my turn; a would you buy question

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I don't often ask these what if questions, but I'm in a bit of a quandary.  Both coins in question are Republican denarii, one imperatorial and one late Republic.  Would you go for the imperatorial, an issue I've always wanted (which comes up on vcions way less than the Ephesus Antony-Octavian) which is actually affordable but the coin is somewhat decrepit (aF by wear, which isn't terrible by itself, but the coin is pock marked to death), or a beautiful coin, which I have no great passion for, but am only getting because it's beautiful, affordable (about $100-something less than coin 1), and presumably scarce.  I don't remember seeing many of these.

Both come from dealers whom I'm very comfortable buying from.  I've only bought one from A, but it came SUPER fast, my fastest European buy.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

P.S.  A is 400-something dollars and B is 260-ish.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Well, I'll be so bold to announce that coin A is a denarius from Athens? of Marc Antony/Marcus Antonius.  There's so few on vcoins, that it's easy to find which one I'm talking about.  If someone buys it out from under me, no biggie; solves the conundrum.

Also, what do you think caused all those marks?  Some seem deliberate, like clumsy bankers' marks.  The coin's rather ugly because of the pock marks.

The other one is lovely, but like I said, I have no great passion for the issue.

[Roman Collector]

Buy neither. It's obvious that you have a case of buyer's remorse even before buying them. Save your money and buy something else that really speaks to you.

[Prieure de Sion]

The condition is always a subjective thing. What is still very beautiful for one person is still unacceptable for another.

Among others, I bought these three imperative coins - Fulvia and Marcus Antonius.

 

 

 

And in the end I was annoyed that I didn't wait for a better opportunity after all. I didn't like looking at them. 

Therefore. But that is my opinion and my feeling. This can be completely different for you.

[LuckyLuudje]

I don't look for coins online, so I have no clue what the coins are.

 

But You should answer for yourself why would you buy a coin where you don't have passion for?

I personally only would do it as a gap filler if it is extreme rare or when the bullion value is higher than the sales value.

 

Another question is why you should buy the coin where you do have passion for, If you doubt it this bad.

[John Conduitt]

Save your money for a better version of the coin you want. If it comes up, you'll have $260 more to spend on it than if you get the second coin.

[ambr0zie]

In my personal experience, when I had this type of doubt
- a type I always wanted but the aspect is below my standard
- a type I am buying just because it's beautiful
Always ended with buyer's remorse unless the coins were total bargains, let's say under 40 EUR for interestng coins.
For me paying $400 or even $260 on a single coin is too much (these are my financial means and I can't lie but I am not ashamed either). If I pay this sum on a coin, I need to be 200% sure I will like it a lot.

I checked coin A. As many colleagues know, I am not a condition snob, but I wouldn't buy that one. I know it's rare, but it's simply beyond my indulgent standards. I migth be wrong, but those don't look like banker's marks, just damage.

Probably you'll see the next example in a couple of years, optimistically speaking, but save some more cash and buy a better example.

[seth77]

I am almost sure that when you feel the need to ask others whether you should buy a coin or not, that is in fact you telling yourself not to. If I may, to me it's similar to back in highschool with girls -- if you feel the need to ask for advice whether to date a certain girl or not then your heart is not really there.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

About how much does a solid Fine version of the Marc Antony, Athens go for in today's market?

The pock marks are almost reminiscent of fourree breaks.  However, it looks like silver (to my untrained eyes) under the marks.  That particular dealer doesn't seem to list weights, which makes it kind of tough. Could they be 'finder's marks' or damage done by a plough before the coin was unearthed?

***Update, wow, what a bizarre development!  This thread caused me to search for my (realistic) dream coin, a portrait Denarius of Sulla.  A very affordable one in decent fine popped up. It took me about 30 seconds to purchase  it!  That issue only seems to show up 1-2 times on vcoins a year, sometimes 0. I got my dream coin!  I was happy to plonk down $300+ for this!

To keep on budget, I guess A or B will have to wait 2 weeks.  (I budget a certain amount for coin buys).  Who knows, by then I might have moved on to something else.

I'm glad I asked!!

[idesofmarch01]

1 hour ago, Prieure de Sion said:

And in the end I was annoyed that I didn't wait for a better opportunity after all. I didn't like looking at them. 

It's my belief that this observation accurately reflects most (but not necessarily all) ancient coin collectors.  While it's not necessary that your coins be EF, VF, or any particular condition, ultimately you want coins in your collection that you like to look at, and have eye appeal for you.  If the coin you're considering doesn't have this, it won't matter how rare, or what it costs; you'll eventually end up wishing you had waited for a different example of that coin.

Pay attention to your inner voice!

[El Cazador]

2 minutes ago, idesofmarch01 said:

It's my belief that this observation accurately reflects most (but not necessarily all) ancient coin collectors.  While it's not necessary that your coins be EF, VF, or any particular condition, ultimately you want coins in your collection that you like to look at, and have eye appeal for you.  If the coin you're considering doesn't have this, it won't matter how rare, or what it costs; you'll eventually end up wishing you had waited for a different example of that coin.

