Contest Thread - Eric Babula
Eric Babula
ebaY, to get some extra cash. My goal is to sell about $1,000.00 of
coins, and buy something nice for my collection.
I'm debating on what to do with the money, though. How do I make the
best coin-use of this $1K?
Should I buy a few mid-grade (maybe F-12ish) key or semi-key date coins
(most likely Morgans), which I don't currently have in my collection?
That would fill some holes in my album, and I could get a few of them.
Maybe I could pick up duplicates, for future resale at a profit - keys
do go up in value pretty decently.
Or, since most of my Morgan collection is AU or better, should I buy
only one or two AU+ key or semi-key Morgans to match the collection?
Or, now that I saw Barry's Type Set (you bastard, Barry!), I want to
have something like that! Maybe I go that route????
Or, since I don't have any gold in my collection, do you think I should
buy a nice AU+ St. Gaudens something-or-other?
Or, should I just buy $100+/- face in junk silver and wait till it goes
up to $20/oz, and resell for the profit, so I can get an even nicer
present for myself?
I guess what I'm saying, is I'm really, really undecided/torn on what to
get with the extra cash I'm going to have.
So, what would you do with an extra $1,000.00? No hooker, etc., stories,
please! I'm looking for ideas on what kind of COINS you'd buy, or
suggestions on a good route for me to take.
TIA,
--
Eric Babula
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Steve Ruud
unto the very living rock upon which we now stand:
>So, as many of you know, I'm selling off some of my duplicate coins on
>ebaY, to get some extra cash. My goal is to sell about $1,000.00 of
>coins, and buy something nice for my collection.
>
>I'm debating on what to do with the money, though. How do I make the
>best coin-use of this $1K?
>
>Should I buy a few mid-grade (maybe F-12ish) key or semi-key date coins
>(most likely Morgans), which I don't currently have in my collection?
>That would fill some holes in my album, and I could get a few of them.
>Maybe I could pick up duplicates, for future resale at a profit - keys
>do go up in value pretty decently.
>
>Or, since most of my Morgan collection is AU or better, should I buy
>only one or two AU+ key or semi-key Morgans to match the collection?
>
>Or, now that I saw Barry's Type Set (you bastard, Barry!), I want to
>have something like that! Maybe I go that route????
>
>Or, since I don't have any gold in my collection, do you think I should
>buy a nice AU+ St. Gaudens something-or-other?
>
>Or, should I just buy $100+/- face in junk silver and wait till it goes
>up to $20/oz, and resell for the profit, so I can get an even nicer
>present for myself?
Given the close of Silver today ($11.19), that may be a while!
>I guess what I'm saying, is I'm really, really undecided/torn on what to
>get with the extra cash I'm going to have.
>
>So, what would you do with an extra $1,000.00? No hooker, etc., stories,
>please! I'm looking for ideas on what kind of COINS you'd buy, or
>suggestions on a good route for me to take.
It seems that the advice I've heard is "buy the best of key dates that
you can afford". With that in mind, I think you might want to look
into putting the entire $1K into a single key in the best grade you
can find for that price. If no key is available in that range, then I
would go with semi-keys that would match the rest of your collection
or consider buying the keys for the next series you will be working
on.
Steve
Buy the book before the coin
don't forget to *READ* the book after you've bought it!
It doesn't do anything just sitting on the shelf
(remove ATTITUDE to reply via e-mail)
It's more than you think:
http://www.premierpersonalization.com
Ed Hendricks
> So, as many of you know, I'm selling off some of my duplicate coins on
> ebaY, to get some extra cash. My goal is to sell about $1,000.00 of
> coins, and buy something nice for my collection.
>
> I'm debating on what to do with the money, though. How do I make the
> best coin-use of this $1K?
>
> Should I buy a few mid-grade (maybe F-12ish) key or semi-key date
> coins (most likely Morgans), which I don't currently have in my
> collection? That would fill some holes in my album, and I could get a
> few of them. Maybe I could pick up duplicates, for future resale at a
> profit - keys do go up in value pretty decently.
I think this is the option I would probably choose. Buy some mid-grade keys
(not necessarily Morgans) in PCGS plastic and wait. Not with the intent of
finishing a series, but just as an "investment" hedge.
>
> Or, since most of my Morgan collection is AU or better, should I buy
> only one or two AU+ key or semi-key Morgans to match the collection?
