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There is one item that really bothers me, it is bad information. So many people tell stories or repeat information that is not correct. The problem is others believe what they are told. It does not take long before this inaccurate information is listened and repeated and now becomes real to the many people who do not know better. This inaccurate information is spread among ebay and Chinese Coin Forum. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the intent is Read More... I purchased a coin last week and it arrived today. It is an error coin. I am collector driven so I get excited. This is not an expensive coin but a really cool coin. The interesting story about this coin is I have been looking for this coin for over two years. For those of you who do not know me, if I want a coin, 97% of the time I will find it and purchase. Another collector had emailed Read More... I must be really lucky because I meet so many nice people. Recently I sold a very expensive Modern Chinese coin. In the process I met the nicest lady who was there to witness the transaction. I found out she was kind of like the consultant and finance advisor for many of the previous coins purchased. I had no idea. She was very proud to be the sign of the Snake. Next year is her year. She was so nice Read More... If you have not done so, you should visit the site Numismaticcrimes.org This is a great site that shows how numismatic crimes are on the rise, and this organization is there to help keep everyone informed and communicate the best practices to help you avoid becoming a victim. Doug Davis has done a great job at keeping everyone informed. Many offenders have been caught and prosecuted. The goal is not to be a victim but if you are, he Read More... A good friend and good customer emailed to tell me how he had some of the raw coins graded that I had sold to him. They graded Proof 69 Ultra Cameo. None of these were in the "so-called" original double seal. I could see the coin and grade each coin properly. This is not the case when a coin is in a double seal. Let's face it. A true double seal will have the soft plastic turn yellow over Read More...  The Year of the Dragon is upon us. Please contact us to purchase Dragon coins. We have a complete selection of 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 5 oz, and 12 oz Gold Dragons. All of our coins are authenticated, graded and encapsulated. Please contact with any questions, we are available to help. COLLECT - INVEST - HAVE FUN........... MODERN CHINESE COINS We all dream about what we would like to accomplish and about what we would like to happen. Having dreams is good. However, a dream is just a dream without a plan. Once you have a plan, your dream is now a goal. A dream with a goal allows for you to turn this dream into reality. Now is the time to take your dreams, develop a plan and turn this plan into reality. At Majestic Rarities Read More... Happy Chinese New Year We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Be strong, confident, happy and healthy in the New Year Year of the Dragon COLLECT - INVEST - HAPPY NEW YEAR.....
Error coins were "HOT" at FUN. I had no error coins on display but had them in the safe. It's a good thing I had them with me because we had many questions that resulted in many sales of these coins. It wasn't just us, others sold many errors as well. These are cool coins that are truly rare. You know what I always say "raritity does not go out of style." When Heritage announced the start of Read More... First, I have to apologize for not writing any blogs for the past two weeks. I have received many emails and phone calls remiding me to supply updates. Between traveling to the Fun Show and then taking some time off after the show resulted in lots of catch up when returning. The FUN Show in Orlando was really exciting. We were busy each day of the show. There was lots of buying and selling. It was great to see everyone Read More... This is Part 2 of a previous blog. I did not enjoy writing the first part but felt the need to let my feelings be known that the shake-up and elimination of the weaker sellers would be very positive for the overall market. This blog is more thought provoking. Please think about this concept for a second, corrections are needed to allow for continued growth. Nothing moves up forever. Pull backs are healthy and necessary. They pave the road for Read More... The Wall Street Journal reported the end of the year financial numbers. 1. The Dow was up 5.53% even though it is still way off its all time high of 2007. The real number I focus on is how Gold was up the higherst percentage of the other financial indicators mentioned Read More...  THIS IS PART 1 OF A TWO-PART BLOG Since October 2011 I have been asked so many times about lower prices and softening of the Modern Chinese coin market. I even addressed these questions in previous blogs. I have been asked and explained this so many times that I thought another blog was appropriate. Yes, the Modern Chinese coin market is weak. This should not be a concern if you have a positive outlook for the future - I do. These Read More... HAPPY NEW YEAR We want to thank everyone for a fantastic 2011 - We wish you a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2012. Visit us at the FUN Show. We hope to see you in Orlando... COLLECT - INVEST - HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The FUN Show is quickly approaching. This coin show takes place in Orlando Florida at the Orlando Convention Center between January 5-8, 2012. We will be at combined booths 1129, 1131, 1228 and 1230. Please stop by to purchase, sell, browse or just to say hello. We enjoy meeting the people we have been selling to and purchasing from over the phone and through the internet. We attend many shows. Since we are web based, we only set-up at a Read More... WE WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON. WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. WE RECEIVE SO MANY POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THESE BLOGS. IT'S REWARDING TO TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE THESE THOUGHTS AND SHARE WITH EVERYONE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER IN THE NEW YEAR! COLLECT - INVEST - HAVE FUN....................  