How to sell a coin collection at a fair price
Inventory, price research, choosing a channel and negotiating – step by step
BulgarianCoins editorial team 3 min read
Most collections are sold once. That is why mistakes are expensive. The most common one is to sell everything at once, to the first person, without knowing what you have. Here is the better way.
Step 1: Make an inventory
Sort the coins by period and face value. For each one, record the year, face value, metal and approximate condition. Use the catalogue numbers from our catalogue. How to make an inventory – in How to catalogue your collection. Do not clean anything – cleaning lowers the price.
Step 2: Split the collection into three groups
| Group | What is in it | How it is sold |
|---|---|---|
| Valuable coins | gold, rare years, coins in excellent condition | individually, at auction or to a specialist |
| Mid-range | silver coins in good condition, BNB commemorative coins | individually or in small groups |
| Common | ordinary stotinki and circulation coins | as a lot, by the kilo or to beginners |
Usually a small number of coins carry most of the value. A dealer who buys “everything at once” knows this better than you do.
Step 3: Check the prices
Open the page of each valuable coin. You will see the market prices from current listings, separately for uncertified and certified coins. Compare only with coins in the same condition – see How condition sets the price. Remember that listings show asking prices. Actual sales are often 10–30% lower.
Step 4: Choose a channel
A dealer or shop. Quick and easy, but the dealer has to make a profit, so pays below market price. Suitable for the mid-range and common part.
An online auction. The market sets the price, but you take the photos, write the descriptions, handle shipping and pay a commission. Suitable for the valuable coins. See How online auctions work.
An international auction house. For the rarest and certified coins. The seller’s commission is separate from the buyer’s.
A private sale to a collector. Often the best price for certain coins, if you know people who are looking for them.
Step 5: Grade only what is worth it
Grading by PCGS or NGC costs a fee and time. It only makes sense for coins where the price difference is large – gold, rare years and coins in MS. See Should you send coins to NGC or PCGS.
Step 6: Negotiate calmly
Do not name a price first if you do not know the market. Ask for an offer in writing, coin by coin. If someone offers one total price for the whole collection without looking at it, that is a bad sign. Get two or three offers before you decide.
An inherited collection
If the collection is inherited, there are a few more rules – how not to trust the first “helper” and how to divide the coins among the heirs. Read Inherited collection: how to sell it.
Important
BulgarianCoins does not buy, sell or value coins. Soon, on the Bulgarian Coin Exchange, you will be able to put your coins up for auction, with each lot linked to the coin’s page in the catalogue.
