BLUESHEET: CDN GOES ALL-IN ON WEB-BASED PRICE REPORTING

It is when the majority of us are in middle school in our first economics class that we are first formally taught the law of supply and demand. We learn that in a free market economy-at its most basic level-supply and demand are the key determining factors of price. The concept of price is something that permeates all aspects of our commercial lives. Price governs the clothes we wear, the car we drive, and the home we occupy. Pricing in collectibles, like the coin market, is somehow even more conspicuous, possibly because these markets are more open and unregulated than most other markets we participate in throughout our daily lives.

While other factors outside of price influence the buying decisions of coin collectors, such as the desire to own something historical and artistic, price is often the key variable in the buying process. At CDN, the concept of price is our reason for existence; it is why we have recently added pricing for numerous grades of different coin series and have expanded into CAC versus non-CAC pricing (see U.S. gold type coins in Greysheet and 20th Century gold issues in the Monthly Supplement). It is also why we took the step of creating the Collector’s Price Guide (CPG), which represents a reasonable guide for what collectors should expect to pay for a coin in a retail transaction. The CPG price is based on the Greysheet wholesale bid price, creating a relationship in which prices move in synch with one another and are updated frequently.

We are now happy to announce that the CPG is available for free on our website, www.greysheet.com/coin-prices. From our home page, you can find this guide on the Resources tab along the top menu and select Coin Prices from the dropdown menu. From there the coin series can be selected and the prices will be displayed in a convenient grid format. Additionally, paid subscribers to our publications have access to Greysheet and Bluesheet prices under the respective tabs. This allows a very quick transition/comparison between wholesale and retail numbers within the same pricing grid. Importantly, this online price guide will also contain pricing data which will not appear in print, including historical pricing charts.

It is our goal to responded to subscriber requests for additional coverage. In the past we were limited by the page count of our print newsletters, but without this limitation we have rapidly expanded our coverage. In Liberty Head gold, for example we have added both retail and wholesale pricing for XF45, AU53, AU55, and MS61 for half eagles, eagles, and double eagles. Previously announced pricing, such as MS67 Barber dimes, quarters, and halves, which do not appear in print can also be found.