In my opinion, the Champion Auction had very mixed results. I can say this because I was at this auction from start to finish. I viewed the lots and the catalog. Some coins broke records while other coins did not sell. I think this is the result of market conditions for common coins and a reflection of the over-all world economy. There are many distractions in the news every day. Too many distractions - The European issues, US unemployment, housing markets Read More...  The exhibit was something very special. The rarity of the coins was CRAZY. Besides the selection of authenticated, graded and encapsulated Gold Panda Kilos from 1997 - 2005, there was the Return of Taiwan Gold Kilo, Yan Di, 3.3T Kwan Yin, 18T Kwan Yin, 20 oz Gold Peacock, 20 oz Gold Dragon/Phoenix and a remarkable series of #1 Gold Lunar Kilos. If this was not enough, there were both Invention and Discovery Gold Kilos!!! OK - let's not forget Read More...  When you view these pictures, you can see why this is so addicting! When can your favorite hobby become a fun business that takes you across the world? Enjoy.............  The December Hong Kong Coin Show was lots of fun for us. We were able to see lots of friends and meet many new people. The weather was warm, the food was great, everyone was so friendly and there were many great coins. Normally we purchase a great deal of coins at our table. The only items we purchased at this show were during the auction or sold to us privately, none at our table. It was kind of confusing Read More... As we mentioned in the previous blog, this Invitational Event is something very special and unique to the numismatic communtiy. Most coin shows try to create large environements that are over crowded and not geared for the people attending. This Invitational Event is a boutique show with only those invited allowed to attend. I just learned that Mint Officials and Distributors will be attending this show along with former Mint personel, including a person who was responsible for stamping numbers Read More...  The Modern Chinese Coin Invitational Event of the year is taking place this week in Hong Kong. It is a coin show, combined with an exhibit of tremendously rare coins along with educational sessions. This same concept produced tremendous results last December for everyone who attended; collectors, investors, dealers and consignors. There was so much praise from those who attended last year, so the model from last year has been duplicated and improved for this year. Last year there was Read More... Many people email me and ask about trying to time the market so they can purchase Modern Chinese coins at a lower price. I have mentioned this before and need to mention again - do not try to time the market. This is a big mistake. My opinion is to purchase nice coins at fair prices. We are a buyer of the Modern Chinese coins we like every day, regardless if the market is moving up or down. How much do Read More... We want to thank everyone who has helped make this another fantastic year for both Modern Chinese coins and Error coins. We feel very fortunate to have helped many people and many people have helped us. No one can do everything by themselves. It takes a team, working together, to achieve very positive results. We can't thank you enough............. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Majestic Rarities
 The Modern Chinese coin market is gaining momentum as we head towards the New Year and Gold is stable over $1700 per oz. As I write this, spot Gold is trading at roughly $1725. Why is this significant? Because not long ago (about six weeks ago) Gold fell into the high $1500's several times. Gold rebounded to just shy of $1800 before pulling back to the current levels and to remain above $1700. What I find interesting is so Read More... Update from the Beijing Coin Show - A 2008 10 Kilo Gold Rat just sold for over $1.5M dollars. This is the highest recorded auction sale for a 10 Kilo Gold coin. This is yet another in a series of Modern Chinese coins to break the Million Dollar barrier. Prior to this year, it was unheard of for a Modern Chinese coin to sell for over 1 Million Dollars. Now it is a regular event. This auction had mixed results Read More...  As far as Modern Chinese coins are concerned, Pandas have been hot and continue to bring strong prices. These are not necessarily true low mintage coins, however, the Panda is in great demand. There are many collectors and investors. Everyone loves the Panda, so there are so many people concentrating on Pandas and their varieties. It does not matter if these are Panda date sets, Panda Proof coins, Silver or Gold, etc.... 1 oz, 5 oz, 12 oz, Kilo Pandas Read More...  