The 1/4 buyer bought all the years that haven't moved much, 83-89 and 10-15 at a very fair price. The more common years are a nice complement to his rare 1/2 collection. Another buyer bought some key dates 1/4 that he was missing.
All the buyers and those that stopped by to say hi were seasoned, with 5-20 years of prior experience buying/selling MCC coins. Not a single customer showed up that I haven't known for at least 5 years. It is quality of buyers that is the best indicator of where we are in the cycle. When newbie buyers, newbie dealers and credit card paying customers start buying, then I will be worried about a market top. So far it is just the seasoned veterans of years past that are doing the buying, some of which took a break during the bear/flat market. I remember doing September 2011 show where 80% of my transactions were to buyers I had never known prior to the show and most of them had discovered gold pandas 3-6 months earlier.
Nobody knows where prices will be 3, 6, 24 months from now, all I know is buying coins is multiples harder today than spring 2008 and fall 2011, both times were intermediate peaks in the gold panda secular bull market that started in early 2007. With inventory being tightly held and offerings coming in at a trickle I feel safe knowing nobody is going to flood the market with 1/2 or 1/4 and most coins of other sizes. Also during this cycle much more information is available, pricepedia, NGC/PCGS price guide, dealer bid prices, auction archives, etc which allows many to make informed decisions and often decide to hold the coins rather than sell them at bullion prices to coin shops. It is going to take $1600 or $2000 gold to bring newbies into this market, so far the gold move from $1100-$1270 is invisible to 90% of newbie buyers that will show up in the future.
NGC was brutal on my submissions, 21 coins out of 60 came back ms68 or below. Quality was not the issue as I only submit coins I believe are worthy of ms69 or better, it was strict grading. Only ms70 were 1995 1/10 ld, 2006 1/20 and 2007 1/2, will update web site today.
