Where to Get the Best Price for Your 1962 Roosevelt Silver Dime: eBay or Coin Shows?

The venue you choose to sell your item can drastically affect your net profit. Let’s compare the modern digital market to traditional dealer bourse floors.

As an online coin dealer, I’ve examined thousands of Roosevelt dimes, and the 1962 is a fascinating case study in how selling strategy impacts your bottom line. This particular year represents the tail end of the silver era, and when you find one with Full Bands designation potential, the stakes for maximizing your return go up significantly.

Understanding the 1962 Roosevelt Dime Market

Before diving into selling venues, let’s establish what we’re working with. The 1962 Roosevelt dime contains 90% silver and was struck at the Philadelphia Mint (no mint mark). In circulated condition, these trade close to melt value. However, in Mint State grades with Full Bands designation, they become genuinely collectible.

The Full Bands designation requires complete separation of the three horizontal bands on the fasces (the bundle of rods on the reverse torch). This is where the forum discussion becomes instructive. One collector submitted images of a potential MS67FB candidate, and the community response was telling.

“It’s a low grade coin and not worth sending in. Looks FB, but save your money and don’t submit it.”

This blunt assessment highlights a critical reality: grading fees must be justified by the potential return. For a 1962 dime, you’d need MS67 with Full Bands to make submission worthwhile. An MS66FB might fetch $20 on eBay, which doesn’t cover PCGS grading fees plus shipping and insurance.

eBay Fees: The Hidden Cost of Digital Sales

eBay has revolutionized coin selling, but the fee structure demands careful calculation. Here’s what sellers face:

• Insertion fees: Free for most sellers up to 250 listings per month
• Final value fees: Approximately 13.25% for most collectibles categories
• Payment processing: Additional 2.35% through managed payments
• Optional listing upgrades: Bold titles, gallery plus, and featured listings add cost

For a coin selling at $25, you’re looking at roughly $3.90 in total fees. That’s 15.6% off the top before you’ve even shipped the item. Now compare that to a $275 MS67FB sale, where fees climb to approximately $42.60.

The math changes dramatically at different price points. For lower-value coins like a raw 1962 dime, eBay fees can consume a disproportionate share of your profit. This is precisely why forum members advised against grading a coin that might only achieve MS66FB.

eBay Seller Reputation and Its Impact on Price

Your eBay reputation directly affects what buyers will pay. Top-rated sellers with thousands of positive feedback can command premiums of 10-15% over identical items from newer sellers. Building this reputation takes years and consistent performance.

For Roosevelt dimes specifically, buyers scrutinize:

• Image quality and accuracy of representation
• Detailed descriptions of contact marks and luster
• Return policies (30-day returns build buyer confidence)
• Shipping speed and packaging quality

I’ve seen identical MS65FB 1962 dimes sell for $15 from a new seller and $22 from an established dealer. That 47% premium represents the value of trust in the online marketplace.

Coin Show Etiquette: The Art of the Bourse Floor

Traditional coin shows operate on different principles entirely. The bourse floor is where relationships matter, cash talks, and negotiation is expected. Understanding proper etiquette can mean the difference between a fair deal and leaving money on the table.

Approaching Dealers at Shows

When selling at coin shows, timing and approach matter enormously:

1. Don’t interrupt active transactions. Wait until the dealer has finished with their current customer.
2. Have your coins organized. Dealers appreciate sellers who present their material professionally.
3. Know your asking price. Vague responses like “What do you think it’s worth?” signal inexperience.
4. Be prepared to negotiate. Initial offers are rarely final.
5. Bring cash for purchases. Dealers who see you buying are more receptive to buying from you.

The forum discussion illustrates this dynamic perfectly. When one member posted images of their potential FB dime, experienced collectors immediately assessed its grade relative to known examples. This kind of real-time evaluation happens constantly on bourse floors.

Dealer Buy Prices: Understanding the Spread

Dealers at coin shows need to make a living, which means they’ll typically offer 60-75% of retail value. For common date Roosevelt dimes in Mint State, the spread might be even wider because dealers already have inventory.

Here’s a realistic breakdown for a 1962 Roosevelt dime:

• MS65 no FB: Retail $8-12, Dealer buy $4-7
• MS65FB: Retail $15-25, Dealer buy $8-15
• MS66FB: Retail $20-35, Dealer buy $12-22
• MS67FB: Retail $200-300+, Dealer buy $120-200

The jump from MS66FB to MS67FB represents a dramatic value increase. This is why the forum member’s question about their coin’s potential grade was so important. The difference between MS66FB and MS67FB isn’t just one point on the Sheldon scale—it’s potentially a 10x value difference.

Liquidity: How Fast Can You Convert to Cash?

Liquidity varies dramatically between eBay and coin shows. Understanding this helps you choose the right venue based on your timeline.

eBay Liquidity Timeline

eBay offers several selling formats with different liquidity profiles:

• Buy It Now (BIN): Immediate sale if priced correctly, but may sit for weeks or months
• 7-day auction: Typically sells within a week, but final price is uncertain
• Best Offer: Allows negotiation but extends the selling timeline

The forum thread referenced a $20 BIN listing for an MS66FB 1962 dime. At that price point, it might sell within days. But the $275 MS67FB listing represents a different market entirely—one where buyers are more selective and patient.