We are very excited to offer the first Modern Chinese Coin Calendar that we are aware. There are great coins shown for each month. I believe we capture and show the major Chinese Holidays and events. This is a terrific opportunity to look at coins all year long. Everyone needs a calendar!!! This also makes for a great gift. On the cover is the 1988 12 oz Gold Dragon. The 1988 12 oz Gold Dragons were struck in such high Read More...  Since posting the first blog about the soft market, I have received a great deal of communication. I neglected to include some important information. I conduct many transactions with a person BK located in the US. BK wanted to know when I felt the recovery would begin. Great question that I should have addressed in the first blog. I think the Modern Chinese Market will start the recovery towards the beginning of November. This is always a strong period leading Read More... I have received a great deal of comments about my last blog. With Gold dropping below $1650, it seems like this increase/decrease of spot Gold is going to continue for a while. In my opinion, there is nothing to worry about. The instability of the metals market will have an affect for all bullion related coins regardless if they are US or foreign. I am always asked about the ability to sell expensive coins. How does a person sell Read More...  I must have been asked this question 200X during the past month. Yes, prices for many Modern Chinese coins have pulled back. Let's face it, nothing can continue to climb without taking a breather. This pull back is a good time to purchase some of the coins you have been waiting to purchase. Please remember, not all Modern Chinese coins have experienced price declines. Some coins and series have continued their upward movement. I will discuss many of the Read More...  I get asked this question every day, "why don't you have prices listed for your coins." The answer is simple, I do not want to sell these coins. They are part of my personal collection which is one of the largest in the world. I do not want to sell many of the coins if I do not have duplicates. My website was initially geared for me to display certain coins people never see and for educational purposes through Read More...  During the last three weeks, I have received so many questions about Gold. These questions were from anyone and everyone. Let's face it, the vast majority of people were concerned and need reassurance as they watched their investments free-fall each day. The general question was, "is Gold going to go up or continue to fall." My answer was simple, "Go Up! Gold will continue to rise. That is my opinion and I am sticking with it." Corrections along the Read More... I have not posted a blog lately because I receive many phone calls and emails daily about the current market conditions. I spend a great deal of time answering these questions and have not spent enough time posting blogs. I plan to post the most commonly asked questions in separate blogs. This blog is about sets, inspired by Bruce who calls daily. I do not agree and feel strongly that certain sets must be collected as sets - not individual pieces Read More... OK, I might have missed some very important reading material not mentioned in the first blog. This has been pointed out by several people. I do log onto Kitco to get a snapshot of what is going on with the metals, stock market, and oil. I am a firm believer many of the markets are geared (maybe manipulated) for traders. Think about it for a second. How can the stock market swing over 200 points in a day? If everything Read More... I know my titles are simple but the content is powerful. Reading is so important if you want to stay ahead of the curve. I can list example after example of how reading has helped me and given me an edge over others. Knowledge gives me the ability of knowing when to pay way more than market or to stay away. Regular reading materials are: Pricepedia - I keep a copy in my car (I am always driving) and a copy Read More...  Stacks did such a great job advertising and promoting this very important 1975 no S dime. Every numismatic journal had an advertisement for this coin. As a result, this coin realized a price of roughly $350,000 shattering all estimates and breaking new records. I believe this to be the highest selling dime for a Modern US Coin (1964 and after.) This is great because it helps all areas of numismatics, especially error coins, other no S coins like the Read More... Tomorrow (Sunday) is a big day for Modern Chinese coins as Champion Auction is taking many Power Coins to the auction block. Yes, there are many 5 oz and 12 oz Gold Lunar coins. These have mintages of 99 or less. Yes, there are many Authenticated, Graded and Encapsulated coins from NGC. Yes, there are both the 1982 10 oz and 1990 15 oz Gold Vault Protectors. I estimate a very small survival rate for the 1982. Yes, there is Read More... Earlier this month I wrote about safety. I think this is such an important topic that is not talked about or stressed enough. Please take the time to read this and then read my previous blog about safety. For the record, I always receive emails and phone calls after I post each blog. I received one of the greatest amount of responses to the previous blog about safety. This is not only a hot topic but everyone is concerned as Read More... The Hong Kong Coin Show opened today with a wild crowd of people ready to buy. I have been coming to this show for several years, two times per year. This is the busiest I have ever seen the show. Everyone wanted to buy. They knew if they did not buy right away, the next person would. The lines were long and everyone was eager. I can't believe all of