Cherrypickers Guide: Why Are They Selling for So Much? My Numismatic Investigation

I’ve been collecting coins for decades, and last week while reorganizing my bookshelf, I dusted off my old Cherrypickers Guides. Just for fun, I checked current prices—couldn’t believe my eyes! Those once-budget references now cost a small fortune. That sent me down a rabbit hole figuring out why, and I discovered some things I think fellow collectors will find downright fascinating.

The Shocking Price Surge Explained

Once I started digging, the answer seemed obvious: basic supply and demand. The guides are out of print, and with no new copies hitting the market, collectors are chasing the same worn copies. I paid about $40 for mine new, but today? They’re selling for hundreds—especially signed editions. Here’s what’s fueling the frenzy:

• More folks are hunting varieties in classic series like Bust coins, where this book remains essential
• Newer collectors completely missed the original print runs, creating a backlog of demand that’s sending eBay prices skyward

Delays in New Editions: Behind the Scenes

As someone who’s dealt with publishers, I expected new editions would solve this—but it’s messier than I thought. For years, we’ve heard “next year” promises (remember the August 2023 rumor?), yet nothing arrives. From chatting with folks in the know, the holdups boil down to a few sticky problems:

• Authors struggle to price unpublished varieties—it’s like guessing tomorrow’s weather
• Copyright debates rage over whether discoverers deserve royalties since you can’t copyright a coin design itself
• Broken promises pile up (remember the 2020 release that vanished?), and publishers just shrug when pressed for answers

Practical Advice for Modern Collectors

Facing these crazy prices and delays, I’ve tweaked my own collecting habits. If you own a copy, treat it like gold—it’s not losing value anytime soon. New to the game? Skip the bidding wars and try these smarter moves:

• Grab the digital edition—I got mine on Kindle for under $20, same knowledge without the markup
• Bookmark sites like PCGS CoinFacts and Variety Vista—they offer live updates that fix the guide’s occasional mistakes
• Always verify varieties online before buying—the guide has some errors, and cross-checking saves both money and heartache

While I’ll always cherish my dog-eared Cherrypickers Guides, the truth is we’ve got better tools now. I’m keeping mine on the shelf, but these days? My phone’s where the real variety hunting happens.