Coin Show Liquidity

At a coin show, liquidity is immediate but comes at a cost. Dealers will buy on the spot, but their offers reflect the certainty they’re providing. You’re trading maximum price for immediate cash.

For the 1962 Roosevelt dime specifically, liquidity depends heavily on grade:

• MS65 and below: High liquidity, many dealers will buy
• MS66FB: Moderate liquidity, some dealers specialize in Roosevelt dimes
• MS67FB: Low liquidity at shows, better suited for eBay or auction houses

This liquidity gradient is crucial for sellers to understand. The rarer and more valuable your coin, the more sense it makes to sell through channels that reach specialized collectors rather than general dealers at shows.

Online Reputation: Building Trust in the Digital Marketplace

Your online reputation is an asset that appreciates over time. For coin dealers and serious collectors who sell regularly, this reputation translates directly into higher prices and faster sales.

Components of a Strong Online Reputation

Building trust in the online coin market requires consistency across several dimensions:

1. Accurate grading: Over-grading destroys credibility instantly
2. Quality photography: Images should represent the coin honestly, including flaws
3. Detailed descriptions: Note contact marks, toning, and any issues
4. Fair return policies: Standing behind your coins builds repeat customers
5. Prompt shipping: Buyers remember fast, secure delivery

The forum discussion about the 1962 dime illustrates how reputation works in practice. When experienced collectors offered opinions on the coin’s grade, their assessments carried weight because of their established credibility in the community. The same principle applies to eBay sellers with detailed feedback histories.

The Feedback Loop

Positive feedback creates a virtuous cycle. Higher ratings lead to better visibility in search results, which leads to more sales, which leads to more feedback. For Roosevelt dimes and other popular series, this feedback loop can establish you as a go-to seller.

I’ve tracked my own sales data and found that coins listed during peak evening hours (7-9 PM Eastern) sell for an average of 8% more than identical items listed at other times. This is the kind of insight that comes from years of online selling and data analysis.

Making the Decision: eBay vs. Coin Shows

The choice between eBay and coin shows isn’t binary. Smart sellers use both channels strategically based on the specific coin and market conditions.

When eBay Makes More Sense

eBay is typically the better choice when:

• You have a certified coin (PCGS, NGC, ANACS) with strong eye appeal
• The coin is rare enough to attract specialized collectors
• You can wait 1-4 weeks for the optimal sale
• You have established seller feedback (500+ positive ratings)
• The coin’s value exceeds $50 (making fees proportionally reasonable)

For the 1962 Roosevelt dime, eBay makes sense for MS67FB examples where the potential $200-300 sale price justifies the fees and wait time.

When Coin Shows Are Preferable

Coin shows work better when:

• You need immediate cash
• You have common-date coins in lower Mint State grades
• You’re selling multiple coins and want to move inventory quickly
• You have raw (uncertified) coins that dealers can evaluate in person
• You want to build relationships with dealers for future transactions

A raw 1962 dime in MS65 or MS66 without Full Bands designation is often better sold at a show where a dealer can examine it directly and make a cash offer.

Actionable Takeaways for Sellers

Based on my experience selling Roosevelt dimes and other silver coinage, here are specific recommendations:

1. Get professional grading for high-value coins. The $23 PCGS fee is worth it for potential MS67FB examples, but not for coins that will grade MS66FB or lower.
2. Compare your coin to known examples. The forum member who posted PCGS CoinFacts images of certified MS66FB and MS67FB dimes provided invaluable context. Always research comparable sales before deciding where to sell.
3. Calculate your true eBay costs. Include final value fees, payment processing, shipping supplies, and your time when comparing venues.
4. Build relationships with dealers. Even if you primarily sell online, having dealer contacts gives you options when you need quick liquidity.
5. Document everything. Photograph your coins thoroughly, keep records of purchase prices, and track your selling history. This data becomes invaluable over time.

Conclusion: The 1962 Roosevelt Dime in Context

The 1962 Roosevelt silver dime represents a fascinating intersection of American numismatic history and modern selling strategy. As one of the last years of silver dime production before the 1965 Coinage Act eliminated silver from circulating dimes, these coins carry historical significance beyond their metal content.

For collectors and sellers, the key lesson from this forum discussion is that grade and designation dramatically impact not just value, but the optimal selling venue. A raw 1962 dime that might grade MS66FB is a coin show piece—quick liquidity at a modest premium. But that same coin, if it achieves MS67FB, transforms into an eBay or auction house item where patient marketing can yield dramatically higher returns.

The Full Bands designation adds another layer of complexity. As forum members noted, the difference between FB and non-FB can be substantial, and the designation requires careful evaluation of the torch bands on the reverse. This attention to detail is what separates casual collectors from serious numismatists.

Whether you choose eBay, coin shows, or a combination of both, success in selling Roosevelt dimes comes down to understanding your specific coin’s grade, designation potential, and the market dynamics that determine where it will bring the best price. The 1962 dime may be common in circulated condition, but in high Mint State grades with Full Bands, it becomes a genuinely collectible piece of American silver coinage history.

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