How To Get Top-Dollar For Your Rare Coins

Many people overlook the importance of choosing the best method of sale for their rare coins. Market timing and the right venue for liquidation can be crucial in realizing top dollar. Pinnacle is dedicated to providing careful guidance and definitive expertise when assisting our clientele in selling their coins.

Depending upon the types of coins you wish to sell, Pinnacle can assist you in three basic ways:

• Cash Offer
• Consignment
• Auction

Each of these options is covered in detail in the sections that follow. Most collectors choose to sell their coins in a particular way because they believe that method will maximize their returns. We all want the most amount of money for the coins we sell. You'll soon realize that the major variation between the different methods of sale is not always financial returns to the collector, but amount of time involved in a transaction.

Our online cataloguing has received wide-spread industry praise, and hard copy catalogues have become permanent volumes in numismatic libraries. You can view recent examples from collections we have handled by clicking on the following links:

BRUCE SCHER COLLECTION OF U.S. COMMEMORATIVES 144 PIECE SET
SAN DIEGO COLLECTION OF TWENTY CENT PIECES
PETER KEVORKIAN SET OF PROOF BARBER HALF DOLLARS


We consider our role in helping you sell your numismatic collections as important as helping you acquire and build them. It is our obligation as much as it is a service. If any of the information on this page has prompted a question, please contact us. We can discuss your options even if you have no immediate plans of selling.

Cash Offer

Direct, private sale (for immediate payment) is certainly the quickest and easiest method to liquidate your holdings. Whether you have a single rarity or an extensive collection, we are prepared to handle the transaction with fair, accurate pricing and immediate payment.

The normal procedure is to ship your coins to our office. We will pay all insured shipping charges and up-front costs for pre-arranged shipments. Once we receive your coins, we will make you an offer. Many clients are surprised that the offers they receive are higher than the value ranges we gave over the phone in prior discussion. Sight-unseen offers are always lower than sight-seen offers, and, for premium quality specimens, they are significantly lower than the true value of these coins. When dealing with experienced sight-seen buyers like Pinnacle Rarities, it is always in your advantage to send your coins to us before soliciting a final offer.

If your collection is too valuable or bulky to ship to us, we will gladly travel to wherever you're located, view your entire collection and make you a generous cash offer on the spot. Our buyers can be anywhere in the world within 48 hours – and will gladly work around your schedule.

Pinnacle specializes in very rare and high-quality coins, and we never hesitate to pay a premium to acquire special rarities. We know the rare coin market like few others and we're confident our expertise enables us to pay you top dollar.

Even if your collection doesn't contain any ultra-rarities, we're still anxious to purchase it. Most dealers don't want to buy everything. The typcial result is a fair price for some pieces and virtually nothing for other items. At Pinnacle, some of the collections we acquire consist of an eclectic mix of bulk silver, bullion-related items and inexpensive collector coins. Our extensive wholesale network allows us to make strong offers across the board.

Most importantly:

• Our offers are always fair . . . .
• Our payment is always fast . . . .
• Our checks are always good.

Call us toll-free at 1-800-724-7642 or email us at expectmore@pinnacle-rarities.com for a no obligation consultation about how to maximize proceeds from the sale of your coins.

Consignment

Depending on the coins in your collection, you may receive substantially more by allowing us to market your coins on a consignment basis. This procedure is simple. Once we've received your coins, we'll evaluate them and give you an estimated value. We will then catalogue and market your coins to our extensive client base at the highest fair price we can. We'll maintain a record of each item sold and when the entire collection has been liquidated, we'll subtract a commission from the gross price received and pay you the proceeds.

Consignment deals can last anywhere from one week to six months depending upon market conditions and the type of coins you have to sell. Pinnacle will sometimes offer an immediate cash advance for your consignment, with the balance paid to you once your coins have been sold.

Usually, our Consignment program will net you anywhere from 5% to 15% more than you would receive by selling your coins outright. This program is a win-win option for ourselves and our clientele. Pinnacle has an incentive to sell your coins for the most amount of money but doesn't have to tie-up our own funds. You have peace of mind knowing that you will directly benefit from Pinnacle's expertise, strong market presence and full-disclosure of what each coin realizes in the marketplace.

Call toll-free at 1-800-724-7642 or email us at expectmore@pinnacle-rarities.com for a no obligation consultation about how to maximize the proceeds from the sale of your coins.

Auctions (Public & Private)

Public Auction

There are significant advantages and disadvantages to liquidating your coins through a public auction. Pinnacle Rarities has been a consignor and/or active bidder at nearly every major auction since 1988. We know the ins and outs of the auction scene and hope you will take full advantage of our expertise.

Each year, millions of dollars worth of coins are consigned to public auction. Some coins bring exceptional prices while many others bring very ordinary prices. Of course, only the high prices receive the publicity, misleading some collectors about the true nature of results achieved by many at auction.

The obvious benefit to selling your coins at a major auction is the probability they'll be seen by the majority of the nation's sophisticated coin buyers. The obvious disadvantage is the amount of time passing from when you first consign your coins to the actual settlement date (the average is about four months). Another disadvantage is if the coins don't meet your reserve prices, you usually pay a buy-back fee.

