NP, cheers.

Yes….go to US Mint website today and get sticker shock for silver offerings….seems like it would be the the death knell for the Mint.and nearly half the year remaining….yes, collectors ,(including myself) have been hitting eBay in hopes of getting a better deal before sellers can reprice their products accordingly….some may be willing to try to take a little less to make a sale….

Kaiser —
First it was an outright PLEASURE to hear from you (as I had seen some postings that suggested you may had passed). So I am beyond delighted to read your feisty, pointed, and insightful comments again. Fyi, if you are interested in what I had been doing, I was overly focused (and successful) getting Princess to do their April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse cruises.

Re my pleasures of alcohol, I think some might classify me as a “functional alcoholic”. But while I used to drink, I now sip … so as to fully enjoy every subtle drop and part of it.

On the Mint’s coins, I actually have trimmed down my orders in part due to the ability to subscribe to the ones I really want (and those Morgans are at the heart of my addition). That said, I almost miss the foodfights and competition we used to have ordering, waiting for the official time clock to hit hit the enter button on the Mint’s site, and actually making a strategy for which coins I would order first (if several were coming available on the same date).

Damn me for finding that 1881 Morgan! But it was the only “nickle bag” that ever hooked me … besides fly fishing, photography, world travel, and that gorgeous creature I have been so lucky to call my wife over the last 52 years.
— Mike

Kaiser & Mike —
If my memory serves me correctly they referred to products such as this during my MBA as having an “elastic demand” … exhibiting exactly what you describe. While I am not not hooked on the other things you mentioned, I have never been able to kick the habit of coin collecting since finding that 1881 Morgan Dollar outside the local supermarket in the late 1950s. And unless my family cancels my auto ship after I die, it literally could extend beyond my lifetime.
— Mike

Kaiser,

Cleopatra and her cats, yes…… The only problem I have with him, I think he is in love with my wife. So, I consider him a bio environmental sociological test cat. He is gold in color…..he might be lucky. Definitely cool but doesn’t like the heat.

If you want to get really smart about making money on coins…….
.
Get a Business License and a Resale Certificate. Preferable in a state that has no state sales tax. Having a resale certificate allows you to buy at wholesale from other dealers at shows and shops. Also, if you have $100k in the bank, you can become a bulk buyer at the mint and the TPGs. If your dollar volume is high enough, eBay will work with you too. You will have to file your quarterly returns and may be required to post a deposit for sales tax reimbursement. Incorporating reduces your tax liability further. You must show a profit in three years. If you don’t, then you have to bail. Write offs galore and you become an online business owner. That’s how you make money on coins.

Cheers

The one I’ve heard twice now is “We only pay 40% of wholesale bid.” That’s when you pick up your shirt and walk out.

Rule Number 1 for all coin collectors: Don’t get forked when it is time to sell. Sell it yourself on eBay as a “Buy It Now (30 Day Listing).” If it doesn’t sell for the price you want, then just put it back in the box, and try your luck 5 years down the road. The best times to sell are around tax time, when metals are moving upward sharply, before the Christmas holiday, or when the economy is good. When the economy is good, people are happy, and they like to buy coins.

I’m speaking from experience.

I did the same