I am interested in a double eagle. I wanted graded probably a 63 or 64. I don't have a local coin shop. Don't trust eBay. Don't want to buy "our choice" from a national website. Not interested in auction sites. Are there any reputable smaller sites that posts pictures of their inventory. I am just looking for a common date graded double eagle that I can see before buying.
Your best bet will probably be at a larger show, where there are plenty of such coins to choose from. They tend not to show up in reputable auctions because they track bullion and the buy-sell spread is considerably less than the vig. If you can't get to such a show, you can work with someone who can, but expect them to take a cut of the action.
First, are there any coin shows in your area ? That's a great time to look and pick up a nice one. Anything within 90 minutes drive is acceptable, IMO. Second, there are some good and reputable dealers on Ebay. Confirm with folks here and on other boards you may frequent. Third, you can go the auction route through Heritage or some of the premium websites like CAC or some of the dealers who are active in the big regional/national coin shows and have a web presence.
I'm totally in agreement with those that said "buy at a show". And generally speaking the larger the show, the better. BUT I got a great deal at a medium sized show for a slabbed (NGC AU-58) 1862 one dollar gold. I got it for greysheet; I think the dealer was happy to sell it. He didn't specialize in gold; I bet it was tying up some of his money. What he didn't know (and I didn't either until later) was that it was a known DDO. It's listed as VP-001 in Breen's encyclopedia. Apparently it's a common enough variety that it's only worth about 50% more than a normal 1862 one dollar gold. But that was about $150 more than I paid.
Coin Shows sound like a good bet... But why not find a coin shop closest to you maybe? you could establish a relationship via email and/or Skype ... if you have an IPhone, the Facetime feature is free & very handy! John in Garrett Hill PA Radnor Twp FedDistrict#3hilly
Another point...if you buy an MS-63 or 64 the premium to gold is alot less than if you buy MS-65 or 66. So less chance of a counterfeit if it's been graded by NGC and/or PCGS.
I have bought from local dealers, eBay, and shows. RARCOA and Harlan J Berk have a large selection also.
Small and regional shows are fine. Here in the NYC area, the quarterly Westchester Coin Show (~50 tables) and the monthly Parsippany, NJ Show (~30 tables) are fantastic for seeing great stuff. Unless you need a very high-end coin, chances are you WILL see it at a show like those. I've done some low-end buying and my father bought a couple of modern gold coins in slabs as presents. It's good to patronize the shows so dealers keep making the effort to attend.
I just bought this week from harlan j berk. They have always been great and the raw stuff has been graded accurately IMO Also look at northeast coin
