PO Box 1993, Bloomington, IL 61702-1993
309 662-0159

If you have not been actively collecting for years, it is important to find the value of your collection. For about 15 years, coin prices have declined. Over the last year, the values have leveled off and actually increased just a little.

Also, in the last five years, coin collecting has gone from a Technical grading system to a Market grading system. This could help the value of your collector or lower the value.

Lets first examine the Technical grading system. Years ago, coins were graded with the idea that when a coin was struck, it was essentially perfect. Planchet defects and strike did not affect the grade. As an example, a coin graded MS 65 weakly struck was not a true MS 65. These coins would grade MS 65 but sell at substantial reduced prices.

Technical grading also did not allow room for eye appeal.

Today we use a Market grading system and eye appeal plays a big roll in the grade of a coin. Market grading attempts to assign a grade that accurately compares to the coin's value on the market.

The first step would be to find a local coin club and attend a few meetings. Go to a few coin show and study the grades of coins today. Compare a few of your coins with the coins dealers are selling. Get a feel for the market today.

Next, you might try asking one of the local club members to help you grade your coins. This cannot be accomplished by reading a book. It takes years of study to fine-tune the art of grading coins. Also, grading is only one part to determining the value of a coin or a collection.

What are the trends? What interest lever is there for the coin? Is it high, low or just dead? These questions all play an important part in determine the value of a coin.

As an example, an 1881 S Morgan dollar graded MS 65 in 1980 sold for about $85. In 1985 the same coin sold for $700. In 2000, the 1881 S Morgan dollar grading MS 65 is selling for around $80.

As a second example, lets look at the ever-popular Barber half-dollar. Barber halves sell at every show, there is always a demand. But the question is, demand for what grade? For years, a dealer could always sell "About Good", "Good" or "Very Good" Barber halves. Not today ! Collectors are upgrading their collections. They are buying higher grades of Barber halves. No one is buying the lower grade coins.

At a 60-table coin show, a collector came in trying to sell "Good to Very Good" Barber halves. Silver value was about $2.35 per coin. He was asking $2.60 per coin. Not one dealer was willing to buy the coins. Why should a dealer give the collector money that the collector can spend that day in hopes of selling the coins someday?

We had some of these same coins priced at $2.50 each, and not one person asked to see them. So why would we pay the collector $2.60? Lets say we offer him $2.35, at what price could we see the coins? They were not selling at $2.50.

Ask your friends and neighbors if they know of a local coin club. Attend a few meetings; get to meet some of the members. Attend a few coin show and examine the coins and prices today. Put in a little time to bring your self up to date.

Or take the easy way. Pay a dealer to grade and appraise your collection. Ask him about the trends, what is up, what is down, what is dead? Pick his brain; after all, you are paying him for his time. Most dealers will charge $25 to $35 per hour, put it could save you a lot of time.

Offer to pay a member of the local club to help. They can put you on the right path and help bring you up to speed.