Chances are you will not complete a set of Morgan's in AU+ (you will always
have to contend with the 93S, the 95O and the 89CC). So, since that is a
lost cause, I would not choose this option. :-)
>
> Or, now that I saw Barry's Type Set (you bastard, Barry!), I want to
> have something like that! Maybe I go that route????
I'm with you here!! Barry's post made me salivate. I am seriously thinking
of getting a type set Dansco and starting a collection. I have a few of
them in decent grades but need many, many more. Since I don't have
thousands of dollars to work with at any given time, I would have to shop
carefully and buy wisely. I would have to go to a LOT of coin shows (yeah,
that's the ticket). :-) It would be a challenge for years to come.
--
忽帕
~
Ed Hendricks
Brian Blackwell
"Eric Babula" <eba...@care2.com> wrote in message
news:Xns97DCAC7E67A5...@66.192.254.231...
bri
Buy what you like and will enjoy for years--don't just get a key date coin
because it's a key date.
For me personally I just don't like seeing BU+ coins in a set sitting next
to a F12 dog.
Odds are that a really high graded coin is overgraded by at least one grade.
So if you see a coin in a scarce MS66 that's $1000 while all the
not-so-scarce MS65's are $350 there are greater odds that you can get a MS66
for $350. Just have to find one that's undergraded is all--LOL-- not easy to
do but it's not impossible to do either.
If you get one coin make sure it's the grade just below the big price
jump--that way there's room to grow.
I'd get any pre-1815 Bust coin. Or some proof IHC's with tone. How about an
overdate Merc? Boy I love spending your money--you could get a pair of high
grade Barber halves or a really nice scarce-date full step Jefferson.
Mr. Blackwell really wants to tell you to buy a 1981 K district Lone star
note. ;-)
Brian Blackwell
"bri" <you...@awildparty.com> wrote in message
news:lp4ig.3464$lp....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
Brian Blackwell
"bri" <you...@awildparty.com> wrote in message
news:lp4ig.3464$lp....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> note. ;-)
Barry
I vote for a type set. The killer coins in terms of price are the
early coppers ande the Seated Dollars (assuming you don't get the
optional gold page.) Plan ahead so your set is well-matched. I
learned a lot from that set, as I was looking at coin types I never
looked at before.
Barry
--
Note - Remove the X from my e-mail address for direct replies
Eric Babula
news:pn7h82lcant4opn4j...@4ax.com:
For junk silver, my gut still says $20 by the end of the year, or first
quarter next year, at the latest. But, that's just my gut feeling. I
have no clue, or facts to base that prediction on.
There's my problem. Since I'm a collector first, and hoping for a good
investment second, if I bought a $1K key, it would certainly be
something that is NOT currently in my collection. So, my tendency would
be to want to keep it. I wouldn't want to give it up, since I don't have
any others of that year/MM in my collection.
OTOH, I do know that keys do appreciate nicely, and if I could get over
that collection fix, it would be a nice investment - possibly even
better than throwing the $1K in the stock market. So, maybe I just look
at it that way, and enjoy the coin while I have it.
Jonathan_ATC
> So, what would you do with an extra $1,000.00? No hooker, etc., stories,
> please! I'm looking for ideas on what kind of COINS you'd buy, or
> suggestions on a good route for me to take.
>
> TIA,
>
> --
> Eric Babula
> Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
>
Well, loads of people might knock me for this, but I would go for (for
myself) early commemoratives. I'd like some natural toned examples for my
collection, but can't afford them on my salary. There's loads of nice
examples out there I'd like to have. Many with high relief.
That's what I'd go for.
Jonathan_ATC
Eric Babula
news:l-ednc3txsF9NBXZ...@comcast.com:
It's true I'll probably never complete an AU+ Morgan set. But, for now,
I'm not against having lower-grade keys. Maybe when I win the lottery, I
can afford the higher-grade keys.
See, now Barry screwed both of us! I want his type set, too! I'm
considering getting the Dansco and starting the type set. My problem is
that I want one as gorgeous as his! Will I be happy with the type set
that I can actually afford????? Maybe. But, I'd be much, MUCH happier
with a type set as nice as that one!!!
Bruce Remick
How about a couple of those huge, beautiful, 16th or 17th century European
thalers that we saw photos of here a short time ago?
