The coin market is caught in a paradox: while it’s been reeling from steadily softening prices, buyers are hungry for fresh, highgrade coins that possess interesting attributes such as scarcity, beautiful toning, or old holders, among others. Priced fairly, such coins are quickly being scooped up by an army of buyers who have liquid funds and are waiting to pounce on coins with promising profit margins left in them or that fit snugly into their growing collections.

But one of the weaknesses in today’s market is that many would-be sellers of such desirable coins believe market prices are too cheap to sell at this time and that better prices are in the offing. Others don’t see it that way, believing continued downward pressure will be exerted on the coin market as Baby Boomers continue to age and desire to sell out in order to relieve their families from the burden of having to deal with their collections.

There is still another scenario: many believe that rare coin prices have been suffering because the U.S. stock market has been rising steadily for several years and that this upswing has diverted collector/investor funds away from the coin market. Some coin market gurus predict that the next time precious metals prices make a long-term advance, the rare coin market will follow with a similar advance, resulting from new funds entering the market. Steadily increasing global wealth is another contributing factor to improved markets for collectibles, including rare coins.

All these are important considerations if you have coins that you plan on selling at some point in the future. And remember that it’s also important to get your collection ready to sell. Make sure your coins have been graded by preferred grading services; have your coins reviewed by CAC; and if necessary, upgrade certain coins in your collection if that will make it more marketable.