What's the dumbest coin decision you ever made?

Got a friend who's bought and sold 3 1794 dollars over the years the most expensive I think he sold for $7500 he wishes he kept em now!!

 

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Ive been quite lucky. Most bad decisions didnt cost me much. But I must admit, Im one of the guys who didnt read the ebay auction, where the guy from CT was selling clad silver bars for $9.99. (silver was $31/oz. at the time) He put clad right in the title, but the rest of it was dolled up real nice. I was about to sit there all night nipping everyone of his auctions, when I FINALLY noticed the word clad lol. I have one bar from him, and tbh, its not bad looking at all. But its a great reminder to look before you leap lol.

 

My worst decision was passing on pre-33 gold back in the 2000's. To think MS63 $20 Saints were going for $400-500.

 

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Yeah, I know, I know, I forgot to engage my brain.

 

The only time I've ever bought off of Heritage..... Got burned on a PVC-contaminated Matte Proof Cent. That was my worst coin decision I've ever made.

 

+1!

 

Just saw this thread and thought it was pretty cool, i guess of me i don't have a particular regret but i guess in general instead of buying tons of 50 dollar coins i wish i had weight around and bought a handful of 500 dollars coins even just 5 years ago and then i would have had so much more valuable items. I am guessing this is a regret a lot of us share!!

 

Great I'm glad you made money. Now if you want to tell us about a mistake we are listening.

 

Biggest mistake? Oh, that's easy. Joining CoinTalk.

 

I bought a Sacajawea dollar from 2000 for 4 bucks... Why, for my type set... did I have 5 others at my house in better condition, ya...

 

I started collecting about 4 yrs ago. Like someone else said, I wish I started earlier. One bad purchase comes to mind right now: I bought a barber half dollar that looked AU but with dark toning. I spent 80 dollars for it, which seemed like a nice deal. It turned out to have been harshly cleaned and retoned, only worth bullion or little more. I learned not to buy raw coins off ebay unless the pics are clear and the seller has good feedback.

 

The "DUMBEST" thing I ever did was jumping in head first into PCGS's First Day of Issue Presidential Dollars! I have got soooooo much money tied up in this particular set that its makes me want to throw up!

During 2007 and 2008 I submitted coins using the Bulk procedures, accrued thousands in grading billing and then the freaking TPG limited the bulk submissions to Authorized Dealers only!

Then the freaking government tucked its head further into the sand and stopped making the coins except for collector versions in 2011!

The entire freaking set came to a screeching halt and the coins I've collected either through purchase or grading became about as worthless as their raw counterparts.

That was really dumb.

 

When I first got married, saw the 1986 Statue of Liberty commems coins take off. Decided to try the same with the next 1987 Constitution commems and lost out. Sold for a loss at a time when newlyweds money was tight.

 

Not buying the 1995 W Silver Eagle PF70 in 2005 to complete my collection for 8500.00. I bought a ungraded set instead and got a PF69. Now I am the owner of a complet PF70 set with the exception of the 1995 W of course which is a PF69

 

And yet you can't resist returning again and again. What gives?

 

I just love tormenting people. It's the best "bang for your buck" entertainment value going. I enjoy reading bad advice I won't take.

 

I had a chance to buy the nicest set of 1909 to around the 1970's Lincoln cents I had ever seen up to that time, around 30 years ago. Most were in AU to UNC type condition, minus the S VDB and a few other keys, but just beautiful. A neighbor had it, offered it to me, and I told him to take it to some coin dealers, get the best offer, and I would match the best offer.

In hindsight I should have said "increase the offer by 10%" or something such as that. He sold the set for $300 to one of the dealers and it was easily worth much more than that. I basically thought he implied (promised?) that he would sell it to me! Oh well, he took the cash in hand offered by the dealer, and I learned from that, when seeing an opportunity, GRAB IT, and don't let it slip away.

I still think about that beautiful set every now and then.

 

Best decision was to buy a bunch of 2006 20th anniversary eagle sets.

 

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