Antique store coin prices

I am lucky enough to be in an area that has a lot of antique shops. A good many of them have vendors with coins for sale in cases. I usually give all of them a one over just to see what's in there however what I have found is that a quick judgement of the relative prices of the whole case is to look at the proof and mint sets right away. If those prices are high, generally the rest of the prices are over priced as well. I know, I know, there may be a gem hiding because not everyone knows everything, just making a generalized statement. Has anyone else ever seen this as well?

 

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My experience with coins in antique shops is that they tend to be quite overpriced. This experience became so generalized that I really don't look for coins in antique shops anymore, unless I happen to be passing through for other reasons.

 

Every antique store I've hit has had coins that were way over priced.

 

I picked up a about 50% no date off center strike zincoln for $12 at an atique mall. I don't think that price is too bad

 

Same here. Way over.

 

I got lucky as a kid, as it was the owner of an antique store in town who got me hooked on the hobby. However, most antique stores in my area barely have inventory, and what they have is way overpriced. There's usually just some flashy (and cleaned) silver pieces, 50's wheat cents in 2x2s worth more than the coins in them, and gobs of dateless buffaloes.

 

While easy (and often reasonable) with something like this, as long as you know what you're doing you'd be wise to never generalize. Opportunity can be found anywhere.

Physical venues that do not specialize in coins will often be overpriced and often because their target market is not collectors; it's novelty buyers.

 

Usually most antique shops will be overpriced. I've gotten lucky at antique/thrift stores a few times but mostly they have overpriced cleaned Morgan dollars and '50s circulated wheat pennies for $8 each.

 

Haggle

Offer what you think is reasonable and stick to it.
Antique shops often overprice because they expect the customer to want something off. Coin shops not so much so.

 

Not only are they overpriced, but the condition will be atrocious.
Stick to the specialists. A coin shop will have better inventory, better condition and
better prices.

 

Any shop that rents a booth or space/case weather antiques shops or consignment shops are always overpriced on coins IMHO. A seller who rents that space is usually paying not only for the booth but in the case of consignment, anywhere from 30%-50% final sales price so a lot of sellers feel the need to try to recoup this cost by charging way too much. And it's hard to haggle in this case as the seller is unknown and a lot of shops will not divulge their phone numbers for privacy reasons or losing out on getting more money. On the other hand I have been able to haggle with jewelrey shop owners who own the coins but only offer them as a sideline to their main business.

 

The trouble with that is that most of the shops that I frequent have vendors/consignment and the owner isn't on station. There are one or two where I have been able to conduct a bit of haggling with the owner, though. And I agree that almost everything I see is way out of line price-wise. And almost all of it is junk I don't need, but it's still fun to browse through what's for sale, and the wife enjoys looking through all the antiques, so everybody is happy.

[How's that last sentence for a run-on?]

 

Exhale

 

I ran out of breath reading it...

 

Yea every antique shop and flea market I've ever been to has way overpriced coins. I usually just walk by them.

 

I got about 9 40% Kennedy's for $2 a piece, a 90% for $4 and another 40% for a dollar. I went through the stack of coins they had in 2X2's and some of the same condition Kennedy's were priced at $3. I didn't take those but was happy to purchase the others. It looked like they didn't know exactly what they had. Not a normal thing in regards to my antique store finds but I was happy to find a good deal. I do check them all out though. This was not a normal thing for me.....

 

They had a box with some Canadian coins from the late '60's. I didn't check those out because I am not that familiar with Canadians and what years they contain silver.

 

As an antique dealer I can tell you, yes, they are overpriced. On coins, sets, medals, tokens or anything like it. They have rent, overhead and other costs to pay, including what they paid. Carrying them as part of their inventory broadens their customer base, despite being high.

I don't buy from them but I do look. It costs me nothing but a little time and I might find a bargain. I also sell but at reasonable prices. If you make me an offer I may not be available to accept or counter as I don't work in the antique mall. I'm located in a small town, in a small store but there are 16 dealers in there. It's very competitive so I like to deal in volume with lower prices.

I have found numerous bargains in antique stores, flea markets, etc but I have also walked away from several spaces in malls. If the dealer is high on coins, they will be high on their other merchandise.

 

Basically Canadian dimes and quarters 80% silver through 1967.
(the super old ones are 92.5 even some nickels). In 1968 some were 50% and some were nickel. So if the 1968 sticks to a magnet, it's not silver.

 

I ALWAYS look at coins in antique shops. The biggest problem is that the vendor is hardly ever there that owns it, which complicates negotiations even if they had something I wanted, which has never happened yet. And they are overpriced and overgraded as the expectation is that they understand it is unlikely they will get their asking price listed. They are also not very knowledgable about coins in general if they are there. And all they ever have is common stuff. People overestimate their chances of finding a diamond in the ruff.

You have better chances going to estate sales.