Pay attention to your inner voice!

Unless you don’t like the coin, but you think it is severely underpriced item and you can have an arbitrage opportunity - you can confidently resell with a high enough margin (30%+ profit)

Edited August 27, 2022 by El Cazador

[idesofmarch01]

3 minutes ago, El Cazador said:

Unless you don’t like the coin, but you think it is severely underpriced item and you can have an arbitrage opportunity - you can confidently resell with a high enough margin (30%+ profit)

If you're a part-time or full-time ancient coin dealer, this might be a consideration.  But if you're simply a collector of ancient coins, buying a coin you really don't want for your collection simply ties up your capital for the period during which you're trying to sell the coin at a profit, and may cause you to miss opportunities for acquiring coins that you want.  Especially if you're inexperienced at reselling ancient coins, the total risk and hassle of doing so probably far outweighs the potential profit.

[El Cazador]

3 minutes ago, idesofmarch01 said:

If you're a part-time or full-time ancient coin dealer, this might be a consideration.  But if you're simply a collector of ancient coins, buying a coin you really don't want for your collection simply ties up your capital for the period during which you're trying to sell the coin at a profit, and may cause you to miss opportunities for acquiring coins that you want.  Especially if you're inexperienced at reselling ancient coins, the total risk and hassle of doing so probably far outweighs the potential profit.

Depends, i know quite a few folks who sponsor their new purchases for personal collection this way, and it makes absolute sense to do this! But again, one should have confidence and ability to liquidate at high profit margins within 1-2 months

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I'm folding sheets and doing the happy dance!  I also noticed a very nice example of another one-off Sulla-related coin.

I had my eye on B mainly because it was scarce (well, I should plonk open Sear and verify), really nice, and affordable.  It's a coin I'd probably forget about in a little while.  I'd probably remember the Antony. Unless it's truly terrible, I don't usually regret coins. The B is more of an opportunistic buy (not for resale purposes).

While my coin budget has certainly increased, keep in mind that I'm a 'budget' (generally under $500) collector.  I'm still very happy with my $800 Apsimar buy, but that's my second-most expensive coin ever.

I guess I don't regret it completely, as I now have an example, and I generally can't afford a nice one, but I plonked down $400-something for a Trajan Decius Double Sestertius about 10 years back.  It wasn't in terrible condition wear-wise, but a weird flaw (gouged out eye) makes it really ugly.  I don't regret one bit spending a similar amount on a Heraclius 'Jerusalem' Solidus with a finder's gash (affects only a couple of letters).  That was another 'dream' coin.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

14 minutes ago, idesofmarch01 said:

If you're a part-time or full-time ancient coin dealer, this might be a consideration.  But if you're simply a collector of ancient coins, buying a coin you really don't want for your collection simply ties up your capital for the period during which you're trying to sell the coin at a profit, and may cause you to miss opportunities for acquiring coins that you want.  Especially if you're inexperienced at reselling ancient coins, the total risk and hassle of doing so probably far outweighs the potential profit.

Yes, I haven't sold a coin since 1994.

[ambr0zie]

1 hour ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Update, wow, what a bizarre development!  This thread caused me to search for my (realistic) dream coin, a portrait Denarius of Sulla.  A very affordable one in decent fine popped up. It took me about 30 seconds to purchase  it!  That issue only seems to show up 1-2 times on vcoins a year, sometimes 0. I got my dream coin!  I was happy to plonk down $300+ for this!

This is the best possible outcome.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It sure is!

Bloomin' heck, the other Sulla-related coin is sold from Spain.  I guess that rules out that one...  The one I purchased has no shipping problems.

I'm sure the Antony will stick around for a while. 

An Antony-Octavian Ephesus Denarius is another want. While some dealers describe them as 'rare', there's always a few examples on vcoins. 

[Romismatist]

LOL - it looked like the issue resolved itself. Glad it had a happy ending.

[ewomack]

I'm glad that it all ended well. I know I've deliberated over coins for weeks sometimes.

Edited August 28, 2022 by ewomack

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I don't think I'd regret the Antony; I'd just add that to the bunch if I acquired a better one.  I somewhat regret the Decius, but it's not like I can afford a better one.  A nice one seems to go for $1500+ nowadays. It gets me in the door.  I rarely regret coins; it's more like it goes out of sight, out of mind if I like it less than other pieces.

Careful deliberation is probably what's called for in this situation.  I'll see how I feel in a couple of weeks.  I might just go with the beautiful one, or something completely different.

My collection isn't about investment (although I rarely bring myself to really overpay); it's about what makes me happy.

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[Mucius Scaevola]

When you have some doubts and habe to ask here (which is absolutely okay and understandable) - don't buy them. Save the money and get sth you reaaaally like the moment you see it.