I was just searching Craigslist for coins and I pulled up a post for a 1943 steel penny. They want $50 for the penny. I just thought it was a bit humorous. They I was thinking it would be fun to have a thread showing over prices Craigslist posts for coins, of course if that doesn't violate any of the forum rules.
Sometimes there isn't any bad intent in the listings. It's just that non-collectors aren't educated about the value of coins. They find something unusual in their change and think they've won the lottery.
When I was in fourth grade, a coin collecting friend of mine tried to buy snacks in the school cafeteria with a steel penny. He argued the penny was worth 65 cents and demanded they take his and give him a cookie and a bag of chips.
You know what rubs me the wrong way, when those pesky vending machines don't want to take my silver quarters at melt value. There's always some shoving and pushing, a few nasty words exchanged but the vending machine always wins. I don't even know why I go back, guess those snickers bars are just too yummy to give up.
I love how non-collectors simply equate value with age. I was in a coin store once when someone came in with some morgans and a newspaper. In the newspaper was a story how a 93s morgan was worth over $1000, (regular newspaper so didn't even state the grade). Well, this customer had silver dollars "EVEN OLDER!" so came into the coin store demanding he buy them for more than $1000 a piece. When the dealer offered him $4 a piece, (silver was below $4 an ounce then), the guy just went ballistic. Claimed he was calling the BBB, the cops, the local tv station, etc. When I give someone a roman coin they think it HAS to be fake, since all real roman coins have to be in museums, right?
I've had people I know over the years with common date morgans, peace dollars, etc, claiming they are worth a lot of money. When I tell them the actual value of said coins, they don't want to hear it. They think because grandma gave them an 1886 P Morgan, it has to be worth over 500.00. I have a friend at work that wears a 1901 S 20.00 gold piece around her neck. It's in a bezzle. I cringe everytime she wears it. I told her how she's devaluing it further by wearing it. She said she looked it up online and they were going for over 2 grand a piece. I told her in that condition it's only worth the melt value of the gold. Again she didn't want to hear it. I guess she didn't like me pointing out she ruined her heirloom coin her dad gave her by putting it in a bezzle.
I emailed someone on craigslist this week, they had a 1922 Peace dollar listed for $50 (not outragious by any means) but its a common date and showed some wear. I offered melt for the coin, but never got a reply back. Guessing he was insulted by my offer, but to add more to what you said people think because something is old that it is worth much more just because of age.
