Eye appeal now of even more importance

Eye appeal is a critical factor when buying coins. This becomes even more important as the summer market loses momentum. Coins with eye appeal will sell quicker and be less likely to require a discount to move out the door.

On the whole, the collectible coin market remains steady, with a few prices increasing or decreasing, but there is nothing that could be termed dramatic.

Anything bullion related is impacted by the swings in precious metals prices. Uncirculated American Eagle coins, sealed bags of silver coins, or relatively common yet collectible business strike gold or silver coins continue to feel the pressure of the recent declines in the spot price of these metals.

Truly rare coins are for the most part holding their values, but even here there are some minor price corrections taking place. There are dealers who are asking more for third-party certified coins than are some competing dealers who purchased inventory already encapsulated.

It appears the dealers with higher prices may be considering their additional overhead from submitting these coins for examination. Since not all of these coins can be viewed when comparing values, it is possible differing eye appeal might also be a factor.

A buyer with ready cash can put it to good use, but remember to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. Most dealers will welcome such a potential customer with open arms. What this suggests is that there are bargains to be found if a collector takes the time to work at it.

More Collecting Resources

• With over 25,000 listings and 15,500 illustrations, the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues is your go-to guide for modern bank notes.

• When it comes to specialized world paper money issues, nothing can top the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Specialized Issues eBook.