Ya Alex, i think you got yours at 299 Euros, i could have it, at that price but decided not to get it.
Looks like the major dealers are colluding to fix the price. I for one will not be paying 350 Euros for the coin. Also this coin is only going to be released in the end of March 2013 whereas paypal buyer protection is only good for 45 days. I will take my chances sniping one of ebay or if I am lucky getting one from Eurocollections.
I sent a message using the contact us link at powercoin.it offering 275 euro + shipping and antonello responded pretty quickly with: Hello, you can buy this coin from our competitors Paris Coins or from Intercoins-Berlin. We are not going to sell less than current website price. Thank you! __ Antonello Galletta (Director) Of course paris coins and intercoins-berlin are both selling at 350 euro as well, so a fat lot of good that does. Sounds like you're right silverfever. Maybe eurocollections/downies will shake things up. They did right by their customers last year with the hedgehog when they easily could of sold for $500
Looks like they are going to kill the golden goose. I think a lot of collectors are going to be pissed off and boycott this issue. We will let them sit on their allocation. Just look at the Palau Red Squirrel Coin. They were trying to pawn it off 300 Euros. Price on ebay now is around 50% of that.
The problem is that Palau Red Squirrel, Spiny Anteater, Lutra & Co. are only COPIES that try to repeat the success of this series presenting a spiny or hairy animals. But the Original series is the Mongolia Wildilfe of Gulo Gulo Wolverine, Ural Owl, Hedgehog and now Argali. Out of 4 coins we got already two COTY - Coin Of The Year and one candidate for next year COTY 2014. Who paid 300 Euros for a Red Squirrel should buy no doubt the Argali for 300-350 Euros cause the quality of these more popular coins is miles ahead. I am not saying these coins are cheap, I am saying that are not for everybody, and who can afford and like the coin, better buy one of this than any Squirrel... Alex.
I wouldn't call it a scam. I'd just say most the dealers have decided to not do us any favors. Let's face it, most the people buying the hedgehog at $200 last year were doing so to flip them for $300 profit on ebay, etc.
Alex weren't you just recently pumping up the Palau Red Squirrel Coin? http://forums.silverstackers.com/topic-31507-red-squirrel-coin-5-palau-2012-the-new-hedgehog.html
Yes, but even to flip and make a profit is reasonable, if the dealers are buying for aroung 70 and selling for about 200-250 they are still making good profits aswell. Now those that are collecting and not flipping are going to be forced to pay huge prices if they want the full collection.
Hi Silverfever, first of all let me say I read your posts with great interest and I agree with you most of the times. The squirrel, YES, I was about to talk about that too. Few months ago I saw the squirrel, the same COA of Mongolia series, and the question I shared with forum was: "what do you think, the new Hedgehog?" After that I saw other similar coins coming out (spiny anteater, Lutra etc.) and for me looked like pushing on the market hairy or spiny animals in the Mongolia series style to try to repeat the success. I admit, I bought two coins to flip one for a profit. What I am understanding now instead, is that the original series is one thing, the copies are other things. Same for Tiffany Art coins. I was asking last year about Tiffany Art 2012 Neoclassicism, many said that was an overpriced coin, to skip it and so on. Instead I bought it and I was really right, cause I paid about 300 Euros and I sold it a couple of weeks ago for 750,00 Euros after 10 months. Not bad. But at the same time there are Mineral Art, Cristal art, Bla Bla Bla Art etc. that COPY the Tiffany Art series, and even if sometime the prices go high fast, they drop as quick as they have rosen. Instead, look on ebay a Tiffany Art 2004 which is listed for $9,000!!! Well maybe will not sell quickly at this price, But I have one friend from China who paid almost that price. So there is market. I am a young collector and I am not an expert like many of you, but I am here to learn and I like also to express my opinion on coins. Alex.
Hi SS I really like this post , very informative. I agree with everybody who said, that dealers make huge profit if the issue price was 70 euro and they sell for 350 Euro right now. ... but I have one question. What the difference between DEALERS who rip off collectors, and "COLLECTORS" who try to buy 3-5 of these coins to flip them and rip off WHO? REAL COLLECTORS?
