For collectors who are also dealers, when/how do you decide a coin is a 'keeper' or to be flipped?

[JayAg47]

I follow some ancient coin pages on FB and come across various dealers showing off their recent acquisitions and after a few days I see them listed on ebay or Vcoins. But to me almost every coin that they post is a 'keeper' that I'd never think of selling if I have them. Maybe it's just a part of the business?!

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

It's hard to reconcile getting a grail coin and then turning around and selling it. I would not be able to do so. Maybe it's just a case of knowing that such coins are going to good homes and likely will continue to exist in one collection or another for eternity. I wonder if folks in 3,000 A.D. will still be gathering up ancients?

[maridvnvm]

My collection is a bit like an onion. The closer to the centre of my collection the less likely I am to part with a coin. I have lots of coins that I have bought over the years that I am/will be parting with to fund the buying of coins closer to my central collections.

[ewomack]

Not everyone has the "collecting gene," or whatever one would call it. As the old worn saying goes, "collectors are born, not made." Though I don't see that as a timeless, inviolable truth, I think it rings true for a lot of people. My parents never collected anything, yet they produced two virulent, almost ravenous, collectors. My nephew, now barely in his 20s, has absolutely no interest in collecting anything. Any talk of collecting leads to glazed-over eyes and yawns. A friend of mine saw some of my coins, ones from his country of birth, and he looked at me and said "I've never collected anything. I'm not sure I understand why people do." He seemed confused that I would bother collecting things. So dealers may or may not have that quality. I don't know. I can imagine that a deep desire to "buy and keep" could probably get in the way of a successful coin dealership, especially if it's one's sole source of income. But I'm also guessing that even dealers keep a few here and there, when the situation allows for it.

[Al Kowsky]

3 hours ago, JayAg47 said:

I follow some ancient coin pages on FB and come across various dealers showing off their recent acquisitions and after a few days I see them listed on ebay or Vcoins. But to me almost every coin that they post is a 'keeper' that I'd never think of selling if I have them. Maybe it's just a part of the business?!

When I was a dealer I kept my personal collection small which took some restraint 😏. When you're in the business & have to eat & pay bills selling something you really like isn't that difficult....

[DonnaML]

We have some dealers here who are also collectors. Unless they think of themselves as collectors who are also dealers! I hope they weigh in, because I'm curious as well.

[panzerman]

I keep all my coins. However/ I did receive cheaper coins as Christmas/ Birthday gifts when I was a kid (sovereigns/ French 20 francs/ German 20 / 10 marks gold/ sadly all were in not great quality. So/ I consigned them to Stacks back in 2004. Ended up getting 12 K for 35 coins. Used $$$ to secure 3 really high quality ones. One coin was this one....second one/

[El Cazador]

8 hours ago, JayAg47 said:

I follow some ancient coin pages on FB and come across various dealers showing off their recent acquisitions and after a few days I see them listed on ebay or Vcoins. But to me almost every coin that they post is a 'keeper' that I'd never think of selling if I have them. Maybe it's just a part of the business?!

Can you show some examples so we can align on “keeper” definition- if you are referring to Ancient Group, virtually none, posted for sale are keepers from my perspective 

[CPK]

4 hours ago, panzerman said:

I keep all my coins. However/ I did receive cheaper coins as Christmas/ Birthday gifts when I was a kid (sovereigns/ French 20 francs/ German 20 / 10 marks gold/ sadly all were in not great quality. So/ I consigned them to Stacks back in 2004. Ended up getting 12 K for 35 coins. Used $$$ to secure 3 really high quality ones. One coin was this one....second one/

Man, when you were a kid you got gold coins as birthday presents? I must have been born into the wrong family! 😜😄

[panzerman]

Yes! My Dad collected/ so he got me interested when I was 10. I was brought up reading Grimm Fairy Tales/ thus Devils/ Robbers/ Witches/ and gold coins were in a lot of the tales. In grade one my fav. TV series was "Treasure Island/ Long John Silver" again gold coins. Today I follow "Curse of Oak Island"......NO gold coins so far! Once I was finished High School/ I got a job in lawncare/ saved all my $$$$ to buy modern FM Proof sets/ gold proof sets. I had to work three weeks to purchase a 1969 Biafra 5 piece set! Then/ I got enlightened and saw my first NFA coin catalogue/ which were filled with tantalizing ancients. I remember seeing a MS Saturnius AV aureus/ Alexander of Carthage aureus/ dream coins. My first good coin was a AV Solidus of Constans in FDC/ I paid $800US for it. My first aureus was a FDC Diocletian from CNG Triton V event. It cost me 10K in 2002. Cost me two weeks work/ cutting lawns🤩 I really miss NFA/ Tkalec AG Auctions.