Achieving financial success at auction depends heavily on three factors:

• Market Timing
• Types Of Coins You Consign
• Negotiated Terms Of Your Consignment

Market Timing: The rare coin market can be volatile and values can fluctuate dramatically in very short spans of time. Most major auction houses require you to consign your coins at least two months before the auction takes place. Therefore, the marketplace could be radically different from the time you consign your coins to the date your coins are actually sold. Obviously, you could reap the benefits from a higher market or conversely, see your proceeds diminish with a weaker market environment. Many sellers don't like the combination of longer-term commitment and being at the mercy of the marketplace.

Types Of Coins: Another factor to consider before consigning your coins to an auction is the types of coins you want to sell. Historically, the best performers at an auction are the ultra-scarce items which can sometimes create a frenzy of bidding activity. 

We also recommend the auction venue for certain numismatic items which are difficult to value. Dealers rarely offer an aggressively-high price for esoteric coins. Therefore, unless you happen to know a retail collector who specializes in such a coin, you'll have a hard time getting top dollar through a private sale. As we stated, many auction houses do a good job of exposing your coins to a sophisticated group of buyers.

Consignment Terms: The consignment contract itself can be a complicated document; Seller's Commissions, Buyer's Commissions, Cash Advances, Consignment Deadlines, Protective Bids, Payment Schedule, Catalogue Placement, etc. Each one of these items can be negotiable depending upon the types of coins you want to sell and your relationship with the auction house. Naturally, the more favorable deals go to the better customers.

Pinnacle enjoys good relationships with all of the major auction houses – but are committed to none. If you have the right coins for this venue, then we feel uniquely qualified to direct you to the right auction (and auction house). We'll work hard to negotiate the best terms possible and do anything else you need to make it a good experience.

Call toll-free at 1-800-724-7642 or email us at expectmore@pinnacle-rarities.com for a no obligation consultation about how to maximize the proceeds from the sale of your coins.

Additional Selling-Related Services

In addition to the previous selling services, Pinnacle Rarities can provide the following consulting service for your collection before you decide to sell:

CERTIFICATION AND GRADE REVIEW: Certified coins have provided significant assurance to the collector or investor as proof of condition and authenticity. Certified coins also offer greater liquidity at established price levels in the marketplace. If you have raw (uncertified) coins in your possession, Pinnacle Rarities can submit them to the major grading services (PCGS or NGC) and advise you to choose the appropriate service for your coins.

But coin grading is subjective. Grading standards can fluctuate over time and some of the coins in your possession may merit a higher grade in the current marketplace. Before you sell your collection, it may benefit you to have our in-house grading experts review your holdings to see if any of your coins merit a higher certified grade.

NUMISMATIC RESEARCH: Some types of coins are much better received in the marketplace if their position within numismatic history is properly and thoroughly researched. Some of the research services we can provide are as follows:

• Variety Designation – date, die and mint mark varieties often trade for 10% to 50% more than their common type counterparts.
• Condition Census – coins within the top-five known examples for their type, date, or variety draw significant attention. Much of the early proof Seated Liberty coinage that we have sold to our clients in recent years fall within a condition census.
• Pedigrees – coins that were once part of a famous collection trade for premiums if that collection was remarkable for its quality. Additionally, pedigrees of average quality coins add to their liquidity, if not to their value. With our extensive numismatic library, we have re-attributed pedigrees to coins that have lost their pedigrees as they changed hands.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND CATALOGUING: Many collectors want a photographic record or catalogue of their collection, but they do not want to sell at auction. We can prepare a private catalogue of your collection for you to remember your collecting achievement. Additionally we can commission large format photographic prints of your favorite coins to display on the walls of your office or home.

SET REGISTRY: While a relative newcomer to the field of numismatics, getting your collection ranked among the finest certified collections in a set registry adds cachet in today's marketplace. Pinnacle Rarities has helped many collectors build collections for PCGS's Set Registry and NGC's multi-service registry. We can assist you by upgrading or filling-out your holdings for inclusion in a registry.

EXHIBITION AND PUBLICITY: Collections established several years ago, and that have been off the market for more than five years, consist of what dealers refer to as “fresh material.” Collectors, investors, and dealers alike get excited about having first buying opportunity at fresh coins. In order to generate enthusiasm for this type of buying opportunity, Pinnacle Rarities can arrange for an exhibition of your coins at a major numismatic convention and send an advance press release of its eventual sale to our extensive client base.

INTERNET SALES: While Pinnacle Rarities has large internet exposure and we do compete in many major internet Auctions, the majority of coins sold via online Auctions (for example, eBay.com) do not realize strong prices. Premium quality coins regularly fail to meet their fairest prices. While the commissions and posting fees are lower in internet auctions than in conventional auctions, placing a collection properly in an online auction can be very time intensive. We do not, at present, recommend this venue as the principle method of disposition of our clients collections.