Hi SILVERCOINSSHOW, great point! Last year I saw a post where someone posted a picture with more than 30 Hedgehog coins bought here and there. All of them have been flipped with great profit according to the forum poster. So I think that the most disappointed persons for the new high price are only those who planned to make a big profit out of the coin. Well they can still do but have to wait about 1 year, if new price is 350,00 euro today. I bought one single piece at 299,00 Euros cause I was quick, I am happy, I will keep for me and if basic price now is 350,00 euro I am even more happy, cause the coin I will get is already increasing its value before issue Alex.
Sorry Alex. Didn't mean to give you a hard time, bud. I enjoy reading your posts as well. You definetely have very interesting and expensive numismatic tates. Regards, Ben
Some people collect. Some people stack. Some people do both. Do what makes you happy. To answer your question, there really isn't a difference. I don't think that makes the flipper or dealer evil. There is nothing wrong in making a profit when dealing with an object that has no real value other than the amount of PM it's made from. If these mark-ups were on food, water, gas or any other item people needed in order to live, then it would be wrong. The real "bad guy" here is the mint. There's no reason to make only 2500 coins other than to drive up the price per coin. There's plenty of silver & Swarovski crystals available to mint thousands. They choose to mint 2500 just to increase the value. It does suck if you are only buying the coin becuse you love the artwork and you want to keep them forever, passing them down to your grandchildren. But that's the price of art. On the other hand, there are plenty of other beautiful coins to collect at much lower prices.
Intercoins Berlin price is 389 Euro at present http://www.ebay.de/itm/Vorverkauf-5...11589?pt=Münzen_Medaillen&hash=item4850892945
Hi SILVERCOINSSHOW, great point! Last year I saw a post where someone posted a picture with more than 30 Hedgehog coins bought here and there. All of them have been flipped with great profit according to the forum poster. So I think that the most disappointed persons for the new high price are only those who planned to make a big profit out of the coin. Well they can still do but have to wait about 1 year, if new price is 350,00 euro today. I bought one single piece at 299,00 Euros cause I was quick, I am happy, I will keep for me and if basic price now is 350,00 euro I am even more happy, cause the coin I will get is already increasing its value before issue Alex. Hi guys, I was the one posted the pic of my hedgehogs farm...by the end of 2012 I ended up collecting 8 x gulo gulo, 40 x owls & 50 x hedgehogs. Just for the record, I am down to 3 sets at the moment - for my own keeping. If u ask me if its worth all the effort and investment, I'd say it had paid off handsomely. Am I to continue collecting? YES. These masterpieces can only appreciate in their prices and value. HOWEVER, entry point of which the price you pay for is very, very important. That was quite a gamble I took. Am not gonna take the same risk with the latest series. I have contacted my bulk supplier to ask for bulk price (1 guy sold to me 15 owls and 25 hedgehogs, when the rest was insisting on 1 per customer policy). Will let you guys know once I get the price in a matter of time. Cheers.
You lucky man Happy2bme!!! Congratulations for your farm, I hope you will be lucky also for the Argali, too many collectors joined the club now and prices are raising fast for these pieces of art Alex.
I had a few full sets of this series which I sold last year and also did very well. Bought the Hedgehogs on day one for Euro 149. I am out now. The turnover on these coins for a low mintage of 2500 is too much for my liking. The frequent abundant availability of these coins made me nervous. Seems the price is only being held up by a frenzy of flipper hopefuls, as you can buy any of these coins anytime you like. Also looked to me like a synthetically inflated price (manipulation ), which may be dangerous if left holding in the wrong circumstances? Sale prices have fallen since I sold. IMHO, although they are nice coins, if these were true collectors coins they would be held by much tighter hands.
I think that's a fair call. I have to be honest though the Owl and Hedgehog are probably the only bits of Silver i have ever become attached to - they're brilliant coins.
Looks like 350 is not such a hot price. Powercoins has been sitting on these batch for a few days with no bites. http://www.powercoin.it/lang-en/asi...ion-silver-coin-500-togrog-mongolia-2013.html. Imho coins should have been priced at 250. High enough for the dealers to make a healthy profit but still leaving enough room for the average Joe to flip and make a couple of bucks. Right now it seems that instead of a hot frenzied market , the market for this coin is going to be ice cold.
