A good customer of mine asked me a direct question this week: “What’s Hot Right Now?” I thought for a minute and replied that it would be easier to tell him what’s not hot right now. In general, the coin market is a bit tepid like the rest of the economy. Folks are not rushing in, nor are they rushing out. Like many other businesses that have spent the past decade ramping up year over year, we are seeing a softening of activity. Not dramatic, but enough to notice and there are definitely some price changes in the coin market as a result.

Now, back to the question.

I have always preferred to buy coins in a contrarian fashion for a number of reasons. First, I like buying on the “cheap” but I equally hate to “chase” the hot series of the month, etc. Inevitably, these hot series grow cold and (better yet) the cold ones grow hot. Currently, the “cold series” are the places I find myself playing the hardest because I love the deals I’ve been able to make.

The “Cold” List

Lincoln Cents: Not exactly cold, but I’ve read a lot of debate on this series lately that suggests their are definitely not “hot” and this is true for the more expensive coins. As others have suggested, the late Jack Lee hoarded valuable Lincolns for some years, and his estate was recently sold via several Heritage auctions. We were aggressive in these auctions because it was the first time in years that I could buy these scarce red issues. They’ve sold very well for us and the less expensive coins (under $500) are still on fire. Still a great time to start this collection as the supply is a one-way street. Once the Jack Lee coins are gone, they’ll be very scarce again.

Buffalo Nickels: What happened to Buffalo Nickels???? This series was HOT, HOT, HOT for a decade or more, and lately the demand for gem Buffs has slipped. We’ve been buying them up left and right at great prices and I’m even starting my own Registry set because I think the availability of these coins is a short-lived phenomenon.

Walking Liberty Halves: Ditto for the Buffaloes. For years, you couldn’t find any of the early dates at less than 25-50% below Greysheet bid. And now, I can finally stock them. I think this availability will be shorter than Buffaloes.

Bust Half Dollars & Bust Dollars: How we’ve loved these series for the past 5 years or more. Collectors scrambled and pushed levels up continually for the better part of a decade and now we’re seeing profit taking and softer demand. We have over 30 Bust dollars on our web site right now. That has to be a record for us!

Some collectors get nervous when they see prices come down in certain areas, but these series are perennial favorites and the current situation offers the perfect storm for a savvy buyer. Call or email me today and we can discuss these and any other coins that you may be interested in. My email is john@davidlawrence.com.