Episode summary
Van Simmons on the Collectibles Market Shift Nobody Expected
The Meb Faber Show
· · Hosts: Meb Faber · Guests: Van Simmons
Summary
Van Simmons argues that the collectibles market has split into two very different worlds: common material has weakened or become illiquid, while rare, high-grade, historically important pieces have stayed strong or gotten stronger. In coins, he says the best assets are the scarce, top-quality examples that serious collectors want, while lower-grade or more common issues have been pressured by decades of new supply, hoards, and rising gold prices.
He traces how grading changed the business. Simmons says the creation of PCGS in the 1980s helped turn coins into a trusted, tradable asset class by standardizing condition and embedding guarantees into hard plastic holders. He argues that AI could eventually extend that model further, because modern computer vision can already recognize fine differences in coin surfaces and condition, even if collectors still resist purely mechanical grading.
The episode also expands beyond coins into watches, sports cards, pocket knives, antique firearms, old money, and even sealed iPhones. Simmons is skeptical of many frothy markets, especially where prices have outrun underlying rarity, but he remains constructive on rare coins and other deeply collectible, cross-generational tangibles. He closes by emphasizing that the best pieces are the ones with history, scarcity, and a proven collecting base.
Key takeaways
- Simmons says the rare coin market is bifurcated: top-end, high-quality coins are strong, while common lower-grade material has weakened as supply increased.
- He argues that PCGS helped turn collectibles into a trusted asset class by standardizing grades and guaranteeing authenticity.
- Simmons thinks AI could eventually grade coins and cards well enough to reshape pricing, especially for lower-end material.
- He says rare coins are among the most undervalued tangible assets today, while sports cards and some watches have already run too far.
- He favors collectibles with a long track record and a broad collector base over newer themes with uncertain resale demand.
Notable quotes
“The rare coin market is bifurcated into a couple of different markets”
“It's essentially securitizing the coins where now you can have trust embedded in the system”
“I think rare coins are probably one of the most high-grade nice selected rare coins are by far one of the most underpriced or best value items right now”
How the episode opens
Welcome to the Met Favor Show, where the focus is on helping you grow and preserve your wealth. Join us as we discuss the craft of investing and uncover new and profitable ideas, all to help you grow wealthier and wiser. Better investing starts here.
Met Faber is the co-founder and chief investment officer at Camry Investment Management. Due to industry regulations, he will not discuss any of Camry's funds on this podcast. All opinions expressed by podcast participants are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Camrian Investment Management or its affiliates. For more information, visit cambrianvestments.com.
Welcome back everybody. Today is an awesome episode. Our returning guest is Van Simmons. Van is a numismatist, heavyweight in the world of high-end collectibles. He's the president of David Hall Rare Coins, co-founder of PCGS, company that essentially invented modern creating back in the day. Van, welcome back to the show.
Thank you. appreciate you having me on. Me
Listeners, this is a special treat. We first talked to Van almost 10 years ago, which is crazy. If we wait another year, it' be the 10 year anniversary.
I'm going to put the link in the show notes. We might even republish it in the feed because it's such a great episode and this one would dovetail. Back off that one.
I mean, just for fun, I looked up what gold prices were back then, thousand bucks. what silver prices were back then. 16 bucks.
A little bit's changed since then, man. How's life? Walk us through what you've been up to the last seven years, eight years, nine years. — Just, you know, working. I mean, we built Collector's Universe, which we graded and certified everything from stamps to baseball cards, which was PSA, and coins, which was PCGS, a lot of different collectibles.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- rare coin market shift
- collectibles grading with ai
- supply dynamics in collectibles
- wealth preservation and legacy
- securitizing collectibles
Watch the episode
Watch “Van Simmons on the Collectibles Market Shift Nobody Expected” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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The Meb Faber Show, this episode and its artwork belong to The Idea Farm. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
