Thursday, September 24, 2009

Advice on Collecting Coins

Saturday, September 5, 2009

How to Price Coins

By [http://www.articlesengine.com/Author/Edwin-Sproat/17958/1] Edwin Sproat

There are many factors affecting the price of a collectible coin. One concerns the level of demand and supply. If the supply is greater than the demand, the price will go down. However, if the demand is high but supply is low, the price shoots up.

Aside from being a hobby, collecting coins is also a business. The investors, collectors, and dealers influenced the demand for the coins. However, the dealers are the most influential of the three. They make their earnings by selling the pieces they acquired higher than what they initially paid for them.

The level of prices also varies depending on the parties involved in the transaction. If the dealers are doing business with coin enthusiasts or investors, they use the retail prices. However, if they face fellow dealers, they offer wholesale prices. Coin aficionados can always conduct their own research regarding the approximate prices of the coins they have. They can compare their findings of the rare coin values with what the dealers offer and discuss disputes. They can also refer to the published prices, which indicate the different levels of prices available to interested parties.

Often, dealers would pay less than the wholesale value of a coin in order to make profit. This is not advantageous for collectors and investors who decide to sell some of their coins. They would not be able to maximize the return of their investment. While they have the option not to do business with dealers, finding someone who is willing to purchase the coins they have is difficult.

On the contrary, there are benefits of purchasing coins from dealers. These are:

1. Highly regarded coin dealers can provide certificate of authenticity for the coin they sell.

2. They can give you sensible assessments of the possible grade of the coins you have.

3. You can also acquire information from them regarding possible problems that you may have overlooked. They are familiar with the different issues arising from coin condition. Their experience enables them to spot problems that others might have missed.

Other factors affecting coin value include grade and rarity. The grade is the most important factor when pricing newer coins. What is their current condition? Are their bent edges or scratches? However, this is not always the case. When pricing old coins, the date is more important. When were they minted and how many of those were produced? If it is a very rare coin, there is greater possibility that the price is also higher.

It is best if you consult the experts if you really want to know the value of your coins. There are experts in terms of grading coins. Often, dealers would do free appraisal of your coins if you were selling them. In addition, there are also paid services for grading coins. Although will shell out a few bucks, you can be certain of the accuracy of the value of your collectibles.

The most important thing is to study the market. Find out where you can sell your coin for utmost returns. See to it that you are knowledgeable about your collections as well. Find out how much it is priced so that you can negotiate reasonably.
Article Source: [http://www.articlesengine.com/Article/How-to-Price-Coins/323729/1]Articles Engine

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Tips For Buying Collectibles on eBay

by Kirsten Hawkins

Buying collectibles is one of the most enjoyable things to do on eBay, simply because you can find so many things that you just can’t get anywhere else. Here are a few tips to help you on your way.
Find your Category.
You’ll probably find that all the items you’re after are listed in a single category. Add this category to your browser’s Favorites, and keep coming back.
Look for Mistakes.
If you collect something, the chances are you know a lot about it. This can be your opportunity to make a mint from a seller’s mistake. They might not realise that they have a rare version of an item, or they might have left off the key information that makes it valuable. If you’re willing to email the seller and ask them a few questions about the item to confirm that it is what you think it is, then you should be able to buy items like these. You can then resell them at a big profit, if that’s what you want to do.
Don’t Always Believe Descriptions.
If you find something you haven’t heard of, and the description calls it ‘rare’, don’t assume that it actually is. Far too many sellers just put ‘rare’ into all of their descriptions – the chances are that the item is common and has just been described wrongly. Don’t bid unless you know what you’re buying.
Stalk Other Users.
When you collect something, you’ll probably notice that there are four or five sellers who seem to come up with consistently good items – and the same buyers buying them. Add their user pages to your Favorites, and check back often to see what they’ve got – or what they’re bidding on – that you might be interested in.
Don’t Get Too Attached to an Auction.
There are millions of items being listed every day on eBay – whatever you want, it’ll come around again, and if you don’t get it there are plenty more things to buy. This is similar to the golden rule of negotiating: always be prepared to walk away. If you can’t walk away, then expect to pay over the odds. There are few things so rare that another seller won’t have one to sell. Go and bid in a lower-priced auction, instead of getting into a bidding war in one that is already expensive.
Beware of the Postage.
If you collect lots of small things with a relatively low value, you might end up paying as much for postage as you do for each item. You should take these costs into consideration when you make your bid. Another good strategy is to always buy a few things at once from the same buyer, as they will almost always offer you a discount on the postage.
When you’re bidding, you might notice that some auctions go more slowly than others, going days at a time without any new bids. The next email tells you how to take advantage of these ‘slow’ auctions.
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Tips-For-Buying-Collectibles-On-eBay./2070