I am looking forward to going to a huge once a year flea market in Johnstown, Ohio. I hope to find some great deals like I have in the past. Here are a few tips for you fellow collectors at the flea markets. 1. Take your time, don't just look for display cases. 2. Look in boxes of nicknacks and other small items. 3. Look for jars of coins. 4. Look for coin books and albums. 5. Talk to the vendors and see if they have any coins that have not been put out. 6. Remember that most vendors are not really dealers - they often only have a few coins here and there and don't really spend that much time looking up values. So you can get great deals. 7. Always look deep into the cases with a variety of small items (knives- watches etc). Sometimes dealers will put coins in there- many times with way out-dated prices. They tend not to take the time to reprice many items in the cases- often they just leave everything in the case for future markets. 8. Unless you are getting a good deal already, never and I repeat never pay asking price. Always try too get a better price. 9. Take some coins for trade. Often vendors are looking for new stock. 10. Know Your coins and bring a list of key and simi key dates- don't carry around a coin guide, they will want top dollar if they know you are that interested. 11. Be prepaired to name a fair price. Often vendors don't have prices on coins, 12. The last day is always good for deals- people wanting to get more money to help offset poor sales. 13. Be kind and fair. Treat the vendors well and they will treat you well. 14. Above all Be patient, methotical in your search and don't get discouraged. You will find great deals you just have to look. I will post my finds on this forum
Thanks does this apply to garage sales too? Also does it make me a bad person for picking up a valuable coin of a person at a garage sale for close to nothing.
Brimfield report My recent purchases at Brimfield, MA antique show: Antique week- 1924-S peace dollar, marked as VF and $30. Dickered down to $20. Nice lot of 9 Standing Liberty Quarters. A New Jersey Furniture dealer had them packed away in a bureau. A pill bottle contained the 9 quarters plus a Florin and a Barber quarter, he said he "has" to get 12 X face for all. I said I didn't want the Florin and he says $30. I said how about $25 without the Barber quarter. Deal. When back in the car I opened the pill bottle and here is what I got: 1917 type 1 in VG to maybe F-12. Then a date run: 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 all Philly coins. But the condition of the last 8 coins is F and better. This goes to show that coins may be hiding in mysterious places. I always ask for coins at every booth or tent. This time the guy said wait a minute and returned with the quarters. He is a furniture dealer! Obviously didn't know what he had. He must have talked to another dealer who told him to get 12 X face without seeing the coins. A 1949 Scott American Album for US Stamps. This is loaded with early US Stamps and commemeratives. Mostly all cancelled but some really nice stuff including the 10 cent Columbian Expo Scott # 237. The oldest is a Scott #147 3 cent Washington dated 1870. It was the last day and dealers were packing up. The guy wanted $25 a very reasonable price. I said "But they are all cancelled" and handed him $20. Sold. I am thrilled and there are a lot of nice ones in there. Some dealers would not budge. Most wanted $20 for any American Silver Eagle no matter what condition. One dealer said "Damn you and your $35" when I tried to get his price down from $50.
To some extent it applies at garage sales. I wouldn't ask if they had any coins at the house for sale. You might make the person think you are going to come back to rob them or something. and as far as the price goes, If the coin price is on it and it was a good deal, the seller should have done (and had the chance) to do his homework. Its a different story if the buyer talks him or her down on the coin that was already priced low.
Thanks for the tips... I try to use these tips, when I go out to flea markets, and the big antique tents, out here near San Antonio, near Fredericksburg.. A lot of coins, with people not knowing what they are, not knowing that they are that old, or even real...
For flea markets the most important thing is to get there as early as possible. At many they allow you to enter much earlier than the stated time of opening. The reason is many steady sellers at flea markets get there really early and walk around looking for new sellers with to cheap prices and buy them out. Or just purchase much of thier stuff. Then they resell it later for much more. If a seller has coins, they are usually well knowledgable of coin prices and your just another flea market haggling custome. At one flea market by me it is supposed to open at 7AM. I get there at about 6AM and it is fairly crowded already. I leave by 8 to 8:30 since anything decent has been well gone over and sold. Going on the last day or late in the day is worthless. Anything good is well gone. At garage/yard/estate sales you HAVE TO ASK. Many will not put out coins. Too difficult to watch. Also, many are not sure what they even have. You have to ASK. NO, they don't think your a crook, they just think your a coin collector. Many people have coins in a jar, can, box, etc just laying around for years. Those are usually intended for a bank. If you ask, they may go get them and you make them an offer. At one garage sale I asked and they came out with a jar of pennies (cents). On the bottom I could see Indian Head Cents. I estimated about $30 or more so I offered $50 and left with a small fortune in coins. Newest coin was in the 50's. YOU HAVE TO ASK.
The previous posts offer some really good tips about Flea Market coin searching and buying! I will point out one thing as a warning. Since quite a few of fake (counterfeit) Seated Liberty, Trade and Morgan Silver Dollars and even a few earlier ones cannot be easily passed on at Coin Shows, folks with the fakes have been dumping them on unsuspecting customers and vendors at Flea Markets and some Gun Shows. So, the Buyer should beware! I carry all of my Gem Loupes and even my Digital Scale for such times when I come across someone selling any of these that just don't look and feel right. These fakes besides the off appearance, feel and weight can usually be detected easily as the Seller usually has 10, 20 or 30 of them in ther' possession. I am not saying that they all are fakes but if a Seller or just some guy walking around selling these type of coins, has quite a few of these and especially Trade, Seated Liberty and earlier Silver Dollars, there is a high chance that most or all are fakes! Frank
Yep it is sad, sometimes you can't even trust the little ole' lady at the flea market, because she has fake trade dollars
