Archive for category: Market Reports News

On January 2nd when visiting a local supermarket, a puzzling pattern manifested. The market was completely out of lite yogurt, diet fruit juice, Enlightened ice cream products and their vegetable isle was decimated. It is not unusual for our market to be out of one or more of these products, but to be out of all simultaneously, is very strange. When questioned, the store clerk provided a very logical answer. “We see this trend every year”, he said. “People make resolutions to lose weight and go on diets. We’ll have plenty of all of this stuff by next Saturday.” That thought provoking response made us ponder a different kind of resolution. What if in 2021, we just focused on numismatics without any outside distractions? Further, what if we actually committed to this resolution, not dropping it in a week like a newfound diet? To begin with, this would involve turning off the news, at least until they had something inspiring to broadcast which warranted our attention.

It is downright amazing that collectors have remained so focused over the last nine months despite the obvious distractions. Imagine maintaining that same level of interest without them? These real and hypothetical situations both bode well for the health of the coin market. In all likelihood, at some time this year, political, social and health challenges will all become yesterday’s news. Consumer confidence should also return as businesses reopen, and then, the coin market could REALLY be in for some good times.

We are still in the position where demand for coins outpaces the available supply in the marketplace. The collector who hems and haws, is generally left with an empty hole in their album. Coins are selling briskly, but replacing them is progressively more challenging and expensive. This situation should get better once the world opens back up. The resumption of coin shows and foot traffic in the shops are two important missing components. Their return will change the landscape of the coin market, and in a big way. Holiday shipping delays caused us non-stop headaches for the better part of a month. Fortunately, this situation seems to be improving by the day. At some point in the not-so-distant future, all of these challenges should be in the rearview mirror.

Dollars and gold seem to be pacing the U.S. market, but other series have also seen pockets of strength. No single area in the numismatic spectrum is getting ignored. For those of you that watch our web-store (and/or listings elsewhere) with regularity, we want to assure you that both the inventory levels and selection that you’ve become accustomed to, will return. We really believe that the coin shortages will be short-lived, and the worst should be behind us. We continue to marvel at the dedication, perseverance and resilience of our collector base. It speaks volumes to the strength of our hobby. Unlike the supermarket store shelves that were restocked a week after New Year’s eve promises were abandoned, your resolve and commitment are unshakable. We believe wholeheartedly, that you’ll keep the news muted, and your eye on the numismatic ball. In short, we are not worried. Until next week, happy collecting!

We struggled with the title of this week’s Market Report. After all, is there really much to be Happy about? There is an old saying that when you’re given a bowl of lemons, make lemonade. We would like to think that’s precisely what happened this year. We know about all of the negatives, as we hear and read about them on a daily basis. So, let’s focus on the some of the positives. Many of us tackled projects, that for one reason or another, had been delayed or forgotten. Life’s priorities were reevaluated. Things that had been important to us now seemed less so, and perhaps, vice-versa. The passions in life that had been relegated to the backburner were now in our very laps. Enter numismatics. We talk to customers daily, and the one comment that really started to resonate with us was, “I have got so much more time now to spend on my collection”. In this regard, current circumstances were a bit of a perfect storm. While other businesses were shutting down, those of us in the coin business remained busy. In tandem, precious metals experienced a run-up, and for the most part, have maintained their strength. The one frustration, during this otherwise blessed period, was the cessation of coin shows. The late summer and early fall gave us a taste of what it felt like to attend coin shows again, but then everything went to hell in a handbasket as the second wave of the pandemic took hold. It was back to the lemonade stand. We all became more resourceful in how we acquired coins, relying on our customers, personal contacts and established business relationships. We used the internet, phone and mail in lieu of shows. Most importantly, we didn’t cease doing business, but simply reinvented our business models. We have always professed that coin dealers are a pretty smart bunch; so are collectors. As a group, they are more resourceful than most. The parallel to the chameleon, which changes colors to suit its environment, comes to mind. In retrospect, given how quickly all of our lives were turned upside down, it is truly amazing how numismatics persevered. So at the end of the day, YES, there really is much to be happy about. As we exit this crazy year, forever etched into our memory, we wish you and yours a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous new year. May 2021 be the proverbial turning point for all of us!

With the prospect of no coin shows until possibly February, we feel like we are back to square one. Thankfully, we have been down this road once before, so we’re not totally ill prepared for it. Coins continue to sell briskly, which puts increased pressure on keeping our shelves stocked. Presently, we have targeted needs for virtually all U.S. collector coins in the $100-$10,000 price range. In addition, we can always use ANY Pre-1954 PCGS/NGC coins, collections, inheritances,  and larger accumulations. We also could use fresh currency deals, and will pay aggressively. In short, if it’s numismatic, The Reeded Edge wants to be your go-to dealer. Our open checkbook policy is now in effect, so please call 888-856-COIN or email for our immediate offer.

A NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING: The Reeded Edge takes shipping very seriously, and expedites all parcels out of our office within one business day of receiving your paid-in-full order. Unfortunately, this is where our control of your shipment stops. The USPS has been experiencing quite a few shipping problems, including slow-downs and packages getting routed incorrectly. We are finding that 1st Class postage is the most problematic. If time is of essence, we highly encourage you to consider upgrading your shipping to Priority Mail, Express Mail, UPS or FedEx.

The coin market continues to steadily push forward. Although this week has had a rather flat feel to it, the orders still keep coming. The bulk of activity seems to still be centered around affordable collector coins. There will be a multitude of numismatic auctions in January and February which will test the upper end of the market. Most likely, these advanced collectors are remaining on the sidelines until then. Just about all other high-end collectibles, from vintage baseball cards to rare stamps, seems to be flourishing now; we see no reason that coins will be an exception.

This has been an incredibly challenging year for all of us. We hope that you and yours are navigating through these uncharted waters, and wish you continued joy, health and happiness throughout this holiday season

Obviously, this year has been like no other. With all of the craziness and disruptions looming large, It would be silly to think that our holidays would be unaffected. Statistically, people will travel less this year. Family gatherings will be smaller, and in some cases, nonexistent. There is no doubt that circumstances this year will pose physical limitations on how we approach and celebrate the holidays. But, we are greater than just physical creatures; we have strong emotional and spiritual bonds, and a sense of family that can not be stolen by a pandemic. So yes, although we will celebrate our holiday differently this year, we will nonetheless celebrate. The Reeded Edge wants to extend our warmest wishes to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving, as well as peace and joy for the upcoming Christmas and Chanukah holidays.

The coin market seems to be building on its strength as collectors hunker down for what could be a long winter. The demand for mainstream collector coins has definitely spiked in the last couple of weeks, as show closures are creating newfound demand on the numismatic supply chain. Although we had been holding out hope that coin shows would be resuming in force by the first of the year, that timeline now seems optimistic. Perhaps the middle or end of spring would be a more realistic target. Coin shows play a very important role in supplying dealers across the country with product to sell their collector base, and without them, we expect to see the demand for coins intensify. Despite the continued underlying strength in our marketplace, rare coin prices for the most part have remained flat, but that aspect may be about to change. Any surge in the precious metals markets could definitely provide the catalyst for rising coin prices, although that may not prove to be a necessary component. A flat-out shortage of coins in the marketplace could be the impetus for rising prices, without other contributing factors. We could be in for an interesting winter in the numismatic arena-we shall see.

The Reeded Edge continues to stock our shelves at every available opportunity. Our most recent acquisitions include a couple of high-grade, better date dollar groups, a local collection comprised of over 1000 PCGS-certified collector coins, and a smaller collection of dated gold. Other deals are on the horizon, each of which we will pursue aggressively. We are not ones to rest on our laurels, and the present time is no exception. We realize with circumstances getting more challenging again, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Fortunately, we have been down this road once before, so we not only have a feel of what to expect, but a roadmap of how to navigate through it. The Reeded Edge will continue to offer you a steady diet of great collector coins throughout the upcoming months, irrespective of circumstances.

Finally, what would Thanksgiving be without a mention of Black Friday? The Reeded Edge will be conducting our annual Black Friday Sale, and this year’s event promises to be bigger than ever. Robbie Jenkins has been working tirelessly through hundreds of new coins, preparing their inaugural launch for Friday morning. In tandem, we will be marking down many other coins and collectibles to their lowest prices ever. We are not going to give too much away just yet, but stay tuned. This promises to be a numismatic sale of epic proportion!

P.A.N. proved yet again that coin shows can be relevant in a challenging environment. Most obvious at this show was the tremendous appetite of the wholesale community. Dealers from around the country converged on Monroeville with the intention of buying coins. Historically, this has not been the footprint of this show. Although the Pittsburgh area is home to quite a few collectors, this show generally preceded by a slower dealer set-up, causing Rob and Robbie to skip Wednesday afternoon entirely. When the guys arrived in Monroeville Thursday morning, they were inundated with dealer business. Uncharacteristic of a P.A.N. show, the first 3 hours of the show resulted in over half of their business for the entire 3 days. This is a pattern that seems to be following shows around right now, irrespective of location. Dealers are hungry for coins to service their customers, and are flocking to coin shows to source them. We have said repeatedly, that we have been feeling the pent-up energy resulting form months of lockdowns, and P.A.N. proved once again that the resumption of shows was necessary and overdue.

Collector turnout at P.A.N. was on the lighter side, with many of The Reeded Edge “regulars” no-shows. Perhaps the proximity to the city of Pittsburgh in tandem with Pennsylvania’s patterns of restrictive lockdowns scared some people away. We do not feel that this absence was the fault of the P.A.N. organization, or in anyway a forecast for future shows. Blaine Shiff and his convention staff were facing a tall order to even make this show happen, and our hats go off to all of them for a job well done. This is likely our last coin show of 2020. In a year that has been anything but normal, we are glad that shows resumed at all. We applaud the promoters and clubs that made each and every one of these venues happen.