Low collection value

Why are my collection values and estmate so low?  I've got 15k in silver and gold in addition to collectible coins, and it shows a ‘value of $1980 for 89% of my items’ and ‘$1521 for 64% of my items’.  I must have something screwed up.  And why not 100%?

Good morning,

I assume you're referring to this screen:

So, weight is just pure melt value, changes daily-ish I believe.

When you're entering a new addition (or editing existing) into your collection, you have the option to choose a grade and put your own value on it. Like so:

My example is UNC & £5,000

And if we look on the actual item, we can see a value there for the grade “uncirculated”.

As you can see, I've said this coin is worth £5,000, but Numista has a “typical” value of only £83 for UNC (But no value for other grades). Works it out via a combination of realised sale values and entered prices for grades (so my £5k could screw it up if I don't delete it). Don't know the exact formula.

Now if we go back to the collection page…

You can see the “My value” is the total of values I've entered, and “Estimate” has taken the price determined for the UNC coin.

So for “My value”, you need to manually add in the price you think it is worth.

“Estimate” tells you what Numista thinks it is worth. If your coin doesn't have a value for your grade, it's £0. So if I'd said my coin was any other grade than UNC, it'd show as £0 as they all have - marks.

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100% value - You've forgotten to add value to 11% of your coins.

100% estimate - Numista doesn't hold a value for the grade of coin you have and/or you haven't chosen a grade. If you've graded 100% of your collection, then that means 36% doesn't yet have a value for that grade of coin.

Hope that helps 🙂

P.s. for what it's worth, I'm not convinced it's useful adding this data in.

The “My value” you choose could change at any moment. In my example, I said it was worth £5,000. 

However, in 50 years time, even if all other factors remained constant (e.g. metal prices, collectability…), inflation alone would mean it should show higher than £5,000. 

Or more accurately, it would have the same buying power of 2025 £5,000. Basically, my point is without frequent updates, it'll become outdated.

Or of course, there's a chance that maybe we find out my coin is actually mega-rare and is actually worth one million pounds. But unless I update it, still £5,000.

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Estimate of course would adjust for those values, assuming other people consistently add either their values or realised sales. But then you need to be confident in your own grading skills (I'm not) and grading skills of others (Also not, Numista users are probably fairer than average sellers though).

For my money, I just work off the melt value because that's what a dealer would likely offer. Even if I sold to collectors, by the time transaction/auction fees etc have been taken, I'd probably end up with similar money, probably a bit more but not masses.

So for “My value”, you need to manually add in the price you think it is worth.

No, you add the price you bought it for, it's buying value after all. The only relevant values are for how much an item went over the table not how much somebody thinks something is worth (see all the fantasy prices on eBay and the likes).

Thanks for everybody's responses.  So, I've entered unc, au, f, g grades for every item I have based on my grading skills, which aren't very good.  My bullion are all monetary (Krugerand, Eagles, Libertad, etc.) and are all unc.  I also have pcgs graded coins which I've entered, and several hundred other coins which are copper, nickel, etc.  I was under the impression that, since numista showes values when entering a coin that it would use that value when calculating collection value WITHOUT my entering the buy/purchase value, which I keep on a separate spreadsheet.  Apparently, I'll have to go back in and enter a buy value for every dawn item, based on my estimate.  Very time consuming and disappointing.  And as the collectable coins increase or decrease in value, apparently I have to update them on a regular basis.

One more follow-up, sorry!  Want to make sure I'm understanding.  I entered every coin from my Roosevelt dime collection, full set with proofs, silver up to 1964 then complete to 2024….ALL UNC.  Since I did not enter a buy value, NONE of these coins are included  in my collection value?

darkeller 

Since I did not enter a buy value, NONE of these coins are included  in my collection value?

Every one will be included in the My collection Estimate (Numista values). None of them will affect the My collection My values  (your entered buying price).

Idolenz - I think it should be more of a realistic price. If it commonly trades at £100, but you grab one from a bargain bucket of 10 coins for £1 - surely the £100 realistic valuation would be more useful to both the user & Numista than the 10p purchasing price? 

Obviously, entering £1,000,000 like those eBay lunatics should be discouraged, I agree with you there. :)

Darkeller - Just remember, you don't have to add the values in. You can just leave it all blank (same with grades too). You can always export your collection to Excel (& similar). I use Numista simply as a register of items owned rather than a value manager. To download - go to “My Collection”, scroll right to the bottom, past all the data & graphs, and you'll see 4 links - the third one is “Export my collection”, then you can choose what data you wish to export.

That might be more useful to you anyway, as then you can simply use excel to apply values or use formulas as you see fit. Probably a lot quicker than manually adjusting each line on Numista regularly!

Follow-up: The Roosevelts. IF there is a value on the line you've entered for the grade you've entered, it will be included on the “Estimate” but not on “My values” because you've not entered your valuation. 

Simply, “My Value” is the sum of whatever prices you personally have entered. “Estimate” is the sum of any graded valuation, if one exists. Estimate will change in line with new data, as it becomes available.

EXAMPLE: N#53

Let's take the 1965 top line, and let's say I've got a good & very good coin - one of each. Let's say I bought the good for 75p and very good for £1. Numista reckons a good should only cost 8p, and very good 10p (So I hugely overpaid!).

IF I enter the grades only, then “Estimate” will show 18p, “My value” £0

IF I enter the prices only, then “My value” will be £1.75, “Estimate” £0

IF I enter both the grade AND my price, then I'll see both “Estimate” 18p and “My value” £1.75

IF I enter neither, then I'll see £0 in both

Now let's pretend I got the the 1965 special mint set (Line 2), same grade, same purchasing price. This time, there's no valuation for anything less than Extremely Fine.

IF I enter the grades, then “Estimate” will show £0 (Because there's no valuation for that coin in either good or very good grade)

IF I enter the prices, then “My value” will be £1.75

IF I enter both the grade AND my price, then I'll see both £0 and £1.75

IF I enter neither, then I'll see £0 in both

I hope that makes things a little clearer :)

A Collector

Idolenz - I think it should be more of a realistic price. If it commonly trades at £100, but you grab one from a bargain bucket of 10 coins for £1 - surely the £100 realistic valuation would be more useful to both the user & Numista than the 10p purchasing price? 

Obviously, entering £1,000,000 like those eBay lunatics should be discouraged, I agree with you there. :)

You say it should but it isn't and such outlier values (low and above) don't go into the value calculation anyway (unless there is active manipulation attempts like spotted a few times already). If you want to artificially add realistic values you can put in some elbow grease and add completed auctions to the relevant catalog pages

Also some  think differently and want to see how much they've already sunk into the hobby over time 😅

I think I'm getting it.  ‘My values’ which now shows for 29% of my items, means that I've apparently entered a value for 29% of my items.

'Estimate' is now showing for 93% of my items.  Not sure why it wouldn't show for 100%, though.

darkeller

 

'Estimate' is now showing for 93% of my items.  Not sure why it wouldn't show for 100%, though.

Because of coins like this:

darkeller

I think I'm getting it.  ‘My values’ which now shows for 29% of my items, means that I've apparently entered a value for 29% of my items.

 

 I thought it meant that it is a sum of all members who have added a value. 

I have never yet entered a value, yet my page gives > 

 My values
for 1% of my items £***
 Estimate
for 59% of my items £***** 
 

From: https://en.numista.com/vous/index.php