Hey guys, Has anyone had any luck (or vise versa) on eBay on auctions like this or this? Are they gimmicks, or can you really find good things in them? The only real reason why I am thinking about possibly buying a bag of "unsearched coins" (which are probably really weed-outs from lots that had gold and silver stuff) is because I think getting a bag of random coins would help me start collecting. I don't really know where to start collecting or which coins to start with. I thought getting a bag full of 50-75 random coins might help me with that, I can experiment with my tastes and see which coins I'd like to collect and which ones I wouldn't. Please let me know if an "unsearched bag" (like those above) would benefit someone in my position or not. As always, thank you in advance friends.
There's basically no such thing as "unsearched", at the very least it would be an extremely rare occassion to find such a lot. It can be fun searching coins like that, but you are often better off to just search rolls you get from the bank.
Buying bags of "unsearched" coins, in my opinion, isnt a good idea for a beginning collector to get started with. I wouldn't waste the money on them. My suggestion to you is to pick a series or coin that you're interested in and read everything you can find and educate yourself before you buy anything, especially if you plan on investing alot of money into your collection. Go to coin shows and talk to the dealers and ask questions, buy magazines, Coin World has alot of great information, search the internet for information, ask questions here in Coin Talk, there are alot of knowledgeable people in here that will answer any question you may have. A great book to have is "A Guide Book of United States Coins" by R.S. Yeoman or "RED BOOK". Use this as a guide only and not for specific prices you'd expect to spend at a coin shop or show because prices change all the time. The RED BOOK is a great learning tool. Also, stay away from Ebay if you're a beginning collector. Its easy to get ripped off if you dont know what your looking at. Find a local coin shop and be a regular. I hope this helps a little bit. I'm sure the other collectors in here will have things to add that I looked over. This is a great place to learn. Have fun collecting!!!!
I have tried a few off of ebay and in my opinion if you get your moneys worth you really got something
Here is a link to one of the many, many prior threads on this subject. To find more, use the "search" button at the top of the page and input "unsearched ebay".
I take the term "unsearched" on ebay about the same as "I have a 70 mile long bridge for sale in Arizona". Think about it for a minute. Somebody list unsearched coins on ebay. Why? They are there to make money, would they not look at the coins to make sure there wasnt a SVDB or something of true value? I concur with what was said in this thread, you get what you pay for. Better to call Aunt "fill in name" and ask to look in her coin jar. Thats where I found my 1914D Lincoln in XF45. : ) ..
I bought a sack of unsearched coins like the first one and pulled several teens which included a 1914-D in F-VF condition, two 1909s, and several double-dies from the 50s, no 1955 DDOs though. But the seller was not this fellow and only had three sacks. B
lol,the only way the unsearched eBay lots have anything in them is if they are salted (the seller intentionally throws some good stuff in to improve the value of the individual lots). Otherwise your odds are hardly any better than looking through circulation.
Chuckle, pay no attention to the troll, he's just frustrated he never 'got lucky' on eBay. Notice I won't mention the bad deals I get taken on... BTW, the 1909 cents were just that 1909-P's in G-4ish condition
I believe you, I just thought you were joking (I misread 1909's to be 1909-S). lol, I strongly caution people not to be taken by the eBay scammers. The unsearched lot is one of the classic eBay coin scams.
I always say just THINK. If they are all unsearched how would a person know what is in there. For example when they say all coins are Wheatback Lincoln Cents, how would they know unless they searched?
LOL! Good point Carl. I agree with everyone else. And I definately don't think e-bay is a good idea for a new collector. Do some research, then go to a coin show. If you know what your looking for you can find good deals, and shows are always alot of fun for me.
Adam, CoinShows are great IF they are close to you. By close I mean lesss than 100 miles. Actually the nearest one here is between 300 & 500 miles when it's normlly held. B
