Do you shop online or at a brick and mortar store?

Hello,
Still a relatively new member here. I’ve recently become addicted to this hobby of collecting coins.
One thing I love the most is physically holding and looking at coins before purchasing them.

As of right now the only local places I know of that have coins are pawn shops and I think it’s a safe assumption to say their prices would be higher than a specialty coin shop.

I have done some shopping online and have been satisfied so far but it’s just not the same.

So just curious do you do the majority of your shopping online or in person, and which do you prefer?

 

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Mostly online. Much Much bigger selection and a lot easier to find comparables. I also would get treated much differently at most shops than the typical collector due to my age, so needless to say I don't return to shops that try and take advantage of me

 

Due to a lack of coin shops and major shows in my area, I do most of my buying online, both from reputable dealers and in online auctions — Heritage, David Lawrence, Great Collections and Stacks Bowers (not their biggie auctions.LOL)

There is one coin store around here that I like to buy from (if anything, to help the guy stay in business). And there are a few local and regional shows I attend.

I buy some from eBay, but haven’t done an eBay auction in ages.

It would be interesting to see how many other collectors have been forced on line due to a simple lack of live buying opportunities where they live.

 

You should do one for both, because I do about 50/50

 

As an old guy that happens to be blessed with a very down to earth and honorable shopkeeper a stones throw from my house, I always prefer the face to face deal with my guy. I am leary of EBay dealers. I see far too many horror stories here. If I bought on line I would go to a reputable dealer. I have done quite a few deals here on CT that have all been very reputable..... Try looking up stamp shops in your area. Some coin dealers are disguised as stamp shops.

 

eBay horror stories are mostly from sellers. No where gives buyers more protection than they do, far to much in all honesty.

 

And granted.... I am speaking out of turn. I should have been clear that I am not an EBay shopper.

 

I know there are people that preach that it's dangerous for buyers ect, but it's really not. The sellers are the ones taking the risk. The majority of people that get burned on there do it to themselves with raw coins they think are a great deal trying to bargain shop. Even then the only reason they get burned is because they don't realize they were for a long time. True scams get refunded as there are three ways to get a refund for those

The overall inventory isn't as great as a few years ago, but it's still got the largest inventory at any given time

 

I’ll do it in person if I can, but there’s only one show a year near where I am, so online is my best option. I have gotten some great coins on eBay, but the one thing I must stress is know your seller. If someone is selling, for example, a Chinese coin, it’s up to you to find out wether the seller’s coin is real, if he or she is a reputable seller, or if you feel that the amount they are asking for the coin is worth it.

 

Plus, many sellers on eBay might not even know what they really have. Or they have unattributed errors, which is my specialty. But it has protection you can't get at stores.

 

Interesting points by all.

One thing I know is in person I’m more likely to impulse buy.

Which isn’t all bad I guess....lol

 

Lol just depends whose on the other side of the counter and what lines they may be feeding you

 

Ha ha!!! I am exactly the opposite. I see photos here on CT that just grab me far too often. Just happened in fact!

 

I recommend you ask sellers on eBay as many questions as possible. If photos are not good, there might be a good reason they don't. Ask about whether or not coins have fingerprints, scratches, discoloration, verdigris on old copper, whether raw or slabbed. If raw, ask for guarantees for refunds if it gets tagged with a details grade if submitted quickly. Their answers in writing mean a lot to eBay if they try to refuse refunds. Believe it or not, despite not being slabbed, you CAN match imperfections in coins to prove you returned the actual one you sent.

Here is a coin I returned which had undisclosed PVC on it. The dealer definitely knew about it when he sold it, or if not, he is not competent. Either way, not good. So, ask lots of questions.

 

I love B&M shops, but there is only one in my area and it is more of a gold and silver place. One flea market dealer I am friendly with just moved to Utah, so except for a couple of local coin shows and Long Beach, I buy stuff online.

 

My main sources are (in dollar volume order)
1) Local public auctions.
2) Direct from mints.
3) Local coin club meetings.
4) Coin shows.
5) Online auctions other than eBay.
6) Private transactions with online contacts.
7) eBay.
8) Brick and mortar dealers.

 

I am going to my first auction at my local Buffalo Numismatic Association this week, and my first meeting!

 

Both plus coin forums as well.

Ebay for rarer coins that you can't find locally or at small coin shows.
Local coin store/pawn shop for supplies+cheap silver to stack
Forums for some goodies as well.

 

There's a reason why Ebay is by far the biggest marketplace for coins, nothing else comes close. However, you gotta be careful, no matter how hard Ebay tries to crack down on crooked sellers there's still plenty of them selling fake coins and other scams.

 

Online: Franklin Mint, APMEX, Collectors Alliance, ustatequarters.com, US Mint.