What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

New thread so not to hijack HistoryStudent's "Saints -Blood in Water" thread.

If you were new to numismatics and have the funds to buy ONE slabbed saint now (plus maybe some bullion in some cases, see below), What grade Saints would you advise to Buy NOW?? Bite the bullet on an MS65 in one of the better date years you advised in an earlier thread, or buy a lower grade (MS62 or 63) plus an added bit of bullion with the extra $500-$700?? Said in another way, is the additional $500-$700 money that I will later regret NOT spending now??Thanks, Bill

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

Probably PCGS at LEAST MS63 but if you can bid/buy MS64 (which is rather good to have too) or even MS65 which is considered a "jewel" grade;

think about that.

That APMEX.COM is rather reasonable - unless you can SNIPE off EBAY with a high-rated seller, that is. :ok:

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

Saints are going up across the board, not just the MS65 variety. If you bought an MS60 or MS62 a couple of years ago, your still up considerably from what you paid for it.

Having said that, if I had the funds to buy one, i'd certainly buy the highest grade I could afford.

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

I certainly agree with both you and History Student on this thread - and, if one is buying for an investment, its certainly important to buy the best you can afford........thats sort of a coin collector's underlying "rule of thumb" for those whose collections really appreciate over time.

But we ALSO have to consider that, what the market is going up, may not be what it will still be coming down.

For example, I often think about, if things get even half as bad as we suspect it might, how will it affect numismatics? I think we'll see a HUGE decrease in the number of people who can even AFFORD to collect coins. But there are a lot more people now than ever in history (a sore point with me, but let's not get into 'overpopulation' here, unless its a coin!) So maybe, while percentage-wise there are less percent of people collectring, there might still more people by number! Maybe it balances out - who knows? But there's no more of the older numismatic coins gonna be made. Hmmmmm.....

Last time, after gold and silver peaked, both bullion and numismatics dropped too, and, very generally speaking, coins that were MS65 or better held their value better. Will that happen again?

There is a case to be made that the same thing will happen again.........but there is an equal case to be made that, which I made before, that, with a lot more people trying to get these same limited number of older coins, even MS63s will hold their value.

Two equal and opposite possibilities............

Oh my god, he's gonna say it.................

Yep, its another Tao thing!

So the only logical thing to do in that situation, where there is no clear logical direction, is exactly what Goldfingerer said in a lot less words - buy the best you can afford or the best deal you can get.........

A side note - In numismatics, no one ever builds great collections, or truly valuable ones, buying "deals"...........they realize they have to spend money for coins that are worthy, coins that will appreciate over time.......which is one reason coins keep getting sold for more and more money. (And one reason why this hobby sucks - the more you learn, the more you realize how much money you do not have to buy the coins you want! *lol*)

I was recently involved in an auction run by an online auction house, involving a Morgan dollar, whose value I researched. Then I checked out past bids for the same coin and determined what I expected it to go for. The bidding commenced and I waited to see where the bid was settling. About 30 mins from the close, the bidding had already topped what I considered to be the obvious price it would go for.

And then I threw $100 at the bid and got the coin for $50 more than had even been bid on that coin before.

OH FOR SHAME..........I had paid $50 too much, right?

Naw..........I am not stupid - I haven't mentioned that this coin had a gorgeous rainbow coloring, and rainbow Morgans can go from 150% - 300% or even more for nice ones. So I actually paid less than 10% more and got the coin in incredible coloring. So even tho I paid a little more than the coin "itself" was worth, when the time comes to sell, it should go for a lot more than I paid for it.

So, as a coin collector, if you are doing it for investment, you have to look for coins the public demand is there for: 1) as a metal (gold & silver, check); and 2) demand as a coin (Carson City Morgans, check), and 3) in good condition (PCGS MS 65). Eye appeal is actually number one, but I sort of left that out for a sec.......to use the auction houses words "The observe is a stunning gold, with yellow, orange, rust-red & purple hues -with light toning on the reverse - strong strike, truly gorgeous cartwheel."

In a few years, when my non-existent offspring gain their inheritence, or I decide to open that bordello I always wanted, that coin should easily hold its value and appreciate even more.

OK...........enough of me for one day!

Cheers!

PS - the picture doesn't begin to do the coin justice!


Attachment 78853

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

About double...

The reason is that they don't make PAPER Saints, nor can they make more pre-1933's...

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

What about year?

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

I'm so sorry, but I have been at this for a while now. I have made money and lost money. Dealt with good dealers and azzfvk dealers. I even moved down to Sarasota, Fl. just to work for NGC, for a stint, and I say the best thing to do right now is, "Buy a few UHRs", "or role the dice and await to see if any 09 W Proofs come out and buy them instead!" Again, I'm sorry that it is no new news or ground breaking advice, but it is pretty good.

If Gold gets hammered and the dollar gets propped up, because of this False sense of a well economy - you are gonna over payyyyyyyyy for that Double Eagle, but not nearly as much if you just buy a UHR right now. There is a hook, you in if you are on the edge of buying but haven't yet, phrase in the coin business, "You make money when you buy a coin"...

Flip the UHRs when they double or triple in price (within a few years), and start planing your shark attack on Saints, in 5 - 8 yeas from now when they come back down, jump all over MS-63 to 65 Saints. FWIW - NGC is really tough on Saints!

So, In short, I would simply hedge my bet by buying a UHR (Or three), and maybe throw in a few Proof 09 W's (if they come out). Start paying attention to Saint patterns now. Buy a premium NGC or PCGS membership and get those 5, or so, coins slabbed and ready for sale at a moments notice (Hope and pray far as many 70's as possible)... Again, I didn't re-invent the wheel here, and I'm pretty sure History Student and I have written similar things and share this belief and have written similar advice, several times now... Listen to empirical wisdom...

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

http://coins.www.collectors-society....pleSetID=64698

Here is what the BIG BOYZ save - he's number one at NGC.

Dang me, I coulda woulda shoulda :thumb.aspx: grabbed all the MS66s
back in 1999 "el cheapo!"

That is something to remember - Come say, year 2029 to 2041 or so - you younger and better-looking folks out there. :yes:

Re: What grade Saints to Buy NOW??
 

Well guys I took the plunge and added a Godless beauty to my stack. Ive always wanted a St Gaudens and now I have one to pair up with my MS70 First Strike UHR.

Aint she a beauty???