How have you acquired your collection? I have 2 different collections that I will be inheriting, but as far as my personal collection, 99% of the coins have come directly from circulation. It certainly doesn't hurt that I work at a convenience store. I've bought a few proofs off of ebay, and I've bought a war nickel and a handful of wheats from a local coin shop, but the vast majority have come mixed with ordinary coins. Do you buy your coins or yank them from circulation? I like searching through coins because it's like a treasure hunt. Finding that old or unusual coin is like finding a diamond in a field of dirt.
I used to buy from my LCS but then I moved and the nearest one is too far. Now I get them here at Coin Talk, eBay, and Great Collections. Or that's where I've been buying from lately. I'm not into roll searching and don't come in contact with a lot of circulating coins but I did save the two war nickels I received in change.
eBay and various other online dealers. My lcs just makes me feel uncomfortable. Besides with online one can't really question the vast selections available. I love the hunt more than anything else and searching daily online or seeing a coin pop up on an online want list is a thrill.
I get mine from here, ebay, and at my local coin club. The club has an auction each month of around 40 items. Sometimes they have what I want, other times not, but I typically pick up one or two at a time. Anyone who wants something in particular can PM me with what they want and what they're willing to pay and I can see if I can pick it up
I started circa 1969, spending part of my 25 cent weekly chore money on a couple of pieces of penny candy and receiving as much pocket change as possible from the elderly proprietor of the local corner store. She loved that my brother & I were both collectors, and came in every Saturday, so she saved her obsolete coinage for us. I'd often go home with a couple of lib nickels and a few indian cents in change. My brother brought home more candy, or should I say, bought more candy that didn't make it home. When we moved to a different town, I lamented not having that source any longer, and a collecting neighbor introduced us to the bid board a few towns over. That's when I learned that lack of availability, and competition among collectors is what drives higher prices for some dates. After athletics and girls distracted me some, but not completely, for about 10 years, I resumed fresh out of college, liquidated my childhood acquisitions, and embarked on learning how to grade, what to buy and what to avoid, still buying mostly at the LCS, but also through major auctions, trade mags and at local shows as well. Today, my sources run the gamut . . . cold calls referred by past customers, local shows, major auctions, calls from holders of my business cards, sales to my website, purchases off of Teletrade and eBay, purchases after probate / settlement appraisals, etc. I'm glad to have been through the varied sources and related experiences, as there was plenty learned in each.
I've gotten most of my collection off of eBay or from about a dozen dealers I trust and have examples of what I like. I got to all the Baltimore and Philly shows and quite a few local ones. Bruce
To acquire coins coins for my collection I would usually buy from the the few dealers who set up at my coin club, purchase from the occasional coin show, and eBay. I never had a true local coin store, until recently when I found a very nice store in a small town, about 40 minutes from my house. In my opinion they have a much higher quality, broader, and most importantly affordable inventory of coins. My "new" lcs is now my preferred choice of venue for acquiring coins, I never knew what I was missing buying off that "eBay."
At least your nice, I like to tip them over when they are riding their little electric scooters in the parking lot to loosen up their little rubber change purses to find the IHC's and Buffers they are hoarding unlawfully.
