Filling up albums

What's the quickest, easiest, cheapest way to fill out my albums? I have new albums for 1¢ 5¢ 10¢ 25¢ that are almost complete up until about 1970 when I took a hiatus from collecting coins in albums. I would be looking for BU/AU or the best I can find. I have many rolls of coins that I put together myself over the years (face value over $1000) I save all my change and roll them up when the jar gets full, but I don't want to break them open and start looking, too much work. I haven't counted them but thirty plus years of coins is a pretty big quantity. Can a person save some money if he can find a dealer that hasn't put them in flips or 2X2's? Just sell them loose and unpackaged, I'm not looking for MS69, I just want to fill up my albums for my very informal collection, something to pass on to my grandkids.

 

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Hello Douglas,
I'm afraid "quickest" and "easiest", isn't going to equal "cheapest".
If you want AU/BU coins, the easiest way to get them is to buy from a dealer. Most will give you some sort of discount if you buy a certain quantity.
Many dealers can pick the date/mintmarks you need from tubes they have in stock, and put them in rolls or tubes, rather than putting each one in a flip.
It sounds like you already know what the cheapest way is.
Jody

 

I kind of have to disagree with you Jody. It is not worth a dealers time to pick through the loose coins for certain dates and mintmarks. Especially for post 1970. As most of these coins will average very little profit. Once most dealers crack open a roll, it will go into flips. Now as far as cheap goes, I would suggest you open the rolls that you already own. There are several tough dates to obtain in these modern years. Most collectors were not saving rolls of coinage after 1964. There just wasn't much of a market for it. Just check out the bid prices for some rolls of the mid 1980's and you see what I mean. Getting AU/BU singles will be a tough thing to do. If you could settle for F/VF a quick trip to your bank to search rolls would probably get you most of the way there. There are also a few dealers that have ready made sets available. Personally I don't believe it is worth the price, but it is an option for you. Check with your dealer to see if they have albums behind or under the counter. They are sometimes called junk books, but they will contain a lot of what you are seeking for a pretty good price. Lincolns will sell around 15 cents, Jeffersons in that same area, Roosevelts for around 25 Cents, and the Quarters should be less than 75 Cents for most of the years. Do your homework before starting out on your quest, as many of the new DDO's and DDR's were not looked for. So you may stumble onto a real find if you know what to look for. Good Luck

 

That's OK National dealer. I don't have a problem with you disagreeing with me. If we always agreed, there would be no room for discussion.
I suggested that the OP could buy dates/mintmarks that way because I have dealers that sell them to me that way.
I am sure that they charge enough so that they don't take a loss. But you're probably right in saying that most dealers won't go to the trouble.
It all goes back to your other thread about establishing a good relationship with your dealers.

 

Touche' sir. I am so glad to hear it. It is so true that your relationship with a dealer will get you things that otherwise would not happen. If only other collectors would make that a regular part of their collecting habits. One quick note off the subject. Since you are Jefferson collector, and a Virginian, what is your thoughts on the fact that Jefferson and Monticello will be a permanent fixture on our five cent coin? (after the Lewis and Clark anniversary)

 

Thanks for asking. I am very much in favor of Jefferson and Montecello remaining as the permanant devices on our five cent coin.
I am also hopeful that Washington will forever be depicted on the quarter.
My reasons are not as selfish as they may seem. I am also disapointed that Franklin was replaced on the half.
Depictions of our Founding Fathers serve as a constant reminder to future generations as to just how great these men were. They were not merely politicians or policy makers. They were the stuff legends are made of.
These men didn't lobby and debate issues that were socially acceptable. They created the greatest nation the world has ever known.
Now I know I'm probably in the minority when it comes to changing coinage designs, and I'll agree that some things are due for a change, but I also firmly believe that some things are better left alone.
JMHO,
Jody

 

Bravo Jody, I couldn't agree with you more! Ben Franklin should have remained on the 50¢ but at the time the whole country was swept up in the Kennedy myth, oh well. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop on coinage. I'm sure you know that there is only one national holiday honoring a person and as far as I'm concerned homage should be paid to the likes of BF, TJ, GW, AL, TR, FDR and if I gave it more thought I could come up with a few more. This nonsense about putting women on the $1 was just to appease the liberal media in this country. What's wrong with putting Teddy Roosevelt on the $1? While some of the old designs were beautiful works of art, like the Walking Liberty, I think coinage and paper should honor truly Great Americans. Hillary on a one dollar bill ??????

