So, I cherrypicked a 1935-S Buffalo Nickel with lamination and three 1896 Liberty Head Nickels for $2. Good cherrypick?
He's 12 and excited about the hobby! We should encourage him. If you want to offer constructive criticism, why not do it in PM?
There's the old saying... "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". Unfortunately, it doesn't hold true for threads. You're young, new, and excited, all completely understandable, but three on the same coins within a few hours is a tad much imo. With that said, the Libs are in line with what are often sold generically or as novelties at around fifty cents each, sometimes more but not terribly often. There is simply an over abundance of low grade common Libs, so they don't command much, but do offer the opportunity for someone to own an "old" coin for very little money. Common, particularly low grade or average circ late date, Buffaloes are often sold the same way, but priced a little higher; perhaps a dollar give or take, mostly due to popularity. Overall you paid around average for the four, but your enjoyment shouldn't be connected to if they were a "deal" or not. There's not much one can buy or do for two bucks these days, so if you like the coins, then you should view them as a bargain no matter what anyone else says or thinks, or what their replacement cost may be.
Keep on collecting. By the time you are my age Stack's Bowers will be begging to auction your collection.
Hint: Cherrypicking: Definition: Finding something, like a Doubled Die, die variety, etc that the seller doesn't know that he/she has. And paying a 'regular' (non-premium) price for it. You did not cherry pick anything, unless you bought a 1909 S Lincoln, and the seller didn't notice the VDB on the reverse. Yes, that is possible, I know someone who bought one, from a dealer. Now in an NGC F-12 slab.
