Hi, so I'm fairly new to coin collecting and have really only attended 5 coin convention's so far. Mainly started off just looking and have only bought a few coin's, I love toned Washington Quarter's and their hard to find. But, my question is as I'm attending these convention's if I have a few coin's of my own and would like to sell or trade, how does this usually work and who can I sell my coin's too? Is it anybody or just the dealer's? I don't want to get harassed by anyone about doing this so any input would be great. Thanks!
One of mine. I have a little of everything. I would look here not at a show. Coins are almost always marked way up at a show. And you have buyer protection so good that the dealers on this forum complain about it all the time Just look carefully because there are a lot of these coins overpriced. Spend some time looking at everything before buying anything. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...ngc)+toned&_nkw=(Pcgs,ngc)+toned&_sacat=39461
ask several dealers what they would offer you for your coins. do not take the first offer unless you know it is a good offer. remember they will usually low ball you because they have to turn around and make money on your coins. unless it is incredibly rare then you might get top dollar.
You need to have a figure in mind of what you want for the coins. The dealer is going to ask you what you need for them. That gives you both a starting point. Keep in mind that the dealer may not need or want what you have to sell or trade. He has to make money on it or he will pass on the deal. Don't get upset with low offers. Everyone has a different opinion of what a coin is worth to them at the time. Have fun with it.
Why do you make your plurals using 's? The correct form for plurals is coins, conventions, dealers, quarters. The possessive form is 's for a singular. The quarter's hairlines are distracting. And please pardon my obsessive-compulsive tendencies in this regard; I have been a lifelong professional writer and editor. But your writing (and many people's perceptions of your messages) will improve if you absorb this rule. Regarding your questions, it is perfectly fine to offer your coins to dealers at the shows, they are glad to have sales offers. In general, though, show organizers and other dealers take a dim view of people wandering the bourse floor trying to make sales to other attendees. After all, the dealers have paid for their table space, expenses, and so forth. Good luck! Best Regards, George
Please feel free to offer your coins to dealers at shows, but it is best to keep in mind that you should have a firm idea of what you need for each coin and should be able to communicate that information. Also, not every dealer will want the coins or will be able to make a fair offer and that you are not bound to take any individual offer. Contrary to what one poster wrote, I have found that material at shows is priced less, sometimes substantially less, than what you may find on ebay since there are no fees for other middlemen.
I have found that the most efficient way do this kind of deal is to do a swap. Go in expecting to get about half of what you want fro the coins you are selling. Then pick out a few coins that add up to about 75 and 90% of what you want and offer a swap. Since the dealer already has his coins marked up, he actually is getting your coins for much less that you hoped to get for them. And, you can delude yourself that you got a better deal than you would have gotten for cash.
Agreed, and I would add, you should go to the show with a firm idea of the current market value of your coins, which is easy enough to find online. You won't get market value, of course, but at least you'll have a meaningful reference point. Agree with this also. No sales fees, no shipping costs, no credit card fees . . . dealers have an incentive to be competitive at shows and my experience is that they usually are. It's my favorite way to buy coins.
This is worth emphasizing -- it's not something that's obvious to beginners, or at least it wasn't obvious to me. Selling to dealers at tables is perfectly fine. In fact, the local show is where I sell off bullion and junk silver -- offers are competitive, and there's less risk than trying to sell on eBay, although there's also less upside potential. Trying to sell to other attendees is generally a no-no. The folks putting on the show want you to pay for a table if you're going to be selling to attendees. Besides, without a table, how are you going to connect with buyers? The biggest faux pas, though, is poaching. When you see a non-collector put down Grandma's old coins on a table, and hear the dealer offer half what (in your opinion) they're worth, it's terribly tempting to tap the non-collector on the shoulder and say "I'll give you a lot more than that!" Nothing will get you kicked out of a show faster (well, except stealing, of course). It might be okay to swing back by that dealer's table after the deal is done, and make an offer TO THE DEALER for those coins, but don't expect a better bargain just because you saw what the dealer paid. That's bad etiquette, and it's likely to backfire.
Absolutely true jeffB, and well put. It is quite wise to avoid interjecting yourself into anyone else's deal or pending trade, whatever. Terribly bad form. You will not ingratiate yourself to anyone with such tactics. Best Regards, George
You have received some good advice in this thread. To quote TomB, "you should have a firm idea of what you need for each coin and should be able to communicate that information". Remember that you can sell items in the sale section here at CoinTalk. Here is my favorite toned Washington quarter:
Collect89-absolutely beautiful coin. My favorite is also my 1958-D star. Giorgio-hahaha I'm sorry I'll be the first to admit I'm horrible with punctuation. Everyone else thank you for the great input, it was wonderful information. I'm glad I joined this site as my first forums for coins, y'all never give short answers. I do more reading here than posting there's so much information to learn.
