Snowpack accepts a small number of carefully-chosen consignments for every quarterly auction. We don't run a mass-consignment service — we curate. What that means for you: your coin shares the catalog with other coins that deserve attention, not a sea of dealer-dump inventory. Fewer lots, more eyeballs per lot, cleaner realized prices.
What we accept
- PCGS, NGC or CACG certified coins in original holders — occasionally ANACS for the right piece. Raw coins and other-service graded coins (ICG, etc.) don't fit our catalog.
- Early American silver — flowing hair, draped bust, capped bust, seated Liberty through its whole run — is our highest-demand category and gets priority placement.
- Classic US commemoratives, particularly CAC-stickered examples.
- Pristine proof coinage — PR-64 and up, preferably with CAC sticker or exceptional eye appeal.
- Better-date Morgans, Peace dollars, Walking Liberty halves in Mint State.
- Early US gold in genuine AU or better.
Commission
Seller commission is 10% of the hammer price. That's it — no lot fees, no photography fees, no unsold-lot fees, no marketing charges. If your coin hammers at $5,000, you're paid $4,500. If it goes unsold (reserve not met), you pay nothing and the coin comes back to you free.
For consignments over $50,000 aggregate, commission drops to 8%. For institutional estates and collections being liquidated, contact Mike directly for custom terms.
How it works
- Send photos using the form below or email them to mike@snowpackcoins.com. Specify the certification numbers (PCGS, NGC, CACG or ANACS), any starting bid/reserve expectations, and attach photos (phone shots are fine).
- We respond same-day with whether the coin fits, a suggested starting bid, and a reserve recommendation. No pressure to consign — if our recommendation doesn't match your expectations, it's a conversation, not a take-it-or-leave-it.
- Ship the coin via USPS Registered Mail, insured. We reimburse shipping on accepted consignments. A consignment agreement covers the piece until it's photographed and listed. (If you prefer, you can hand your coins over to Mike in person at any of our upcoming events. See our Show Calendar.)
- Your coin is photographed, graded-out, and placed in the next quarter's auction catalog. Listed by the Friday before the sale; visible to all bidders from the preview opening.
- Auction closes that Sunday, 8 PM Eastern. Bidders have 24 hours to pay; card payments clear immediately, ACH payments clear in 3-5 business days.
- Settlement within 10 days of payment clearing. Check, ACH, or wire transfer. For unsold lots, the coin returns to you via Registered Mail at our expense. For sold-below-reserve scenarios where we reach you with a post-auction offer, you decide yes/no with no obligation.
Reserves
We recommend a reserve on any consignment valued above $500. A reserve protects you from a bad-weather auction (a quiet Sunday when interest in your denomination is thin) but isn't a trap for the bidder — reserves are strict and disclosed on the catalog page as "reserve not yet met" so bidders know where they stand.
Why consign with Snowpack vs. a major house
Major houses (Heritage, Stack's Bowers, Great Collections) have tens of thousands of lots per sale. Your coin competes for bidder attention in a catalog so vast that specialist buyers are skimming. At Snowpack, we run several dozen lots per quarter. Every bidder sees every coin. Smaller bidder pools, but deeper per-lot engagement, consistently produces competitive realized prices for the right coins. For the wrong coins, it doesn't — which is why we only take coins that fit.
Additionally: no buyer's premium means bidders bid to higher absolute numbers. When Heritage charges 20% premium, a $1,000 hammer costs the buyer $1,200 — so bidders mentally cap around $800 hammer for a $1,000 target. On Snowpack, there's no mental haircut. Hammer is what they pay, so hammer is what they bid. That flows directly to your settlement.