the activity. These are people buying on the spot Read More... Please take time to go back and view pictures taken during the ANA in our After The ANA Review blog posted a couple of days ago. You will have a chance to view the incredible booth and display area along with seeing many of the interesting coins in our cases Double click on these pictures to have them increase in size. They are definitely worth viewing. Please contact us with any questions COLLECT - INVEST - HAVE FUN....................... We just left the ANA Coin Show after a grueling week of waking up early, going to bed late, setting up, taking down and talking to everyone who stopped by. We want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hello. Since we are internet based, seeing and talking to everyone in person is the most fun part of the show. I was able to spend one night at home and then back on the road again. Off to Hong Read More...
(please click on above heading for ANA Show pictures.)
 The ANA Coin Show, the largest coin show held in the US, completed about 9 days of pre show and actual show. The general consensus is this was a great show for the majority of dealers attending. Some dealers made the comment this was one of the best shows of their career. Besides having the largest bourse floor of any prior ANA, this had the most dealers and visitors. The attendance was strong and steady for each of the days Read More...  The American Numismatic Association's largest coin show in the US is taking place in the Windy City this week. Come vist us at the Donald Stevenson Convention Center in Rosemont, IL August 16-20 to see the largest display of authenticated, rare Modern Chinese Coins ever shown at one time. We will be in booths 1317, 1319, 1418 and 1420. These are all combined into one monster space so you will be able to easily see each coin and ask Read More... I am a member of many numismatic organizations for both collectors and dealers. There is a very scary reality that everyone should pay attention, it is called theft. No one is immune from theft and there are more and more victims I am hearing about every week. This was never the case in the past. With the poor economy and the real unemployment numbers growing, crime is becoming more prevelant than ever before. There are many things you can do Read More... In my last blog I discussed pricing and why I felt pricing was going to continue to increase. I mentioned the uncertainty of the economy, rising debt, and a much broader base of collectors/investors who purchase these Modern Chinese coins and take them off the market along with several other variables. I did not mention specific buying/selling venues like ebay. At one time, not that long ago, a person selling Modern Chinese coins would know almost every seller Read More...  We are living in crazy times. When in history has almost every government been in financial trouble and every currency becoming weaker and weaker? All you hear about is budget deficits, bailouts and gold hitting new highs. This is my opinion about coin pricing, right or wrong. I will explain how this affects the Modern Chinese coin market. The US stock market is highly manipulated. Money is being pumped into the market to keep it moving forward and gain consumer Read More...  I just returned from Shanghai. It was great to spend time in the new coin market. This just opened about a month ago. Everything is enclosed and the floors are all tiled. It is much nicer and more convenient than the old market. There are so many great coins for sale. The prices are "sky high" but well worth it. I asked several people why there are so many great coins for sale. The basic answer revolved around two concepts Read More... As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am a subscriber of Panda Pricepedia. This is a monthly newsletter by Peter Anthony. His articles seem to be mostly about Pandas. Towards the end of the newsletter are guidelines for prices for many different Modern Chinese coins. There are so many variables when pricing is involved. This is a great resource to be used along with other information available from websites, dealers, etc... The more information you have, the better decisions Read More... I was talking with a friend a couple of days ago - let's call him Joe. Joe was telling me about a Modern Chinese coin he just purchased. It is a very good coin that has a low mintage, popular and always in demand type of coin. I said to Joe, "so now you have two of these coins." Joe replied that he only had one. He reminded me that he sold his original coin about 15-18 months ago. "Right Read More... To purchase Modern Chinese coins, we bid in auctions all over the world - literally. There are so many auctions containing Modern Chinese Coins. Many people are not aware of every auction that takes place. In the US, we always watch companies like Heritage, Stacks, Bowers, Goldbergs, etc... Overseas, there are many auctions. Most of these are not well publicized or user friendly. There is an auction happening next week that contains some great Modern Chinese coins. This auction is both Read More... When I was in Long Beach, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Anthony. Peter is the author of The Gold and Silver Coin Buyer's Guide. This is a book disucssing and explaining information about Pandas. I purchased this book, actually, I purchased many copies of this book. I thought this was something great to give to people who purchased coins from us. I like the concept how this book is very focused on one topic, Pandas. Peter and Read More...
