Garage Sale Coins?

If I have some coins such as wheat cents and Buffalo's that are extremely low value (25 cents-5$) it acceptable to sell them at a garage sale? And if it is, how do I best proceed on grading and pricing? Should I be doing it differently? Thanks!
(PS the coins are so junk, my LCS doesn't want them!)

 

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So depending on the value of the total of the coin,
I would donate them to my local coin Club for young numismatists

 

If you plan to sale them at a garage sale, then you must ask yourself. What would you pay for them. If someone ask you how much you want for them, then one must answer, make me an offer. Then you will decide to sale or not. I go to many garage/estate sales and most of the time, coins are not out, and you have to ask to see them, like weapons. Did this answer your question? The above, if a member of a club, or with Boy Scouts Troupe, nearby, then you could help with their Merit Badges. That would be better.

 

Makes sense. Thank you sir. Should I keep them away and not advertised? Seems counter-intuitive in my case

 

We dont got an Coin club that im aware of

 

Then find one close by. We have two, that I know of, within 20 miles. A local coin show each month. Get information from this sight, of web to find a club or coin shop close by, and go. Learn, make friends with others that like the same. Still be careful, when telling. Only, give your first name at garage sales, and only a cell number.

 

Understood. Thank you!

 

I looked at your profile. you need to get the 1. "Red Book", 2. A book on how to grade coins. 3. Collect what you like and can afford first. 4. Find a coin shop, and make friends with the owner. 5. Go to your local bank and ask some of the tellers to look for things you are interested in, and make friends with all of them. 6. learn the hard coins to look for, modern or old. good luck. I started when i was about 11 years old.

 

I have sold coins at a garage sale. I just put them in 2X2's with the price I am asking and then put them in plastic album sheets with 20 slots for the 2X2's and put them at the table where people pay. Works great and allows me to get rid of low value items. I have sold Ike dollars, presidential dollars, state quarters, wheat cents, buffalo nickels, etc.....

My favorite was I had a blue whitman folder with wheat cents in it. About half the book was uncirculated red coins that were really nice. A young girl came by with her parents and kept looking at the folder. She asked her parents if she could buy it along with a jefferson nickel folder and some other items. I think I sold it all for like a dollar which was less than the face value of the coins in the folders. You should have seen her face. It was priceless and well worth it.

 

Joining a local club is a great suggestion for any coin collector regardless of your experience level or age.

 

Great Story, will see what I can do for my sale.

 

I like the story about the girl, but I have to ask...

How "low value" are we talking about here? To me, if I can get .25 cents for a wheatie, I'll think that's a good deal. Sales of a low value coin goes to fund my coin buying. And I do have a lot of wheaties that I want to unload.

In fact, I'm surprised they are worth anything. It seems there are so may of them out there that they seem common. I know I have a bottle filled with them, and I figure others do, too. And yet I see them at coin shops all the time. So why try selling them off at garage sales if you can make a couple of dimes more elsewhere? Please educate me, because I want to get rid of most of these wheaties!

 

Let’s not rip off potentially new members of the hobby...

 

I have no intention of doing that. In fact, I would like to sell them to my LCS, even if I do get only 2 or 3 cents per coin. But do coin shops even buy them? The OP said his wouldn't take them. I know, I could just give them away, but selling them for anything would help pay for future coin purchases.

 

I think the most expensive coins were common date silver dollars or 1 ounce silver bullion which I sold for around melt. Every coin I tried to sell I attempted to put a very favorable price on it because I really wanted to get them out of my closet. In looking at eBay, the lowest price roll I see on the sold listing is at $3/roll or $.06/coin. After factoring in eBay, PayPal, envelopes, and shipping you will be netting much less than that. So I would have no problem selling the coins for as low as $.03-$.05 and even lower if it is a child.

I sold books of statehood quarters for just a little over face and I could barely give them away. I sold clad Ike's and the small size dollars for just about face. Usually, the only people that bought the state quarters or presidential dollars were if they were missing a date or mint mark. Honestly, I was amazed at the lack of interest in some coins which I thought were a great price and then I ended up being surprised with other coins that I never thought would sell and they ended up going fast. For example, no one wanted 2 cent or 3 cent pieces but they loved things like silver Washington quarters just because they had silver in them. Many older people seemed to reminisce about the good old days when they used them for daily use.

Call up a local coin shop and see what you can get for them and then sell them for a comparable price. I definitely did not make a killing on anything I sold. It was more just a chance to clean out my closet of random things I have gotten over the years. Have fun with it.

 

If you decide to sell them at a garage sale remember that they know where you live. If you grade them and your wrong you could be held liable for that grade. Just sell them cheap, just over face and make no claims about them. Try donating them to a local club or scouts.

 

Sounds good. I'll do that!

 

Interesting. So all those who have said here that they got theirs are suspect?

No, not going to donate them to the scouts. I like them, but any way I can raise a little money to fund my coin buying I will try.

 

I absolutely love this. You created a lifelong coin lover that day.

 

Been reading the thread with some trepidation. Then I looked at your profile and I see you are fifteen. Now, I want to sincerely applaud your entrepreneurial spirit!

I been collecting for fifty years and have two distinct collections. I have my young collection that consists of piles of coins like you described. Then I have my adult collection. I also have something of a hoarder spirit I suppose because I still have them all. Only recently have I been able to make myself “thin the herd” so to speak.

Fact is, most dealers really don’t want much to deal in fifty cent coins. So what’s left? A garage sale!! Why the heck not?!?! I seriously doubt anyone is going to pin you down on a grade over a fifty cent wheatie at a garage sale. If they do, they have deeper issues they need to tend to.

How about this.. Set up four bowls of various coins. Fifty cent bowl.... Dollar bowl.... Two dollar bowl... And ask for price bowl..... Something along those lines. And know this. People at garage sales want to haggle. So put your fifty cent coins in the dollar bowl. People can haggle and everyone walks away a winner.

Heck yes man. Have your garage sale and I hope it funds a spectacular piece that you can show us pictures of later.