In article ,
" Barron" wrote:

I am a relatively new collector. I subscribe to CDN and have a trusty
2008 Red Book. PCGS and Numismedia offer online price information.
What is the best reference source to use to get the best obtainable
prices. CDN is not always accepted at coin shows. Also, does one coin price
reference do a better job than another with different coin types? Any
response will be appreciated. Thanks

Does "CDN is not always accepted at coin shows" mean that dealers aren't
always willing to sell you coins at CDN prices? You can certainly bring
it to and consult it at coin shows. As noted at the bottom of page 1,
prices in the Greysheet are supposed to be representative of what
dealers are paying each other, and collectors should generally expect to
pay more. That said, it's still the best price guide in print to bring
to shows and coin shops.

I suggest you ask a dealer something like "what's the best you can do on
that coin?" and compare the response to the CDN price. If it's more
than 10-20% over ask, you may be able to find a better deal elsewhere
(depending on exactly what sort of coin, how nice it is for the grade,
etc.). If you're attending shows that usually have many of the same
dealers, use these interactions to determine which ones are likely to
quote you the best prices and which you might as well avoid.

Of course, it's critically important that the coin is properly graded.
An overgraded or problem coin at bid is usually no bargain. Work on
your ability to grade coins and identify problems and, if you don't yet
feel comfortable doing that, stick to coins certified by one of the top
tier grading services and/or graded by someone whose ability you trust.

When you established yourself as a serious coin buyer by spending
several hundred if not thousands of dollars with the same dealers on
multiple occasions, you'll find that some of them will be more willing
to quote you prices at or close to the sheet.

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Chuck D'Ambra, Telesphere Numismatics
web site address: www.telecoins.com
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