On Line Auction
I anxiously waited almost three years for the online auction to take place that included the coins not claimed from a horrible event that many families were victims from what I would call fraud. No need to go into details. Justice finally prevailed once through the court system and again as these coins were auctioned and the prices realized were very strong. I was not the only person waiting, there were many as the world awaited the sale of these Read More...
The Squeeze
What a difference in the last six months. Generic coins have taken off! I categorized coins into three very basic categories: Six months ago, generic coins were selling at very low prices. These coins were hit the hardest with a downturn and these coins rebounded the most. Six months ago, I was able to purchase generic Gold Pandas at 5-10% over spot. Now these coins sell for 25-400% over spot. These coins have Read More... Many people do not like to admit when they are wrong. Not me. I am quick to admit my mistakes. I have many, so I have gotten used to this. If you read Coin World ( I highly recommend) I am quoted about the Modern Chinese coin market often. In the June 20th issue, the first Modern Chinese coin to burst through the Million Dollar barrier was discussed. I was called and interviewed because I was a bidder for this coin Read More... It was about a month ago I wrote about the 1991 5 Kilo Gold coin selling for almost $1.6 Million Dollars. This is the first Modern Chinese coin selling for over 1 Million Dollars in auction. I thought this was a great purchase for the buyer. I value this coin to be much more. The mintage is only 10 pieces!!! Since I am behind in my posts, I am trying to catch up in order. Two weeks after the Read More... I have been traveling for almost one week. One stop in LA and then off to the Long Beach Show. It was kind of quiet for Modern Chinese coins. Actually, it seemed really slow for almost everything. We did not have a table, so we had plenty of time to meet with clients and dealers. We walked and walked the floor. I am not sure if a correction is taking place or maybe just a plateau for right now as Read More... To show the continued strength of the Modern Chinese coin market, a new world record was established for a Modern Chinese coin. This is not just any coin. This is the 1991 5 Kilo 10th Anniversary Gold Panda. It recently sold for almost $1.6 Million USD. This is the highest price of any single Modern Chinese coin sold as of this writing. The mintage is only 10 pieces. What makes this so interesting is about 10 months ago, another Read More... In the last two weeks there have been two coin shows in Chicago; Chicago International Coin Show (CICF) and Central States. The CICF Show was very good but not for Modern Chinese coins. There was only one seller of Modern Chinese coins with a few other dealers showing some common date Pandas. Even the auction was weak. The coins were average for rarity and not the best quality. As mentioned, always spend a great deal of time viewing auction lots Read More...
