buy something and we always pay cash.  We're also knowledgeable and have been able to help customers out when the guys at our favorite shop are slammed, just as Jonathan was able to.  And many good things have come our way from this shop, as Jonathan has said.   We're probably headed out there tomorrow actually......gotta go see if they have any new British stuff for my fiancee and any ancients or bird coins for me....I'm hoping to find a new addition for my budding Faustina the Younger collection.

And, to Jonathan, dirty secret here as well.....I've never owned a Red Book either.  What I know about it comes from my time working at a coin shop!  I read the shop's Red Books so that I could know what was in there when I sold them....and we sold A LOT of them!

Cheers to both of you!

~Tom

Edited by Mohawk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your posts are incredibly infomative.  Thank you again.  I will look forward to building a good relationship with a reputable dealer.  You suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Perhaps we will "speak" again.

Cheers to both of you.

Warm wishes,

Bruce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buying a Redbook is a good first step when starting out collecting US coins. The prices in there should mostly be  used as a guide in comparing one coin or series to another. As far as the actual price that you may pay, I have found the Redbook to be high in some instances, low in others. 

A good second step: be patient.  Learn as much as possible about the coins you want to collect. Being an informed collector will help you make wise purchases.

Welcome to the forum.:hi:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thinking about it, I want to make sure my glib-but-truthful statement on the red book isn't taken incorrectly. I think it can be of great value, especially to new collectors of US coins. Often to experienced collectors. I just have never had the need for one myself.

Now, Aorta--can't get along without it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, JKK said:

Thinking about it, I want to make sure my glib-but-truthful statement on the red book isn't taken incorrectly. I think it can be of great value, especially to new collectors of US coins. Often to experienced collectors. I just have never had the need for one myself.

Now, Aorta--can't get along without it.

You make a good point.  I didn't mean anything bad about the Red Book either, but some of what I wrote may sound that way.  We sold a lot of them at the shop I worked at because it IS a good reference for US coin collectors.  I agree with everything you said :) .......especially about Aorta!  I thank you again for suggesting that to me.....I always have my head in that book now!

Edited by Mohawk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where Aorta will really show its worth is when someone shows you a worn AE3 where they can't even identify the emperor, and you'll reach into the middle of the informational mess and pull out a positive ID. They'll think it's sorcery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bwolper said:

Bob,

Thank you for the warm welcome and the good advice.  I look forward to spending time building my collection.

Bruce

Welcome to the forum Bruce, you seem like you'll fit in well here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think of the Redbook as akin to an encyclopedia of U.S. coins.  The prices I see in the Red Book are just a general guide to the relative value of the coins in any particular series.  I have never relied on the Red Book to set prices when selling or paying for a coin.  I doubt if many dealers use it that way either.  Instead, I would educate myself thoroughly about the current market and if I am looking for a specific coin, I will actually use the SOLD prices on Ebay to get a feel for the market at any given moment.  

If I am looking for a 1909S VDB Lincoln in VF condition, I see today that the SOLD prices can vary wildly from as low as $579 for a VF20 ANACS slabbed, to as high as $775 for a VF35 in a PCGS OGC holder.  Now you have a range to look at and decide what you are willing to pay for a slabbed (non-details) 09S VDB.  If someone wants $750 for a VF20, you can decide, based on your research, if you are willing to pay that.  It's your choice, but you have done your due diligence and know the general range. 

Buying a raw coin, especially a relative rarity like the 09S VDB requires even more research and a very good understanding of both grading and the flaws, like obvious cleaning or rim dings, that would cause a coin to lose value, even at a higher grade.  So, best policy is join a local coin club, if possible, befriend those experienced collectors in the club, and study, study, study.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, bwolper said:

Wow, thank you Mokiechan.  Your post thick with great information and advice.

Thank you for taking the time.

Bruce

Happy to add my two cents (so to speak) Bruce.  You will find the vast majority of more experienced collectors LOVE to help newer collectors.  That is one thing I love about this hobby.  Regards, Malcolm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a few Red Books on the bookshelf as I always pick them, and other coin related books, up whenever I see them at the thrift store.  No luck yet finding the 1947 edition but holding out hope.  Did score a nice copy of "A guidebook of Modern European Coins" dated 1965 this year - nothing too special but a nice addition for 50 cents. 

Like many of the responders so far I don't think I've actually used it for checking prices though.  Except one time where my son bought an VF indian head for $10 and I showed him in the 1960's era Red Book that the same coin, same condition, was listed for $10 over 50 years ago - but those in MS condition have changed price points quite a bit.  Used it as a teaching lesson on the finer point of "buying the best coin you can afford" if you intend to resell it later.  The header categories in Red Book have some good tips on identifying high points on certain coin series from what I recall.

For pricing purposes I tend to hit 3 sites mainly to determine a baseline:  CDN Greysheet (both the app & the site) - has ongoing updates including eBay sales data, reflects more of a raw pricing point and what I'd expect to pay in a retail setting +/- 10%; eBay recently sold - you'll have to review more sales to determine what's fair, was it an auction or buy it now?, common or rare?, etc...; and Great Collections auction archives - best if you're looking at the top end of graded coins but also useful to determine a fair price on varieties that you may not find listed/sold very often on eBay alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/22/2019 at 10:04 PM, Crawtomatic said:

I've got a few Red Books on the bookshelf as I always pick them, and other coin related books, up whenever I see them at the thrift store.  No luck yet finding the 1947 edition but holding out hope.  Did score a nice copy of "A guidebook of Modern European Coins" dated 1965 this year - nothing too special but a nice addition for 50 cents. 

