Monthly Supplement: SHOULD COLLECTORS HAVE ACCESS TO CDN VALUES?

Amazingly, we are faced with this question on a daily basis. A number of our dealer subscribers lament that we offer subscriptions to collectors, as well as dealers. We been asked enough that we feel this is worthy of some discussion.

Frankly, we understand the dealer point of view that offering pricing information to the buyer shows their hand in the negotiation. However, as a retired full-time dealer of 25 years, I always felt my strongest negotiating point was when my client was fully informed. I wanted my customer to know what I paid for a particular coin, and let him/her understand that I intended only to make a modest profit on the transaction. The greater difficulty occurs when there is a disconnect between the buyer’s perception of what a coin is truly worth and the reality of the market.

Secondly, it’s not easy to discern a collector from a dealer in this business. Most often dealers start as collectors (like my father), and there is a long transition where a collector dabbles in selling, before going all-in.

Additionally, CDN could not survive without our collector and investor clients. Our advertisers appreciate the access we provide to the most serious base of numismatists in the market. We are the only publication that genuinely caters to this group, and if you are willing to pay our subscription rate, we would love for you to enjoy our information.

At CDN, we want to arm everyone with the best wholesale information possible. It is up to the reader to properly use this information to best suit their purpose. If you are a dealer, you must educate your buyers on your need to make a reasonable markup. As a retail buyer, you should equally value the knowledge and integrity that your dealer brings to the table, and allow the dealer to make a reasonable markup.

Finally, if you are active in certified coinage, we highly encourage you to subscribe to the Bluesheet. The Greysheets offer a window into the values of coins at the top-end of the market, while the Bluesheet indicates values at the lower end. Neither guide is complete without the other.