 

Well I do agree that these were great men. All of the freedoms that we enjoy today can be linked directly to their influence. They created a strong country that allows it to change with the times. It was also these same gentlemen that OPPOSED having the likeness of a person on our money. They wrote that a form of Liberty would represent all that America stands for. While I agree that each of the founding fathers need to be remembered for what they did, we should still listen and follow their sound advice concerning our currency. As an example, there are multible bills in congress to place Reagen on the dime. If we continue down this path, where will it end ??????

 

You gentlemen make good points, and they are well taken. Always being in "lock step" agreement, isn't healthy. In fact it can be downright boring.
There's plenty of room for debate on many of these issues. And you all can rest assured that I never take any of this personally when another forum member disagrees with any of my posts.
Jody

 

I had completely forgotten about that Nat'l Dealer, the business about founding fathers not wanting people on our currency. I guess we get used to what ever we were brought up with. In my lifetime, all coins are people. But Reagan on a dime, no way? And why can't we do something with the dollar that is enduring? As far as I'm concerned the SBA and Sac are failures. I'd like to see TR on the dollar and put BenF back on the 50¢.

 

While there are a few people that I would love to see on a coin, I think it would be better to save that for commems. I would love to see each of the founding fathers/patriots honored in some way. It is a shame that we are losing these gentlemen to history.

 

I agree. I would love to see them all commemorated...on commemoratives. I would not even mind a circulating, Founding Father, commemorative program similar to the state quarters. I really don't like having our coins static and forever locked into one person...no matter how great that person was.

I think the old way was better with changing designs of Liberty Other themes would be good too...Freedom, Equality, etc.

--
Stujoe
'Change is good'

 

Now that is a great thought. Let's start those letters to Mrs. Henrietta Holsman Fore. Now before our well versed moderator (GDJMSP) corrects me on the role of the mint director, I suggest that if she were flooded with mail suggesting a theme change, she would forward the thought to the correct people. BTW Stujoe, I like your CoinPeople site.

 

She seems to be very ready for changing our designs and numismatic aware too. A lot of obstacles seem to be in front of her, though. Have you checked out GDJMSP's petitions? BTW: Thanks.

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Stujoe

 

I met Mrs. Fore at the ANA show this past summer. She does seem willing to put the mint back on track, and I do applaud her for those efforts. On the other hand, she is not getting it done. Maybe we as collectors should be doing our part. Writing to the mint and our congressmen. Yes I have seen GDJMSP's site. He has certainly earned my respect for his knowledge and efforts that he demonstrates for our hobby.

 

I usually have very little use for politicians, but in this case I have to hand it to this guy.

LINK

 

Looks like this is being proposed. I wonder how far it will get:

http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/04/3/9/18311577.cfm

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Stujoe

 

I saw that in today's Chicago Tribune also, here's what I think. The State Quarters program has brought in many new collectors and has renewed interest in not so new collectors like myself. This is good, but we use quarters everyday in just about every transaction. We do not use half-dollars, why? because sales clerks can not count change, if the cash register doesn't do the calc for them, they're lost. Therefore, stores don't even stock halfs in the cash registers. So how are we ever going to use a $1 coin? Like the article says, we need to get rid of the dollar bill. Our last two examples of dollar coins were failures because of this and I think they are failures as collectibles as well. A coin has to be in everyday use, doesn't matter whose face is on it or what color it is or what size it is. I'd like to do away with the penny as well, the most hoarded coin in America. I betcha I have about fifty pounds of them myself.