I bought my first batch of half-dollars from a local shop a few months ago. W/o knowing the market price, I paid $4 a piece for them.

Just recently, I managed to get it for $2.50 a piece! Can you imagine how I felt?

And this morning, my regular magic shop called me (as I ordered from them half a year back) and told me they are selling their half-dollars for $6 per piece! I told them straight that I could get it much cheaper from other places, and guess what? Straight away they reduced their price to $3.

Now, it would have been ok if they stick to their price (that's integrity), but when they are able to reduce the price so quickly, I know their pricing is very questionable.

So guys, check for prices before you get anything!

$4 bucks for half dollars? Wow. And they slashed their prices just like that. :blink: Thanks for the advice, we will be careful in our purchases in the future. :D

I know this is going to sound strange to come from a buyer, but IMO, they are people who are trying to do business and earn money.

You cannot expect them to be brutally honest. Walk in their shoes, and probably you will understand why they would do almost anything to clinch a buy or some business, no matter how small.

Don't be too hard on them. Just play your own part to stop yourself from being cheated lor.

Just my 2 cents. Feel free to agree/disagree.

hmm. there's something i don't really get here.

Half dollars=USD$0.50 right? So based on the conversion rate rounded up to 1.7.. shouldn't it be SGD$0.85? So whay is the price marked up so high?

you could go into any bank in america and change your dollars for coins and can even request them to be uncirculated. :unsure: so why is everybody like rushing to buy half dollars at more than twice the price?
:(

hope someone can help answer this question. :)

Aaron

Because people here are willing to buy it at that price.


Since the supply curve meets the demand curve at price P and quantity Q, price P becomes the equilibrium price. Therefore, the price that the half dollars coins are sold for is price P.
Factors that cause the demand to be like that include the lack of half dollar coins in Singapore and the usefullness of half dollar coins in tricks. Factors that cause the supply to be like that include lack of viable alternatives, high costs of shipping and an uncompetitive market.

Mugging econs = Win
Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Preferably before Monday. Thanks.

This much I know...

When the dealers get it from the wholesalers, obviously the wholesalers want to make a profit, therefore naturally, they will sell it more than the $0.50 that it is worth. Coz 1/2 dollars are not longer in active circulations so not all banks has it, and only certain states still have them i think.

Let's say the wholesalers make $0.50 per piece, that means the dealers buy them at USD$1 each. Now, that's SGD$1.7 roughly. Then you plus shipping from US, considering coins are relatively heavy, it brings the cost up to at least SGD$2.1 per piece.

So considering the hassle of meeting up for it and all, it is really not worth much business to the dealers. The online dealers of course don't have to pay rent so can afford to sell it much cheaper. From what I know, most of them sell it only as a courtesy for their customers with razor thin margin.
The shops naturally have to cover rent and labour and therefore have to sell it much more.


Of course, ideally, the best way is to go to the US, and change like $50 worth of 1/2 dollars. That's the absolutely cheapest way to get them :) And you should get it this way if you can.
Erm...not counting the air fare of course B)
Or wait for your friends to go to the US, and beg them to make a trip to the banks for you, and promise to buy them coffee or lunch, or make a rose appear in their hands. :g:

What the price is is not so important, I guess that just means finding out the market price of items first. Like half dollars should be around $2 per piece (that's the most I am willing to pay).

Aloy is obsessed with the rose thing.. hmm.

Anyway, you can ask ur american frenz to mail you the coins if u wan, hmm 2 or 3 coins in a letter wont be much. :)

Actually, I had asked my friends in US to get half-dollars for me before, but it seems that even in US, it's very rare to get one nowadays. Some of them haven't even seen one during their stay there!

Anyway, I am not against dealers making a reasonable profit, but when you looked at the way they readily slashed 50% off the price, you know their margin not that reasonable. I mean, not as if their half-dollars are anymore special than others that warrants such high premium, it's still a coin!

Or maybe.. I should just try to make a rose appear in their hands instead of paying...... (out-of-point...)

In the US, half-dollars are more commonly used in casinos as chips. So you should be able to sneak some out...

Did you know that a certain magic shop in Singapore even sells walking liberty half dollars for $80 a piece? The actual market price is only around ten to fifteen dollars each..

Gosh, maybe I should pack a couple rolls of half dollars with me when I visit in a couple weeks. Sounds like the profits could pay for a side trip to Bangkock. :)

OK, something to do with half-dollars too...

I realized yesterday, one of my half-dollars is thinner and lighter than others, is it possible there are counterfeit coins around? Or is it just due to the date they are minted? As I realized the lighter coin was minted in 2000, the others are mostly in 70s or even 60s.

I mean if there are counterfeits around, then even at $3, it's still a rip off!!

And, by the way, I noticed there are 2 types of blank face cards on the market right now. One costs $15 and the other is only $7.50. Both are bicycle backed and air-cushioned.

I happen to have bought 2 decks at different prices. On close inspection, you would notice that the colour of the backs and size are slightly different ( darker shades of blue/ brighter shades of red for the cheaper ones).

Again... a local shop is selling the $7.50 ones for $15. I know because I noticed the colour. So, let the buyers beware here.

As far as I know, there are no counterfeit half-dollars.

But yes, there are "fake" bicycle decks around (made in China).

I saw some of those fake bicycles recently on a trip to Shanghai. They were Cycle cards. Should have bought a pack as a souvenir.

No, there are fake "BICYCLE" cards (even the regular faced ones), besides the "Cycle" cards which copies the design almost totally (besides the name - I think, which is also rather copied).

No, I was not referring to the "Cycle" brand that those China guys were selling at Chinatown.

The deck I have is a regular Bicycle, or at least it looks 99% like one. Only the colours have slightly different shades. You have to put the real thing side by side to notice the differences. Also, the "Lady" on the cover of the box looked slightly disfigured. The fake ones are also longer in length and width.

Though the cards can still to serve it's purpose, I think nobody here like to use "pirated" cards

Fake money = Illegal

...Would be very unwise for anyone to actually sell fake half dollars :lol: Free trip to prision, do not pass go, do not collect $200!

The roll of half dollars i get from the States ALWAYS come in the official sealed paper tube so anyone getting from me, you can be assured you're getting the real stuff.

Pirated cards, yeah i heard Malaysia has many. But there's also 2nd grade bike decks... so if you've been ripped off, well... then you learn :( We all go through that painful process, yeah, even me!

So you are saying the 7.50 gimmicked deck is a fake? i came across a magic shop here. I wanted to buy a gimmicked deck double faced,she said theres 2 type...one is 15 bucks and another is 7.50 but i check it first, the quality is bad, like a cheap cardboard feeling to it and it cant be fanned, so i bought the 15 bucks..which is the same feeling as normal bikes....... :D

I'm not aware of a $7.50 version but from what you say, it must obviously be of a much lousier stock. Why impose on quality when you can get what's good for you at just a few bucks more?

Good thing you weren't penny wise, pound foolish ;)