(click on above title for additional pictures)
 It seems all Unicorns, better-date Pandas and all Peacocks are doing very well. Unicorns, Peacocks as well as several other coins were mentioned in a previous blog as coins that should be in every collection. It doesn't matter which Unicorns; Silver, Gold or Platinum; fractionals, 1 oz, 5 oz, 12 oz or 20 oz coins. They are all in such great demand. Unicorns have been going crazy with higher prices for all graded 69 coins. It seems the 1 Read More...  As I mentioned in the previous blog, auctions seemed to dominate the show. Not all coins are created equally (or preserved equally.) Prices can vary when more than one of the same coin is auctioned. Many people are confused by this concept. If a coin sells for a low amount, they think the market might have weakened for that particular coin. This is absolutely incorrect. This is why it is advised to always view the lots, have someone view the Read More... I have mixed emotions about the show. A lot of excitement with auctions and the anticipation of the show. Many great coins were seen and offered. I enjoyed viewing auction lots. It's not often a person gets a chance to see so many coins up close and examine all at one time. This is the best way to learn about each type of coin. The show was crowded with a lot of people and a lot of buying. There Read More...  The market for the larger Gold coins (12 oz, 20 oz and Kilos) has really heated up. These coins have seen tremendous gains with a great deal of room to keep increasing. These have been so undervalued for a long time. There are many factors contributing to these increases. Many people have been working on their 5 oz collections and some are close to completion. Since the 5 oz series is so tough, many have started to look at other Read More... What do I mean by tug of war? I explain to everyone that there has been a tug of war going on for the last few years. The tug of war is when great coins are offered, I am willing to pay high prices to acquire these coins. This means I have to outbid everyone else. The higher prices I am willing to pay results in the higher price others, especially those overseas, are willing to pay. There are too Read More... Prices keep increasing!!! Here is a quick story. We bid on over $1,000,000 of rare coins in one week. We only purchased $200,000. This means we were only 20% successful. This is highly unusual for us. We have been the top buyers of rare coins for the past several years. The market has risen to higher levels than we realized. We have adjusted our buy prices to reflect these new levels so we can maintain being the Read More... I get asked this question almost everyday, "What should I purchase?" I feel the best values are the same staple coins that I have been recommending for the past several years;  The Panda has been in hibernation for the last few years. While most non-Panda coins have experienced sharp price increases during this time period, the Panda has lagged way behind. The Panda has finally awaken!!! In the past few months, prices for low mintage Pandas have started to move nicely. It was only a matter of time until the Panda would be pushed up by the high price of the non-Panda coins. The price gap became too large for everyone Read More...  Error coins are fascinating and rare. Since 2002, the amount of striking errors to leave the US Mints are few and far between. This means there is a shortage of new error coins entering the market. This shortage, coupled with more collectors and investors entering the market has been the cause to see price increases. Just think, a 1943 Bronze Cent sold for an incredible 1.7 million dollars in September 2010. This broke all price records for a Lincoln Read More...
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 The New Year is almost here. The excitement is building for the Year of the Rabbit. Will there be a Lunar Completion Kilo in 2011 as seen in 1992 and 1999? For information purposes, these Lunar Completion Kilos keep increasing in price. The 1992 Gold Lunar Completion Kilo just sold for roughly $600,000!!! WOW, has this coin taken off. This has a mintage of 21 and it is recognized that a major firm melted one by accident. This means Read More... I was just informed of a very rare 5 oz Gold Panda selling for roughly $240,000. Is this crazy? Let's put it this way. Previous to this sale, I have only seen one of these. That's right, only one. I purchased it right away. I did not wait or try to negotiate. It was more like, "tell me your price and I will pay on the spot." Price was not an issue. I paid well over market Read More... A lot of people are confused about the pricing model for Modern Chinese coins. Since I buy and sell every day, here is my opinion to shed light on what is taking place. Champion Auctions in December 2010 broke so many records and set a new standard for pricing. Everything increased by another 30% on top of the 30% gain already realized in the three months prior. All of the collectors, investors and dealers were happy to see their inventory Read More...
(Click above heading for more pictures)
 The Florida United Numismatists (FUN) coin show is the first show of the year. This is always a good show. It's great to see so many collectors who come from all over to attend. Then again, who would not want to escape winter!!! For us, this was great show. What makes this a great show? Being able to purchase and sell lots of coins along with making contacts with people who have coins they might want to sell in Read More...
Hong Kong December 2010 (click on above title for more pictures)
 In previous blogs, the importance of exchanging information and good communication is stressed. Without this, Modern Chinese coins would not be at the levels they are today. It was not long ago these coins were not appreciated. The low prices were consistent with the lack of demand. The reason for the change is education and respect. Everyone is beginning to understand the cultural and historical significance of each coin. This has caused many new collectors and investors to enter this Read More...
Hong Kong December 2010 (click on above title for more pictures)
 Just like the auction room, everything was packed with people. It did not matter whether you wanted to view the lots being auctioned, to look at coins in the exhibit or to purchase coins at the table. Each area was packed showing the strength of the market for Modern Chinese coins and the tremendous level of interest.