Bruce
Eric Babula
news:lp4ig.3464$lp....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:
I wouldn't be opposed to the F-12, if it was a really expensive key-date
coin. It would always be a conversation piece. 'Why is that one so worn
compared to the other ones?' 'Well, because that's considered a key-date
coin, and would cost me in excess of $30,000 to get it in similar grade
to the others! I'll have to wait till I win the lottery to get that one
in a similar grade.'
Thanks for making things even more convoluted for me, bri! The pre-1815
Bust coin sounds like fun, too! I'll have to pass on the Barber series
(really don't like them), and the Jefferson, though.
Hmm, maybe the Bust coin could be part of my new type set.
Eric Babula
news:m7li8216poa48uck5...@4ax.com:
> Eric,
> I vote for a type set. The killer coins in terms of price are the
> early coppers ande the Seated Dollars (assuming you don't get the
> optional gold page.) Plan ahead so your set is well-matched. I
> learned a lot from that set, as I was looking at coin types I never
> looked at before.
> Barry
>
Yeah, Barry - you're just mean, Mean, MEAN!!!
I really want to have a type set like that one! I'm sure it cost way
more than my budget would allow, though.
If I wanted a type set like that, I'm thinking I'd have to pick a grade,
or a slight grade range (say, F-12 to VF-30), and stick to it, no? I
have no idea what you paid for the coins in your type set (I guess I
could look up similar coins and get a general idea), but man! You should
be proud to have accumulated such a beautiful set of coins! Just those
few coins make my entire collection look like crap! I'm jealous!
I still like my crap collection, though! ;-)
Amistad
> If I wanted a type set like that, I'm thinking I'd have to pick a grade,
> or a slight grade range (say, F-12 to VF-30), and stick to it, no?
Eric, the suggestion that Barry gave is indeed a good one. A year or so
ago, I finished that Dansco 7070 set (but not the gold page, in fact I have
no gold at all), and it was one heckuva lot of fun to do! Though *my* type
set would run and hide with covered face if Barry's walked into the room,
nonetheless, I am pleased to have them. I started off with a target grade
of Fine or better, and most of my coins meet that requirement. However,
most of the early coppers are VG at best.
After filling that last hole, I have since upgraded a couple of pieces. I've
found that this set is really the heart of my collecting enjoyment, and I
can foresee that it will be a delight for me to work at upgrading other
residents of the album along the way. In fact, I can see that this may be a
project where the upgrading really never ends, until I reach a point where
it would not be financially possible for me to do any more with it...
Amistad
'onward and upward!'
Dave Hinz
> See, now Barry screwed both of us! I want his type set, too! I'm
> considering getting the Dansco and starting the type set. My problem is
> that I want one as gorgeous as his! Will I be happy with the type set
> that I can actually afford????? Maybe. But, I'd be much, MUCH happier
> with a type set as nice as that one!!!
I've got that same Dansco type set album. The contents, however, ...
Eric, I stopped out at the dealer on Calhoun and Capitol, ever been out
there? He's got some nice stuff, well displayed, including some type
coins I need to buy. It's a ways out of the way but it's worth the trip
I think. His margin on silver is also +/- $0.75 per ounce which is
nice.
Eric Babula
news:4etek2F...@individual.net:
You mean Greater Milwaukee Coin & Jewelry? That's the dealer I like to
go to, if I go. They're good people over there! As a matter of fact, I
should get out there again - I have some Morgans, somewhere, that I'd
like to have them send to PCGS for grading. And, maybe I can buy that
Dansco type set album from them, while I'm there.
Dave Hinz
> Dave Hinz <Dave...@spamcop.net> wrote in
> news:4etek2F...@individual.net:
>
>> been out there?
> You mean Greater Milwaukee Coin & Jewelry? That's the dealer I like to
> go to, if I go. They're good people over there!
Yup, that's the one. Seemed friendly, good prices, realistic grading
from what I could see. They don't seem to have as much junk silver on
hand as Derzon does, so if I'm buying coin, I'll keep going there, but
for bullion or selling, or for numismatic purchases, I'll probably drive
up there.
> As a matter of fact, I
> should get out there again - I have some Morgans, somewhere, that I'd
> like to have them send to PCGS for grading. And, maybe I can buy that
> Dansco type set album from them, while I'm there.
