Let’s be honest. If a collector seeks to acquire coins destined to rise substantially in value over time, there are few rare coins worth collecting. It’s easy to find online coin auctions where tons of collector coins are for sale at any moment, but only a tiny handful of them are likely to reward their owners with strong price advancements in the years ahead.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with assembling a collection while ignoring potential financial returns; in fact, it can be argued this approach embodies the pure essence of the coin hobby. However, numismatic ambitions can be fulfilled while simultaneously buying coins of solid investment potential. The question is, then, how does a buyer sort through thousands of offerings to isolate the coins worth collecting for the purpose of reselling someday at a higher price?

Case in Point: eBay US coin auctions. For sure, rare coin values of exceptional growth potential lurk throughout the massive eBay coin auction universe, but developing an effective strategy to search for blue chippers requires some understanding of long term value trends for individual collectible coins. Succinctly stated:

The underlying cause for their popularity is genuine scarcity, relative to other coins in a given series (e.g. 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent). “Key Dates” is numismatic jargon for these favored coins, and because of the Supply/Demand law, are characterized by the steepest price inclines, when charted against their more common counterparts.

US Coin Values Advisor has another name for them: “Bullish US Coins”. We have an entire section devoted to the study of Bullish US Coins, where Key Dates for numerous coin series are identified and reviewed in depth, accompanied by brief forays into American history. Long term value trends demonstrating their consistent appeal were mined from the data of Coin Value Tables compiled by our company.

We believe that if collectors strive to purchase properly graded Bullish US coins, they will attain two lofty objectives: (1) proudly own a numismatic legacy of high regard, and (2) realize a significantly higher price down the road, should the decision someday be made to sell.

As we research new Coin Value Tables, it is our intention to spotlight additional Bullish US Coins. Much effort goes into the Tables, and at present, only a limited number of them have been developed. Consequently, few coins have been  named to the Bullish US Coin honor roll. Based on the traffic patterns to our website, we know there are a lot of coin buyers seeking tips on coins poised to climb in price. Unfortunately, we’re turning out Tables at a tortoise pace, making it difficult to deliver Bullish US Coin information in a timely manner.

We have endeavored to speed up the process. Here's how: As do most experienced numismatists, we know what the Key Dates are, prior to compiling any Coin Value Tables. The trend data we gather generally confirms their bullish nature, and furthermore, ranks the magnitude of their bullishness. The links to  the right will take you to buy coins on eBay, Key Date coins, that is, ranging from  Half Cents to gold Double Eagles. These are definitely coins worth  collecting that sooner or later qualify for the Bullish US Coin list. Also, every coin featured comes with some high level value trend data, so you’ll have a little  extra insight as you search eBay coin auction listings.

When you acquire Key Date rare coins, you have every reason to expect them to rise in value, higher and higher the longer you keep them. The biggest risk when you buy coins on eBay, or anywhere else, is with the honesty of the people  selling them. We have a full section oncoin buying advice to help you avoid frequent pitfalls.

When it comes to buying rare, valuable coins, a good rule to follow is to buy only coins that have been certified by a reputable grading service. Sadly, there are some unscrupulous operators who cheat innocent buyers by overstating the grade of coins they sell. This happens all too often on eBay US coin auctions. To help pull off this fraud, they align themselves with some official sounding grading service that purposely inflates grades. For example, a victim may end up paying an MS-65 price for an MS-60 coin. Two of the oldest and most reputable coin grading companies are PCGS and NGC. There is also ANACS and ICG, both of which are highly regarded. There probably are other good grading services, but these are clearly four of the best.

Of course, not all coins worth collecting are certified. We see this almost exclusively with the more common date material. The main thing to remember is to do business with coin dealers who are on the level with their customers. One trustworthy dealer we can safely recommend is Jake’s Marketplace, located in the Chicago area. We’ve had dealings with them in the past and can attest to their integrity. One reason Jakes has been around since 1963 is because they treat their customers fairly, and offer good merchandise at competitive prices. You can shop at Jakes with confidence!