How To Make Money Flipping Royal Canadian Mint Premium Coins

April 12th, 2020

The below references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.

The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) sells gold and silver bullion to wholesalers throughout the world. These are the common gold and silver Maple Leafs, and other series like the predator or wildlife series. They also sell what is often referred to as "high premium coins" directly from their website to only Canadian and American customers. The Royal Canadian Mint website has a tab in the link provided which shows their new releases, which gets updated on a monthly basis (usually the first day of the month). The coins listed on the new release page also display the mintage of the coin and what percent of their mintage is currently sold. This is where ingenuity comes into play.

Since the RCM is only available to North Americans, many coin collectors are forced to either try their luck with private online shops or purchase through eBay. Ever month I check their new release section for coins that are unique, fairly priced, and come with a low mintage. So beware, some months there are no coins with flipping potential, and others there are several with potential.

As soon as I find a coin with flipping potential, I buy several and use the image from the RCM in my eBay sales listing. I make it clear in my post to expect shipping two weeks after the coins expected delivery to my address. This allows time for the coin to be delivered to my residence and time for the coin to get shipped to the eBay buyer.

What if no one buys the coin on eBay? Good news folks. The RCM has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for all customers which includes return shipping costs. So even if you place the coin for sale online, if you get no takers, simply return the coin and its original packaging back to the RCM for a 100% refund.

You might be asking why are people paying several hundreds of dollars for coins that only have a melt value of $20 dollars? There are a lot of people out there who just enjoy collecting coins with unique designs who are not after profits-- It's crazy I know.

The above coin, for example, was the first in a 3-coin series that retailed from the RCM for $139.99 CAD. I ordered two sets of this 3-coin series and sold each of the six coins from between $250-$300 CAD. I made over $600 CAD profit after eBay and PayPal fees.

How did I know this series would do well? First, the series has a low mintage of 2500. Second, it is the first of its kind by any mint to have a high relief of 7mm. Third, polygon designs are something new. This series was a winner. Look for unique, and inexpensive coins that leave room for markup. Avoid war memorabilia and coins embedded with gems. They do not do well in the current market.

To get an idea of how this works take a look at coins currently sold out on RCM's website and see what they are selling for on eBay. Then check the sold only listings for how much they actually sold for. Follow the coins selling and listing history on eBay. As time goes on, the sellers will start to ask for less.

Some Tips for Flipping RCM Coins on eBay

1. Make your listing a Buy It Now listing, not an auction listing. This way the if the buyer agrees the cost is automatically deducted and you get paid instantly. Furthermore, if you make it an auction listing some competing sellers might want to get your sale tied up in a seven day auction, and then refuse to pay. Competing sellers do this to tie you up in eBays customer service.

2. Make certain to deliver with signature required. This way they will not be able to dispute the package delivery. I repeat make sure the delivery requires a signature.

3. Remember to factor in eBay and PayPal's cut of 13%.

4. Search for the same item you are selling but with the show only "sold listings" box checked. This will give you an idea of how many coins have already sold, for how much, and when.

5. Do not get greedy. I usually list the coins at 100% markup but will gladly accept an offer that is only 50-75% profit.

6. The coins that move best usually have some hype surrounding them in silver and gold forums.

7. Make it clear you have a no refund policy in your listing.

Good luck and remember, this requires patience. Most coins listed on the RCM website do not sell out, or have any resale value; in fact they usually depreciate over time. These opportunities usually come five or six times a year. Just because the coin is selling for 100% over purchase price do not expect that price to increase over time. These prices, in my opinion, are just hype. Don't get stuck holding these coins!