Burks Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Does anyone here take, let's say, a Redbook with them when they attend a show? I have a rather poor memory and cannot for the life of me recall on a moment's notice the price of an 1894-O Morgan dollar. Is it considered tacky or out of place to do so? I just don't want to look like an idiot walking around with a book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie582 Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I just don't want to look like an idiot walking around with a book So what! It's your money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 50cents Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 If its a big show i like to have a up to date copy of the greysheet. I have seen people with Redbooks and find nothing wrong with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbycoin Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I know when I find a coin show to go to I will have a backpack with my redbook, a spiral notebook and possibly some other notes/refrences. This also doubles as a way to take the coins home... without just sticking them in my pocket I think I would have these more so so I dont get Dups as Stujoe showed in his recent post. But I do this at every "show" I go to. Easier to carry all the pamplets and such you get... expeacialy at car shows. I dont beleieve anyone would have any problems with that. -Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tane Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Ofcourse! Conros is nearly allways with me. That saves from buying duplicates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 If it's a big show I will routinely bring my Overton and Akers books, just to make sure I know what I am doing before I do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stujoe Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I typically take a recent CoinValues magqazine with my needs circled. In that , I will usually throw in a print out I have on grading points of my 1900 to present coins. I used to take along a print out of my entire tracking spreadsheet but that is overkill now that I don't need near as many coins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostDutchman Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 got my greysheets in a binder.....take them with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleBobo Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I typically take a recent CoinValues magqazine with my needs circled. I usually just rip out the pages I need and I highlight the values. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bustchaser Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 You might want to think about this. Since many (most) Redbook prices are vastly "optimistic" I have often seen the quoted price immediately go up to match book value when a new collector opened up a Redbook in front of a dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stujoe Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 You might want to think about this. Since many (most) Redbook prices are vastly "optimistic" I have often seen the quoted price immediately go up to match book value when a new collector opened up a Redbook in front of a dealer. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That thought has crossed my mind about CoinValues (formerly Trends) since their prices are sometimes a little, umm 'optimistic' shall we say. So I stick it in a two pocket folder with the other papers I carry around. It is much nicer now that they have gone to the regular magazine format. I usually also have 2 loupes in one of my front pockets and a pen in my back pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmpearso Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 i try to get a grey sheet or I use the redbook...or when im strapped for cash I know exactly what i want and what i want to pay for it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I've never taken a book with me. Too bulky, and it looks weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akdrv Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I see people walking around with red books or canadian catalogs at coin shows all the time. I think it's perfectly acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan769 Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 I have taken a small notebook with me in the past, loaded with notes and dates & prices. Just became too unruly. So I modified a 2003 Redbook, coping the coin values price guide, cutting out each price grouping and attaching it to the appropriate page in the Redbook. Now I have an up to date price guide, with the Redbook info all in front of me. And I usually offer 25% back of Coin Values prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuldFartte Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Don't sweat what other people think ... carry whatever book you need to the show. About 1/3 of the buyers at our local coin shows bring some kind of reference materials with them ... greysheets, Redbook, a wad of post-it notes. Heck there were two guys there earlier this month, each carrying a new Krause with them, and those are about the size of a large city's phone directory !!! I used to carry either CQR or "Penny Prices" with me when I was into buying early US coppers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burks Posted October 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 So if I am to use a Redbook about what percentage should I add or subtract from the listed price? I may have to go buy a CoinValues magazine this weekend. All I have for price reference is the Redbooks ('04 & '06), '05 Bluebook, and a Coins magazine. Now that I have a scanner I may just copy the pages and place them in a folder as to not attract attention to the specific book I'm carrying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Does anyone here take, let's say, a Redbook with them when they attend a show? I agree that there is a lot to know and a memory aid is fine. You look in the Red Book and the coin is $28 in VF, so $25 to $30 is in the ballpark and you are comfortable talking about the price with the dealer. I made up an old Red Book into a Show Guide. Price per se is irrelevant because price comes from Grade and Mintage. So, I had this 20 year old Red Book and I would past current ads into it and made margin notes and such. I took it to two shows about 10 years ago and that was it. My feeling is that the show is your examination. You don't do your homework in the test. Take the test. "You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. You never count your money when your sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' 's done." You pay $100 for a $25 coin and you learn something. Many's the time that the $25 sold for $100 was resold for $1000. What I mean is that the larger the show, the more correct the pricing and any errors tend to be in the buyer's favor. In other words, material of all kinds is more likely underpriced for variety and the collector who has made himself an expert will profit from the purchase, regardless of the arguable "price" today. So, I stopped taking the security blanket. Mikey "no blankee" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Dealers spot the suckers by their Greysheets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stujoe Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 You pay $100 for a $25 coin and you learn something. Many's the time that the $25 sold for $100 was resold for $1000. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Personally, I don't care much about that additional $975 that my heirs are going to cash out after I am dead. I am more concerned with the $75 worth of coins I couldn't buy! Hence, I take a price guide with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan769 Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Dealers spot the suckers by their Greysheets. Explain Michael, what do dealers really think of someone with a greysheet and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarotta Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Explain Michael, what do dealers really think of someone with a greysheet and why? Numismatics is a small world. Everyone knows everyone. If you are a dealer, then the other dealers know who you are. If you are a "new dealer" you get known soon enough. Dealers are "people people." Collectors are "object people." A dealer will size up a person immediately and know soon whether they are really a local dealer enjoying their first ANA or a collector with a Greysheet looking for the dealer price or whatever. When two real dealers talk price, yes, the Greysheet or CDN or whatever comes out so that everyone is on the same page. Basically, however, they validate themselves to each other by a host of non-verbal communication signals. Even I can spot the collector with a Greysheet and I am just a guy who writes about the hobby. They look like they have never been on a bourse floor in their lives. No matter where they look, they never see anyone they know. Dealers are happy to meet them because they buy the stuff for "ten back of bid" that no other dealer bought in the last two days because everyone has all they need right now. Then, along comes the collector with a Greysheet, a fish with a hook in his mouth looking for a dealer with a rod and reel. Myself, I am just a guy who writes and I buy stuff that I write about and I pay whatever they ask. Sometimes I counteroffer for convenience, $25 instead of $27.50. Mostly, I do not pretend to be something I am not. If a dealer could not spot the fish, he would have been out of business a long, long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 I usually just carry a small notebook with the top 10 coins that I'm looking for. I have the price ranges for each that I formulate from the Graysheet and eBay and two or three dealers that I trust. That gives me the approx price I'm willing to pay for an average coin in a certain grade. I find it hard to look for more than a few coins at a show. There's just so much to do - exhibits, people to talk to, books to browse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 I just memorize the approximate price range... Afterall, I have been staring at my catalogue book for so long... can't say that I didn't learn anything out of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syzygy Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 I usually just carry a small notebook with the top 10 coins that I'm looking for. I have the price ranges for each that I formulate from the Graysheet and eBay and two or three dealers that I trust. That gives me the approx price I'm willing to pay for an average coin in a certain grade. I find it hard to look for more than a few coins at a show. There's just so much to do - exhibits, people to talk to, books to browse. ditto for me - and I have a little planning session before the show...of course I am not always real good at sticking to the plan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.