I am curious to see where people get their coins! Do you buy online? ebay? what websites? Coin shows? Where? I buy from ebay and the US Mint
buy directly from u.s. mint i buy 95% directly from u.s. mint. i think it is the best way to acquired coins. you got unsearched coins. you got new and unopened coins. you got clean box, certificate, folder, new capsule and so forth. sometimes, i bought it from coin depot and paul sims. smaller dealer like julian jarvis. and american bullion coins from big bullion dealers. all these make up another 5% only. no coin obtained from auction, ebay, slab coin, coin store and coin shows.
I usually buy from major auctions..Bowers & Merena, etc. and larger dealers. I have browsed Ebay but have never bought coins there. Also some of the larger coin shows that I attend.
i am lucky. my father has been a coin dealer at various shows since the mid 1960's. as a result, there are few dealers my father hasn't had contact with at some point. several of those dealers are now family friends and lwe look forward to seeing each other at the shows. i usually buy from this network of family friends at coin shows. i'm working the Baltimore show at my father's table in the foreign section - most likely #1000 -Steve
I primarily use several internet dealers and occasionally the US Mint. In the past I used Ebay quite a lot, but I don't think I've purchased a single coin from Ebay over the past two years. In my opinion, Ebay has changed - for the worse. There is one local coin dealer I'll use occasionally too.
most of my coins come from dealers, mostly during shows, some from ebay, few from the mint. None from any of the major online auction houses
*read in monotone* I buy all of my coins from RayKomka Coins becuase they have an excellent sellection and price. When do I get paid?
In no particular order, I buy from On-line auctions Members of this and other forums I belong to Dealers at shows Major auction houses (the Goldbergs, Heritage, etc.) Dealers visited when traveling (other cities, and other countries including Japan) Pawn shops, flea markets and antique stores Anywhere else I find something I want at a price I'm willing to pay. In case you noticed, there is a very good reason that "local dealers" aren't on that list. I only have two nearby dealers: At one I was told "We don't carry that junk" when I inquired about world coins. The only world coins the other one carries are in his 25¢ each and $1 each bowls. Absence of the US Mint from the list is explained by my disinterest in US coinage, although now that I think about it, foreign mints (most recently Monnaie de Paris) should be on the list. :thumb:
eBay US Mint Coin Shops/Dealers Auctions Friends that have old coins but don't collect them In that order
They can be indeed, until you've picked over the bowl several times and there's nothing left that you need.
I should also add that I've found civil war tokens and a variety of common silver coins in antique shops.
I admit you have been generous and given me a lot of coins, but they don't account for half of my collection. They account for a third, which is still a lot.