This was an incredible event combining so much information. This was much more than selling some coins in auction; this was an event Read More...
Hong Kong December 2010 (click on above title for more pictures)
 We attend so many auctions all over the world. We never stop to think how everything is organized. Everyone takes it for granted about requesting to see a certain lot and a person brings you the lot to inspect. Auction companies make this look easy, it's not!!!
Here are some behind the scene photos of lots being assembled. The amount of space and time required is beyond belief. Look at all of the rare Gold coins being organized and Read More...
Hong Kong December 2010 (click on above title for more pictures)
 I described the amount of excitement in a previous blog. If you look at the pictures, you can see the auction room was packed with people waiting to bid on the coins they wanted. The competition was fierce as many new price records were set.
Looking at he auction room is only one part of the story. The other part of the story is the amount of people sitting outside the auction room waiting for their lots to be auctioned Read More... I get told all the time how everyone loves to see the rarities we display. These are real coins and real sets that we own. They are not for sale. They are part of my private collection. I enjoy purchasing rare coins that I want to own. While some people enjoy seeing these rarities, others want to know the price and others want to purchase. I do not want to sell these coins, so I have the program written so Read More... Champion Auctions delivered everything promised. This was the largest sale of Modern Chinese coins ever to take place. Many people did not think this many coins could be absorbed by the market. Not only were these coins absorbed, but at record prices for many of the coins auctioned. The bidding was intense as everyone competed for these ratities. In general, 5 oz Gold attracted most of the attention. As I mentioned in a previous blog, these coins are way undervalued Read More... If you read the first part about the educational program, we discussed why the demand has increased. An important factor not mentioned is not just the amount of new collectors and investors but the age of these people. There is a force of young people collecting these coins. Youths collecting and investing today means continued strength in the future. During the Forum, we were lucky to have an NGC Finalizer address everyone present. The finalizer is key because this person Read More... Michael Chou from Champion Auctions along with event sponsors, Majestic Rarities and NGC, arranged to have an educational session to discuss the Modern Chinese coins. This was attended by some of the largest collectors and dealers of Modern Chinese coins. In addition, there were educators and authors present to share their opinions of what they have seen in the past and what they feel will be the course going forward. As we went around the room, each of the approximately Read More... Good Morning From Hong Kong - Michael Chou's (Champion Auction) firm conducted the first of two auctions. The prices yielded were very strong. This first auction set the tone for new pricing throughout the world for Modern Chinese coins. This auction lived up to the hype and excitement promised. NGC graded coins continued to dominate bringing strong prices for authenticated, graded and encapsulated coins. I have not seen bidding like this, EVER. I do not believe there were many coins Read More... I was looking at ebay while packing. I will be in Hong Kong for the next 10 days both exhibiting very rare coins, presenting material during educational sessions and giving private showings of these really rare and some never seen before coins. I am also participating in the Champion Auctions on both December 2nd and December 5th. This will be a great event combining a coin show with two great auctions while having educational seminars. While packing, I noticed a Read More... HAPPY THANKSGIVING and thank you for taking the time to visit. Many people tell me prices they can purchase rare coins. They want to tell me about market pricing and the prices other people are selling rare coins. I always ask, "how do you know this price." They usually tell me a friend of theirs or someone told them how much they should pay. (This is my favorite part of the conversation.) I ask the person, "why didn't you Read More... I was just viewing the coins for auction by Michael Chou from Champion Auction. I am blown away at all the great coins for sale. This will truly be an amazing event. I talked with Michael for a moment or two. Michael told me both the first auction on December 2, 2010 and the second auction held on Sunday December 5, 2010 promises to be one of the greatest auctions of Modern Chinese coins ever seen. There is a great Read More... Here is the market update - It is crazy!!! Here is a very brief list of coins I sold in the past two weeks and the new prices as of today: 2002 Jubilee Kilo Sold for $4300 - now over $6000
AUCTION, EDUCATIONAL AND EXHIBIT
Everyone is really excited with the thought of this incredible event. That's right, this is more than an auction or a show, this is a very important event in which the "who's who" of Modern Chinese coins will be in Hong Kong to attend. Majestic Rarities will be playing an important role. We have been asked to exhibit and speak at this spectacular event. This is an honor to be recognized as a leader in this market. Ponterio Read More... The Beijing coins show just ended last week. Coins at the show and in auction realized very strong prices. Stronger than I have seen before. We are witnessing something very powerful. Prices are moving higher due to their raritiy and demand. As I always mention, rarity does not go our of style. The chance to purchase these rare coins is just as rare as the coins themselves. If you do not purchase when offered, you might not see again for Read More...
