Читать книгу Coin Collecting For Dummies - Neil S. Berman - Страница 49

A favorite coin is the 1951 Washington Carver commemorative half dollar (see figure). As an example, in MS-65 condition, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) has certified only 473 examples combined, yet the current bid price is only $65. Theoretically, I could buy up every certified MS-65 example for $30,745, but I know from experience how hard it is to find this coin at coin shows and in other dealers’ inventories. If I bought only 10 or 20 pieces, the price would start going up. Just a small increase in the demand for this coin would translate into a big jump in price. Should I do it? Would you?

Demand is fickle. A series that’s in demand today may be out of favor tomorrow. Beware of fads, and take a contrarian approach when buying coins. In other words, stay away from the hot areas, and concentrate on the cool areas, remembering that every dog has its day. Demand may be artificial. With rare coins, it doesn’t take much to run up the price. Before buying a particular coin, do a little research to see how the price has trended over the past year or two. Has there been an unusual spike in the price, or has the price remained fairly stable?