They have 'em, or did tuesday. They also sell individual pages, I saw,
didn't check out which ones.
Barry
The 3 lowest grade coins are the 1804 HC, 1803 LC and 1814 LC (the 2
LCs were about $900 each.) They are all VF30. I spent a LONG time
looking for that 1814 LC. Most Classic Head LCs have rough
surfaces... Most of the other older coins are AU+ with a few XF45's
and some MS coins, depending on value. For example, it would have
been silly to look for an AU Buff Nick when the 1938-D MS63 was under
$20. Same thing with the IHCs, Lincs, etc. The most expensive coin
in the set is the 1849 Seated Dollar, ex-NGC AU58, for $1100. And at
the other end is the MS-something clad dime, worth less than $1.
Including the gold, the overall cost of the set was about 14K. It
took me 2-3 years to put it all together, and as I said in an earlier
psot there are 2 or 3 coins I'm looking to replace when I find the
right one.
The nice thing about the this kind of set is you get to make the
rules. My suggestion is to group the types by grade. For example,
you may want to go with VG coins in the early coppers, AU in small
cents, then go for (F/VF) in classic silver, etc. Also, there's no
need to rush. If it takes 5 years, so be it.
I got my inspriration from one of the other guys on the PCGS forum by
the name of Baley. If you do a search on his ID, you'll find his set,
which looks very much like mine. He probably inspired 15-20 other
guys on the forum to do type sets, too (in a wide range of grades.)
Barry
Eric Babula
news:engj825iu1a3v6hld...@4ax.com:
Well, Barry - I think you've inspired me to do a type set, too! Of
course, I don't have the disposable cash you have/had, so my set will
NOT look very much like yours!
But, it seems like a very fun thing to do, over time. I could fill holes
with what I have and can afford right now, and upgrade as I get
available cash.
Eric Babula
news:Daeig.3543$o4....@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
> Well, loads of people might knock me for this, but I would go for (for
> myself) early commemoratives. I'd like some natural toned examples
> for my collection, but can't afford them on my salary. There's loads
> of nice examples out there I'd like to have. Many with high relief.
>
> That's what I'd go for.
>
> Jonathan_ATC
>
>
>
Why would anyone knock you? You are allowed to collect whatever you want.
There are tons of great commems out there - early and modern! They're not
for me....yet....but I do love the look of many of them.
I think I'll pass on the commems, for now. But, thanks for the
suggestion!
Jonathan_ATC
news:Xns97DF5695780D...@24.94.170.98...
I don't know why people knock commem collectors. Some folks seem to believe
it is not really a coin if it isn't made pre-18th century. I've gotten a
lot of flack in other groups. But, I like what I like. What do you think
you'll be doing with your money? Maybe I could open up my interests as
well.
Jonathan_ATC
Eric Babula
news:fAYig.4473$lf4....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
> I don't know why people knock commem collectors. Some folks seem
> to believe it is not really a coin if it isn't made pre-18th
> century. I've gotten a lot of flack in other groups. But, I like
> what I like. What do you think you'll be doing with your money?
> Maybe I could open up my interests as well.
>
> Jonathan_ATC
>
>
Well, I wanna do this with my money:
http://w2up.home.mindspring.com/dansco_7070/type_set.htm
But, since many of Barry's coins in that Type Set cost around $1K each,
I can't afford that nice of a set - at least not yet.
What I think I'll probably end up doing is buying a couple nice key or
semi-key Morgans to add to my Morgan collection - dates/MMs that I don't
currently have. Seems like a smart thing for me to do - it will fill
some holes, and will add value to my entire Morgan collection.
But, I'm still open for great ideas!
Like Barry's Type Set (check URL above). I think he has inspired me to
get the Dansco Type Set album, and start a Type Set of my own. I don't
have the cash to have one as nice as that, but I can get a start on it
with some of the coins I do have, and upgrade as I can afford. Might
take me 20 years to complete the set, but it would be a fun project!
Of course, I've always wanted an Ira coin, too! Maybe I should check out
Ira's auctions, and put that $1,000 to use there. Hmmmm. Hopping on ebaY
right now........Poop! He has nothing for auction now. But, I'll have to
keep checking.
Like I said, I'm still open for great ideas!
--
Eric Babula
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Current auctions by mystr-e:
http://tinyurl.com/6tyal