CRAZY PRICING
As mentioned, prices are increasing at a very fast rate. This bothered me for a while so we were very cautious. Since this trend has continued for well over a 12 month period, it seems like the market has a great deal of strength and will continue to increase through at least the first quarter of 2011. Any price adjustment would be viewed by me as healthy and a chance to purchase more great coins. I am very optimistic about Read More...
ERROR COINS
We atteneded the Philly Show because we were asked to speak about error coins and the minting process. We had a good crowd both days we spoke. There were lots of great questions and interest. This could not have happened at a better time. The 1943 D cent struck on a bronze planchet had just sold for a record of $1.7M a couple of weeks earlier. Error coins continue to bring strong money and set records in the process Read More... Here is what I believe will happen in the near future. A coin will be less desirable if not graded. Everyone will ask, "what is wrong with the coin that it is not in a holder?" I do not know about you but I can't see through the double seal coins. This is a problem! To me, authenticating is #1. This protects everyone. I like the feature of encapsulating to prevent further damage from occuring to the coins. In Read More...
SHANGHAI MINT
Being able to sit down with Mint Officials is far from common. With me was David Camire from NGC/NCS and Michael Chou from iAsure and Champion Auctions. We felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend this presentation. I felt an really special to be meeting and listening to the people responsible for striking the coins I collect. Please remember to Collect, Invest and Have Fun. Please take a moment to look at all of the pictures............
Howard Franklin Bowker (click on title to view full blog and pictures)
 (The beautiful picture above is in front of the original Shanghai Mint that was modeled after the Philadelphia Mint.) While is Shanghai I had the opportunity to attend the Howard Franklin Bowker donation ceremony at the Shanghai Mint. This was an emotional event in which Mr Bowker had passed away in the early 1990's but his family kept his collection in tact. After all of these years, they decided to donate due to the help of Michael Chou from Read More...
(click on title for full blog and pictures)
 To give you an example, we sold 90% of the coins we came with on Thursday. The show does not start until Friday!!! The prices for great coins (mintages of 99) was insane. These low mintage coins keep increasing as more are being taken off the market. The Hong Kong Show really showed the stregth and depth of the Modern Chinese coin market. Not just on the bourse floor but the Champion Auction as well. We feel pricing will continue Read More... This was the first show we not only showed our large selection of error coins but were proud to see the debut of a book we co-authored - 100 Greatest US Error Coins. This is not just some book with cool pictures of really rare Major Mint Error coins. This book is an educational resource about the circumstances surrounding how each error occurs and the entire minting process. Complete descriptions and definitions help the reader understand how and why these coins Read More... I have received many comments about this blog. It is incredible to read and listen to all of the bad stories people wanted to share. Not receiving the coins they purchased, not recieving the proper quality of coins represented, not being allowed to return coins they were not happy, not being issued refunds in a timely fashion, etc.... There was one common thread between almost everyone who called or emailed - EBAY. My best advice is to work with a dealer Read More... First, please remember if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are many unethical people who sell coins and misrepresent the truth. The truth can be about the rarity, quality, value, etc...The truth can even be about how they represent themselves. This is how I was deceived. The person claimed to be affiliated with many organizations and used the logos when advertising. I did not take the time to check. This was my fault. You Read More...
There are many people joining the frenzy of trying to buy and sell Modern Chinese coins. Many of these people are what I call opportunists. They ask ridiculous prices hoping to get someone interested. Since most people are looking for a bargain, it is only natural to ask for a lower price. The buyer forgets or does not realize the coin is way overpriced, they are more concerned with the large discount from the original asking price. So if a Read More...
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