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Let’s be honest. If a collector
seeks to acquire coins destined to rise substantially in value over
time, there are really just a 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:
Coins that have been the most eagerly
pursued by the collector base for
decades are the same coins that will remain hot in the future.
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.
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| Dark red line illustrates value
increase pattern of the Key Date 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent in Good
condition, over a period of 50+ years. The blue line represents
value increase of the common date 1920 cent in Good condition over same
period of time. The graph does not depict dollar values of the
two coins; it is intended to show the dramatic effect of differing
growth rates over time. Because the 1909-S VDB has a proven track
record of performance, buyers of this coin can expect it to easily
outpace its common date contemporaries. |
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 much
higher prices 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.
Study Both Coins and History
On many occasions throughout the US Coin Values Advisor
website, numismatics is paralleled with story of America. The study of
coins is a lot more than just dates and mintmarks; an appreciation of
the historical underpinnings of the nation that issued them brings a
much broader picture into perspective. Nearly every page in the
"Coins Worth Collecting" section explores some historical connection.
In that light, we have a section devoted to the joint nature of coins
and US history. The image above is typical of the lessons you'll
find on US Coin Values Advisor. It is an advertisement meant for gold
seekers wanting to get to California from the US east coat by way of
boat. Following the discovery of gold, many
thousands of "49ers" headed west, soon leading to California
statehood and a branch
mint for San Francisco.
Public domain image.
Consequently, only a 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 veteran 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 "US Coin Types" link at
the upper right hand
corner of this page opens the door to individual pages reviewing
all regular issue coins issued by the United Stated Mint, ranging
from Half Cents
to gold Double Eagles. Every review contains a Key Date analysis, plus
links to buy these Key Date coins on eBay. These are definitely the
coins worth collecting.
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 on coin
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.
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