Recommendation for bullion supplies purchases (coin tubes, etc)

Starting to build my stack beyond just a few bits and pieces and I'd like to separate my junk silver into 40%, 90%, etc type tubes.... Wondering what the recommendations you folks might have for where to get these kind of supplies at a good rate. Would eBay be a good idea, or are there PM vendors who sell this kind of thing at reasonable prices (including low/free shipping)?

Thanks!

 

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eBay can be used for purchasing tubes. For small purchases like that, I prefer to use my lcs even if it may cost slightly more. You also don't have to pay shipping.

 

I've bought recently from Vernon Coin Center some tubes and ASE plastic 2x2:

https://www.vernoncoincenter.com/store/pc/home.asp

Also have used CoinSupply Express and Wizard Coin Supply lately, as well as Hobbies Depot (can all be found via Google), and prices are good, especially in larger bulk. eBay is OK, but you have to hunt, some places are more expensive with shipping.

 

Any materials to look for (or to avoid) like with regular coins, or shouldn't it matter with junk silver?

 

I don't think it matters. Didn't for me, I just bought the tubes and started stacking.

 

If you're into color-coding, any office-supply store sells little (plain) glossy self-adhesive stickers (i.e., dime or quarter size) in many colors, a couple hundred for $3 or $4.

 

This is also a good point. I like to put labels down the sides of the tubes for details, but a small dot label on top will help with quick identification if your tubes are stored in a box upright where you can't see the sides easily.

 

I haven't been able to find any good deals for coin tubes on FeeBay. I buy them from my LCS, who sells the CoinSafe brand tubes at a flat $0.45 each. Prices at jpscorner.com range from $0.40-$0.55, depending on the size, and they have very reasonable shipping rates. If you're willing to buy them in lots of 100, you can get them for $0.33-$0.44 each.

 

Most coin shops will discount a box of 100. Allen's in Westerville cuts prices about 22% (by the box), plus the regional Golden Buckeye "geezer" card whacks off another 5% or so. Anytime I buy an old collection or auction lot, the ancient tubes are the first thing to go.

 

I don't have enough to need this many tubes yet....but I guess it's better to order more now than to have to pay shipping a bunch of times if I don't get them from the LCS since it's quite a drive...

Thanks for all the tips!

 

I would recommend getting cotton gloves, loupe, gram scale and calipers, latter items are a must for counterfeit detection. You can get those in ebay or even amazon.

 

Jjack's list, all necessities, no argument there. If you have a big budget, you can add a PM (chemicals) test kit, and a computer microscope, both of which have been cussed and discussed repeatedly on CT.

All this gear will put you miles ahead of the average collector or stacker. I'll let someone else talk books and publications.

 

I have access to calipers at work, but need a gram scale.... Any recommendations for anything specific there???

 

I bought my digital scale at harbor frieght for about $10 and I have been amazed at the accuracy.