So I have a large amount of coins that I would like to put inside of flips. I have been finding trouble finding a supplier for flips. Most websites lure you in with amazing prices on flips, but when you go to check out the shipping is nearly the same cost (if not more) than the flips themselves. My questions are as follows (Hopefully someone could chime in) 1. Other than ascetics, would I run into any issues just buying 1,000 Large Dollar flips and using it as a one size fits all flip? 2. Are there any upfront decently priced sources for flips? I would much rather shop locally, but my distributor charges $0.25 each flip. (I know he's gotta make his money, but $1 for four of them is out of the question! That's why I buy my coins from him.) 3. Do flips protect against humidity or mainly just surface contamination from touching etc. Am I going about this the right way? I am thinking about using flips and a binder with non PVC 2x2 pages (which I have found a decent source for the sheets).
Don’t buy anything but non PVC safety flips. The ones with Poly Vinyl Chloride will break down and secrete a residue on the coins which will damage them if it’s not removed. You are better off with coin tubes than cheap flips.
I agree entirely about tubes, but I want to have them easily displayable, which was the reason behind the binder idea with coin flips. I do not want the PVC ones, I have read the horror of the past involving those! Which is why I don't want to buy off of ebay because I am seeing nothing really about composition on the lower priced ones. Maybe it's best not to cheap out on Flips. But would a $1 Large size flip be acceptable for all sizes? Something tells me this isn't ideal because it would be loose in the flip possibly scratching (at least microscopically). Any and all suggestions are welcome!
To the extent that flips will protect your coins, I think you'd be fine taking the one size fits all approach. But I've said it before (in fact, I said it on another thread just this evening), and I'll say it again: If a coin is worth keeping, it's worth protecting. If you paid $5 or $10 or $50 or $100 for a coin, does it really matter if you spend 15¢ versus 50¢ to store it?
If you mean the cardboard flips, the best deal I've ever found was buying them at a coin show, but if that's not an option I've purchased them in lots of 500 on eBay for a decent price. The more you buy, the better the deal usually. Personally I like to use flips that are as close to the actual size of the coin as possible. They tend to move around too much if the flip is too big, and then they can end up tilted weird.
Safest for corrosion is unfortunately not the safest for scratches if the coin moves around. PVC is soft and won't scratch, mylar is safest chemical protection. The cardboard ones typically use mylar, but staples ( unless in a box marked 'stainless steel' ) can rust and carry corrosion inside to the coin. If you or some one you know have amazon prime these are some of the best. https://www.amazon.com/Saflip-Double-Pocket-Coin-Flips/dp/B0043WTCJ6 Jim
