tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217904132014604050.post40641783656746638..comments2023-03-28T08:55:01.969-06:00Comments on Coxrail News and Announcements: Prices are absolutely wacky right now.Terry Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519274625518716666noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217904132014604050.post-6629644427044032092008-12-01T08:41:00.000-07:002008-12-01T08:41:00.000-07:00I will disagree a little bit here. I think prices...I will disagree a little bit here. I think prices in the Scripophily marketplace have always been a little wacky. <BR/><BR/>I have been a collector for over twenty years and have seen the same pieces vary in price, in some cases dramatically, depending on the seller. Some, like Clinton Hollins, always seem to have pieces at a lower price than others. Other dealers have the same prices at much higher prices. Now granted the dealers I am thinking about have much fancier promotional and sales materials; things like full color catalogs that are very well done. <BR/><BR/>I think some collectors like looking for the bargains while others like to buy from dealers with the nice marketing materials and they are willing to pay for that.<BR/><BR/>You are correct about the auction marketplace. It takes two. I looked at many of the prices realized in the most recent Smythe auction and I don’t think there were a lot of two’s. There were a number of lots that did not sell, which is a little unusual for them. But, more importantly, most of the pieces that did sell sold at below the low estimate. Now someone may say that this is a reflection of an eroding marketplace – or was this a result of overly high estimates that the market just could not justify? I have to lean toward the latter. When I got the catalog in the mail I thought the estimates were quite high for many of the pieces offered. I think these high estimates kept a lot of people from even bidding.<BR/><BR/>For years I have seem pieces sell in Europe for more than here in the US – especially American pieces. On the other hand, some European pieces sell here for less than in Europe – although I don’t see a lot of Americans being interested in non-US materials so the price differential is less.<BR/><BR/>Will the recession affect a marketplace with prices that have not increased in a number of years – only time will tell. I expect that the rare and truly great pieces to continue to do well, but those pieces that are fairly common will be hard to unload unless the price appears very opportunistic.<BR/><BR/>Tim W.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com