First hello to everyone here! When I was a kid, my grandmother started buying me U.S. proof sets from the year I was born (1952). I have started a collection for my son. I just had a rather bad experience from buying coins online from, what appears to be, a very disreputable dealer. Many of the sets had cracked cases. Many of the coins appeared to me in bad condition (for example several of the pennies appeared to have large "rust like" spots. Many of the sets had OK coins, but the packaging was "distressed" (I'll be kind), and many did not have any COA's. Where can I find "dealers" or persons who deal with proof sets, who could help me, perhaps get the missing proof sets, get better "packaging" and any missing COA's, and perhaps fill in the gaps of the sets I finally sent back to the dealer. If anyone doesn't mind, I have no problems posting the dealer's name and website. Thanks to all you pros in advance! :high5: encil: :high5: encil: :high5:
Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about the bad dealer that you dealt with....but most dealers and collectors don't care if the packing has the COA or if the box is missing or such because they want the coins not the box.....but I understand what you mean.... Here are some dealers that I trust 100%.... www.vtcoins.com http://www.workingmancoins.com/index.htm Also here is a list that GDJMSP has put together---all of them would be trusted in the coin world. http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?t=14152 Speedy
Thanks for the reply and the links to trusted sources. I was pretty sure that the packaging and the COA's were not that important. However, as you stated, the coins are the most important. All of the sets that I returned were because the coins were damaged or looked like rust! I will try and contact the links to fill in any gaps I have for the proof sets that were returned. Thanks.
Welcome to CT sorry to hear about your bad experiance I am sure the US based collectors will soon put you on the right track :smile De Orc :kewl:
Would Coin Net and Certified Coin Exchange allow a lowly person like me to participate!? :mouth: :mouth: :mouth: :mouth: :mouth:
I personally like to have my COA's if possible. Anyway, welcome to the forum. I think you will find that there are alot of good folks in the hobby - and here at coin talk.
With all due respect to those who differ, I think the condition of the cases does matter. If you are going to ctrack the coins out, then of course it does not, but if you are going to keep it as a set, then eye appeal becomes a factor. Which is nicer - a set with all original packaging in good shape, or a scratched and scuffed case? I have boght sets for cracking open and counterstamping of the coins, so I ask for less-than-perfect sets and hopefully get a slight discount. I don't mind the flaws and they also get taken off the market so people collecting sets won;t have to deal with the crappy ones.
Although some of the earlier proof sets had cards saying what was in the set, but as far as actual COA's they were not packaged in proof sets until 1987.