Like many of the responders so far I don't think I've actually used it for checking prices though.  Except one time where my son bought an VF indian head for $10 and I showed him in the 1960's era Red Book that the same coin, same condition, was listed for $10 over 50 years ago - but those in MS condition have changed price points quite a bit.  Used it as a teaching lesson on the finer point of "buying the best coin you can afford" if you intend to resell it later.  The header categories in Red Book have some good tips on identifying high points on certain coin series from what I recall.

For pricing purposes I tend to hit 3 sites mainly to determine a baseline:  CDN Greysheet (both the app & the site) - has ongoing updates including eBay sales data, reflects more of a raw pricing point and what I'd expect to pay in a retail setting +/- 10%; eBay recently sold - you'll have to review more sales to determine what's fair, was it an auction or buy it now?, common or rare?, etc...; and Great Collections auction archives - best if you're looking at the top end of graded coins but also useful to determine a fair price on varieties that you may not find listed/sold very often on eBay alone.

thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/22/2019 at 6:49 AM, bwolper said:

Thank you for the warm welcome and the good advice.  I look forward to spending time building my collection.

Bruce

Bruce, it's been 3 years....how goes the collection ?  What coins are you pursuing ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anybody have a copy of the 1989 and/or 1990 Red Books ?

I was wondering what they used as the prices for those books, given the bubble pricing that existed until May 1989.  The date for each is hugely important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/11/2023 at 11:55 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Does anybody have a copy of the 1989 and/or 1990 Red Books ?

I was wondering what they used as the prices for those books, given the bubble pricing that existed until May 1989.  The date for each is hugely important.

I save many years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/12/2023 at 12:05 PM, VKurtB said:

I save many years.

Can you tell me what price they have for an MS-65 1924 Saint and/or 1880-S MS-65 Morgan ?  2 generic coins widely available....should indicate when they priced them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one Redbook, and it is informative, especially for a new collector. It allows a collector to get familiar with different coins, different mintages, and "base" prices for coins listed in it. When it comes to price, though, it is merely only a guide. I use the term "base" when it comes to values listed because there are many factors involved in what the market price is for a particular coin : its quality, its eye appeal, its rarity and mintage number, its survivability number, the demand for a particular coin, its surface (whether or not it was cleaned or damaged). Right now, inflation is affecting coin prices. Also, coins at auction can go for substantially higher than even a dealer will charge as the bidders can get into bidding wars over certain coins while some auctions can end below Redbook prices if the coin does not garner much interest.

You may feel a dealer is overcharging for a coin, but they have to cover their costs and make some type of profit to keep their doors open. That is where your Redbook can come in handy if you are looking to buy from a dealer who actually IS overcharging by trying to sell a coin with high mintage for four, six, or sometimes ten times the Redbook value, it should be a red flag when buying from that dealer. You can establish a relationship with a dealer when you buy volume and pay cash from the same dealer helping move his inventory. Sometimes then, they will "cut you a deal" especially when you buy several coins at once. But, once again, you usually will pay the dealer asking price for quite sometime before that relationship is established.

If you use your Redbook as a guide, keeping in mind the situation you are making a purchase in (face to face, raw or slabbed, in person auction, internet auction, internet buy it now, etc.), the Redbook should serve its intended purpose. I tend to lean more towards internet price guides as they are updated frequently (sometimes weekly or in some cases daily as coins are graded by TPG's and bought or sold), but I do start my research on a coin that I fancy by looking it up in the Redbook first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/12/2023 at 12:55 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I was wondering what they used as the prices for those books, given the bubble pricing that existed until May 1989.  The date for each is hugely important.

Just curious why some historical pricing would be so important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/13/2023 at 5:31 PM, EagleRJO said:

Just curious why some historical pricing would be so important.

Because prices took off H1 1989 and then plunged, it would be interesting to see what they used for pricing that year.  Do they get prices at a fixed point like March or June or September or even December ?

I was just curious, because the volatility in 1989 and 1990 was off-the-charts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/14/2023 at 1:11 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Because prices took off H1 1989 and then plunged, it would be interesting to see what they used for pricing that year.  Do they get prices at a fixed point like March or June or September or even December ?

I was just curious, because the volatility in 1989 and 1990 was off-the-charts.

Sometimes the price guide in the red book does not change every year. With that in mind I do not think it would help you out much. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/14/2023 at 6:12 AM, J P M said:

Sometimes the price guide in the red book does not change every year. With that in mind I do not think it would help you out much. 

It was really just a curiosity hunt.  Nothing major. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I have the 1984 and the 1994, and the only one in between those is the 1989. (Face year) The highest grade they even SHOW on the Saint is MS-60. It’s at $750.00. The 1880-S Morgan in MS-65 is at $500.00. The LOWEST Unc. AGE was $425.00. Remember, only 60 and 65 grades existed then among MS.

Edited by VKurtB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/14/2023 at 1:20 PM, VKurtB said:

Okay, I have the 1984 and the 1994, and the only one in between those is the 1989. (Face year) The highest grade they even SHOW on the Saint is MS-60. It’s at $750.00. The 1880-S Morgan in MS-65 is at $500.00. The LOWEST Unc. AGE was $425.00. Remember, only 60 and 65 grades existed then among MS.

After 1986/87...then you had all different number grades.  So any Red Book after 1987 should have more specificity though they may have continued the old format for a while (I have the 1970 Red Book besides the 2014 edition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0