Good Buys

I'm going to a coin show on Sunday and I usually find some stuff at really good prices... or at least for the current numismatic price boom. Can anyone think of a series that is at a low point right now or is it just a bad time to buy coins and a great time to sell?

 

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My crystal ball is on the fritz so I cannot predict which series will increase in value.

 

Yours too???:high5:

I personally would walk through looking for any type of coin I know is cheap for the grade - making sure it is problem free. What are you most familiar with? I think any silver or gold bullion eagles as close to spot as possible - I think gold and silver will recover, but not sure when.

 

The information you want has been sitting in a mayonnaise jar, out in the sun all day, on Funk & Wagnells front porch...

 

A coin show isn't the place you're going to do this. If it were so simple to predict what would rise in value enough to make a profit on, that we could give you an answer, don't you think people who deal in coins for a living would be privy to this as well? If they were they sure wouldn't be selling low so you could sell high.
Guy~

 

You're right. I edited my post. I'm not going to sell. Is there any series that has a low price so I can buy higher grade coins on a low budget.

 

Where is that place?

 

If you're into jeffersons or roosevelts you should be good to go.

 

Depends on how low a budget you have. I think all Barber coins are low priced right now. Then again, it may be because they are a bland design. Barber halves are the best deal, especially considering the mintages and the fact that you get a nice sized silver coin.

On a lower budget, silver Washington quarters, silver Roosevelt dimes, and pre-WW2 Jefferson nickels are great for the value. Not many people are buying these, but I see their value going up someday.
Guy~

 

What do you like? And what is higher grade? I think there are several type coins like this - are you looking for graded or raw coins? I personally like the older stuff. I like Jefferson nickels, mercury dimes - really any of the silver coinage. I think on some jefferson nickels you can get pretty good deals - just not sure what would give you the best bang for the buck.

 

Yeah I'm into older stuff too. Mostly silver, but I do keep pre-1960 jeffersons from circulation or if I see a really good deal. By high grade, it's different for different coins as I'm on a low budget. I'm not going to go out and purchase a seated liberty half in unc. condition, but if I saw an MS65 Franklin at a nice price, that's the kind of grade/price relationship I'm looking for. Now, say I saw an XF seated dime for a good price that would be a higher grade for me. And I usually buy raw coins.

 

Gold commems from the 1980s are sometimes bargain priced. ASEs are underpriced in my opinion and a few years from now it might be impossible to find one under $20, especially after the Mint discontinues the series someday.

 

Take a look at Buffalo Nickels. Some years and mintmarks are expensive but most are affordable. Many are affordabe in uncirculated condition. If you learn to grade Buffalo Nickels you can cherrypick uncirculated (but weakly struck) coins from dealers who mistake them for circulated coins. Plus they are a very attractive coin.

 

Another good series to collect if you don't have a pile of money would be Washington Quarters.

Assuming you want to put a typical circulated set together (Say VF), there's 2 coins that'll cost you about $250 each (32-D and 32-S) and one that will approach $50 maybe.

Unless you want to start chasing down doubled dies, that's the extent of the pricey coins. Truth be told, you could probably fill at least 2/3 of the set from a typical coin shop's junk silver box, and mst of the rest can be found in junk/bargain boxes.

These are not expensive coins, but they are silver quarters and can be a lot of fun to put a set together.

Mercury Dimes are another set to consider, you can assemble a set of those quite inexpensively but the 1916-D can be a stopper as they seem to start around $800 for something even remotely decent and there's the 21 and 21D, but assuming you go for decent circ stuff (F) you can pick them up for 150 and 200 or so for those.

 

I do like washingtons. It just seems like lately I can't find a nice one from the 40s for under $5 which i think is too much, but I'll search the bargain bins and junk silver at the show and see what i can find.

 

Oh my, that brings back memories of a time before the internet!



the_man - My advice would be to buy an early type coin that appeals to you in the highest grade possible. This may mean you come away for the show with one coin or none, and that would be a success.

 

Why does everyone call the barber coins a bland design!?! I like 'em.

 

Seated dimes and seated quarters. I'll go along with the Barber halfs too.

 

look at franklins in bu grade. the most expensive one is just under $100. Its a fun set to put together.

 

It sounds to me you’re in this for the beauty of the hobby and not the investment aspect of the business. There is a difference between the two and no one is better than the other. The best advice I could give would be to take paper in hand, walk through the show jot down all the coins you shown interest in and wait until the show comes back in town. Sometimes this could be monthly or quarterly, any longer than that then you will need to go to different shows to gather your information. But for the same show in the same building usually we’re talking the same sellers every month. If by “chance” you like a coin and through further research noticed the coins value has increased over a short period of time(before the next show). I’d make a b-line directly to the dealers store not waiting for the next show. While I was browsing in the store I would look to see if the price on the coin had changed and if there were other deals that weren’t at the show. If not I would take out my hard earned money and buy the coin and make a note of any coin I liked at the store. If you noticed a coin in the store that wasn’t at the show then I would ask the dealer if he still had the coin if he would bring it to the next show for me or put it on lay-a-way if the store was not too far away and he/she agreed. If you are new to coin collection then I would not only be looking for a nice coin, I would also be looking for any information (reading material, books, etc.) regarding the type coin you collect. I would even take my five bucks and consider joining a club that specified in the coin of choice if you could find one. Ask the question here in CT, I’m sure if such a club exists people will be more than willing to help you. But as for what to buy, only you my friend can make that decision. Books have been written with respect to the question you asked. Just about every reply to your question someone has mentioned a different denomination or series of coin. It just goes to show, there are deals out there. You just have to be knowledgeable enough to know when one is looking you in the face.