Coin collectors #1 question is almost always, "how much is my coin worth?". The valued amount of any coin can cost more in different markets and vary from one coin collector to another.

For example, one collector may be willing to pay more for a coin that completes a rare set of five coins. He has four, but has been looking for the fifth one for many years. Doing your research and keeping up with the latest coin pricing trends will help you determine the value of your coin collection.

Determining the value of your coin collection is crucial before you go to sell and open yourself up to offers that may greatly undermine your coin's value. It's also important to do your own research before making a major investment and adding an additional coin to your collection.

There are many variations that can affect the value of your coin collection.

• Condition 

Does your coin have dings and scratches or is it an uncirculated coin, otherwise known as mint condition? A uncirculated coin will typically be worth much more than an old rare coin you found that has been rubbing up against other coins or other abrasive surfaces. 

• Rarity

In addition to the condition of your coins, rarity is the next very important factor when it comes to determining the value of your rare coin. The less coins in circulation, chances are, your coin will be worth more. 

• Supply & Demand

As with all commodities, the less supply and the more demand of your coin will play a huge factor when determining the value of your coin.

• Precious Metal Value

At bare minimum, your coin is worth it's weight in gold! (Or other precious metal such as platinum or silver). Make sure you know what precious metal your coin is made out of and estimate the percentage. This will be a good indicator as to the value of your coin when melted.

Doing your own coin value research will help you become a seasoned coin collector in no time. Values are always changing and there are many resources to help you research coins in your collection.

Offline Resources to Help You Determine Coin Value
Utilize an updated coin price reference guide to identify your coin. New editions are released on a yearly basis, so make sure to keep yourself educated on new price changes. The coin market is very similar to the stock market!
Another way to help get your coins appraised is to do so professional at a coin or hobby shop. Make sure that you trust the coin dealer. If you have any questions about his honesty, simply take your coin to several other dealers for further consultation.

Online Resources to Research Coin Values Online 
There are many good coin price guide websites that will help you identify and appraise your coin. Appraising your coin online is typically a faster process then leafing through the pages of a guide. The internet is also a very helpful resource as you can look on auction sites and do searches in newspapers for the retail price of similar coins.

Now that you've identified your coin, appraise its condition. Is it mint? Or does it have scratches? Your coin price reference guide will give you several approximate retail prices for your coin, based upon its condition.

Once you've done your research and know your coin's approximate worth, you may choose to sell it and use the profits to buy more coins for your collection, or you may choose to carefully preserve it, add it to your collection and brag about it to your family, friends and fellow collectors. Having a valuable coin in your collection gives you additional options such as trading it for several other coins, but most enjoy the bragging rights!

Sometimes you may be let down as a coin that you thought was really rare turns out to be very common. And sometimes, you'll get a wonderful surprise and be very thankful that you are a coin collector. Doing coin value research is a very fun aspect of being a coin collector and truly keeps this hobby fresh and exciting as the market is always changing!