Does anyone have luck buying coins off Craigslist? I see the regular " we buy gold and silver " ads, but was curious if you could attract customers looking to unload estate, large lot collections. Just thinking of ways to obtain for material to resale, and in the future set up a table at the local show...
IMO, all though good for other tangible items, I stay away from Craigslist when dealing in numismatic coinage and/or bullion. I've found many good deals on their site, but never a coin worth over melt and if I'm going to deal in the street; I have other sources. It just seems too easy for any goon who shy's away from the juice (tax, commission, dealers' cut, eBay fee, JUICE) in order to make a sale is a goon indeed. For bullion, worry about the spot-price and when it looks good to you, any reputable B&M joint will do fine at little cost added. Yeah, you might have to wait a couple weeks to get your goods, but you don't have to risk getting shot on the spot. From what I have gathered, all though as stated, Craigslist is good for things sometimes; it ultimately is the same as cash on cash dealings in the street. I heard PCGS's David Hall say to "stay away from Craigslist," at the last LB Show, and I feel he is correct. Whenever someone sells something and doesn't need to be held accountable following the sale; that person should be avoided. Good Luck to you and whatever you decide, just be safe
There was a member on another forum that acquired bulk Lincoln Cents as well as near-completed sets for a fraction of the cost. Something like a 1909-S, 2X 1931-S, 3 near-complete sets (missing the key dates), some coin literature and a ton of other stuff for $110 dollars. They put out a wanted ad asking something along the lines of "If you inherited coins and don't know what to do with them or were planning on cashing them in at the bank, contact me". So I'd say some people have luck finding stuff on craigslist.
I've made some good buys and sells, but I feel it's mostly luck of the draw, ie responding to the listing quickly, being happy with the price, and ALWAYS meeting face to face in a public area to make the deal. I treat it as another alternative for sales and/or purchases. Why automatically exclude any avenue to build a collection?
I've done very well on CL. Most of the time it's junk silver or common wheat cents, but you get a surprise every now and again.
The one and only coin I've every purchased from CL was my 1883 CC GSA Morgan. It came complete in it's original box and COA. Bought it from the original owner.
