I check the ads almost every day for coins, and I don't see many for sale here in erie, the last ad i saw was for 20 rolls of steel cents 5 dollars a roll, and I bought all he would sell.They were put away in the 40's and i got a lot of nice ones, never checked for varieties. Coins for sale should do very well in a smaller market.
I was looking in a local paper one day and saw a add for buying coins....I saw that I knew the guy (didn't know he collected) and had a good lot of coins he was hunting...I called him and told him what I had...I didn't want him to make a better offer because he knew me so I didn't tell him who I was....he made a large offer $150-$200 more than I think the coins were worth.....I called him back and told him to take $150 off what he offered and we would call it a deal.....I think I can say he was very happy Speedy
Don't do it, you'll regret it. Everyone with a dateless buffalo nickel or standing liberty quarter or wheat cent will call you, asking if you'll buy their "collection"/accumulation/clutter/hoard so they can retire early on those coins which they believe are rare and valuable.
The other thing you have to think about is security since you will be carrying cash ;nobody wants a check from some one they dont know. Obviously meet in an area with others around and NEVER go to their house unless you know and trust them. I also don't want them to know where I live. If you have caller ID never respond to a blocked number.Happy and safe hunting.
Someone kind of beat me to the security thing. Nowadays you better be careful. Note that putting an add in the paper for coins is really taking a chance. First of all you are not the first person to think of doing that. Second, every crook in the world will want to know who you are, where you live, etc. If you place an add, what would you say. Call me at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and put in your phone number and name? Go to them with a wab of cash? Actually with your phone number they can call you, see who answers, give you a phony story of any kind to learn your name and address if possible. Also, with this fredom of information stuff on the internet, with a slight bit of information crooks can learn your age, address, relatives names and ages, where you work, bank and lots of other stuff. Now once they know where you live and know your a coin collector, guess what is next? In case you don't beleive what can be learned from the internet check out the Chicago Tribune Newpaper today. They did a internet search and came up with all the CIA employees, agencies phone numbers and 2 dozen SECRET CIA facilities. So just think of what would happen if the entire world knew you were buying coins.
Just Carl is right, it just is not safe out there anymore if you don't know the person you just don't know.
You people are paranoid. How do you think dealers do it? They have ad's in the Yellow Pages and everything. If you have to go to somebodies house, just take a friend or two with you if you are that scared. I was thinking about doing the same thing in my area. I was even going to put some ad's up in local laundrymats. You gotta start somewhere. Heck, I'd tell them to come to MY house, that would seem more secure to me. Go ahead and do it, you never know what people have and are williing to get rid of for quick cash.
Not paranoid, just a lot more experienced at that sort of stuff. I know many dealers and they NEVER use thier home addresses for buisness. Many have PO boxes. Others use thier store, a freinds store or other inovative addresses. Coin robberies are becoming so prevelant, that many dealers have gone to some really neat steps to avoid a robbery. The only dealers I've ever heard that are not worried about coin theft are the ones that live in a very small town and know everyone. They are just used to that kind of life. Hopefully you don't live in an area like Chicago. If you did that there, you may as well put a sign on your house saying I dare you to rob me. I go to coin shows about 2 times a Month and I have known dealers for well into 20 years and none of them would ever use their home address for such a situation. Paranoid? No just been around and seen to many robberies, home invasions, stores robbed, coin collections gone, people shot to DEATH because someone thought there was a house full of coins because of something like your suggesting.
LOL! Like I said, paranoid. The chances of anything serious happening are slim, very slim. I think there is a much bigger chance of somebody robbing a bank than a coin dealer/buyer. People can be killed in a car accident every time they step into a vehicle. Does that stop anybody? No. Put and ad in the paper and have fun!
That is exactly what I have heard happen to people on other forums who have posted that they have done it.
Very true about this same subject on other forums. Really big one like this on PCGS and NGC forums. Many dealers that HAVE been robbed submitted threads on safety. One told how he was followed for almost 200 miles after a coin show to be robbed. There were a whold pile of such stories. I personally visited a dealer in the hospital that was stabbed to rob him of his coins. It's nice to live in a dream world where there is no crime as someone posted here. Banks are robbed everyday as well. Coin thefts are on the rise due to the massive recent increase in values of coins. There are now armed guards at coin shows I attend and there is always someone watching the parking lots. Yet coin thefts continue to rise. If NICK66 wants to try advertising with his name and address, fine. But I strongly advise anyone else that if you do you do not list a name, address, phone number. Rent a PO box and have all correspondance sent there. BE SAFE, NOT SORRY.
I agree with Just Carl, it is not safe to advertise your coin collection to the entire neighborhood. Once people figure out that you have coins at your house, you will never get any peace. Safety through obscurity is the best way. If the right person knows you have something of value, they will not be deterred by any type of security. Besides searching rolls, the best resource is the local coin dealers. Their prices are usually more reasonable if you find a good one. It is usually easy to spot a good coin dealer. Just stay away from the ones that sell a lot of moderns and gold plated state quarters, etc.
Some of the things I've done to acquire coins is to just go to a bank and buy a large quantity such as a bag of pennies. They have $50 bags at most banks. What I do is look for an older looking bank where they may have bags put in a corner of the vault somewhere and I sometimes get lucky with that. Then for a return i take to a bank where I have an account and put them into my account so there is no charge for counting them. Many banks now charge for counting or accepting coins unless you have an account. My favorite method though is to just go to garage/yard sales or estate sales, not estate actions. However, you have to ask if they have any old coins, jars, boxes or cans of coins they want to get rid of. Most people will not put them out due to the chance for theft. You have to ask. Recently, last Friday, I did just that and a lady went into the house and came out with a blue Whitman folder with over 30 Mercury dimes in excellant condition. I offered $10 and she grabbed it so fast I thought I should have offered much less. Like I said though you have to ASK.
